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.
My kingdom to build a house now with the craftsmanship of a Victorian home, or hell, the epitome "Craftsman" home, with all the modern bells and whistles. Give me real, actual made-to-last custom everything instead of cheap, fast fashion of architecture.
If I was mega rich, Iβd have one of those art nouveau homes where absolutely every detail is custom designed and hand-crafted to be artistically in harmony, and itβs all made to look like plants and bugs and things
