Apropos of nothing: One of the wildest degradations of meaning in the last few decades is "luxury."
"Luxury" homes have the same appointments as everyone else's, by and large due to for-profit home-building. There is zero artisan involvement in, like.
Anything.
And Minimalism! The complete victory of Minimalism, which means engineered and machine-finished materials EVERYWHERE. Glass, laminate, steel. Again: The same materials used in everyone else's homes. But LESS of it. So they CHARGE YOU MORE.
Wild.
Compare Carson Mansion, built in 1886, to a modern estate.
Even if you don't dig Victorian architecture, you have to admit there is MUCH more artisan involvement in Carson.
Whereas the La Jolla house has plaster, engineered wood, and concrete. Way cheaper. And we're conditioned to accept it.
"But Spike, human labor is much more expensive than it used to be."
Yeah, no, that modern mansion is $32 million. Anyone who could buy that abomination could hire a sculptor to carve some Art Nouveau crown molding. We've just been programmed to no longer consider artisan finishing as luxury.
I also have a feeling that too many “nice house” owners now consider bespoke furnishings to hurt their property’s resale value.
My mother watches both French and US house renovation TV shows, and to paraphrase her: the former feel like they’re working on homes, while the latter work on investments.
Meanwhile, almost no one I know has purchased a starter home and then upgraded. My parents intended to but then couldn't afford anything much better. Same with my sister. A few friends downgraded after bankruptcy or divorce. I told my realtor I wanted somewhere I could stay for a couple decades.
