UCLA Journal of Radiation Oncology SUMMER 2024 - Flipbook - Page 64
THE INNATE CURIOSITY
AND LONGEVITY OF
KELLY WEARSTLER
On a recent Sunday walk, a friend and I popped into an open house across from San Francisco’s
Dolores Park. The second story 昀氀at should have wowed with what appeared to be original crown
molding, vaulted ceilings, and well-staged rooms, but we could tell that the aubergine living room
would become cavelike if we continued to watch the fog roll in from the west-facing window. We also
questioned the decision to lay wide gray-toned 昀氀oorboards in the laundry room in glaring contrast to
the seemingly original perpendicular-running narrow oak boards of the kitchen 昀氀oor. As we headed
back toward the street, a dozen additional things caught our eyes that seemed less design choices and
more quick 昀椀xes. The staging had beauti昀椀ed the space for walk-through viewings, but what would it
be like to actually live in the 昀氀at? While my friend regularly attends open houses and looks closely for
which original elements have been refurbished and which replaced, I wonder if I would have noticed
had I not spoken a few days prior with the Los Angeles-based designer, Kelly Wearstler.
Wearstler is arguably the most comprehensive designer of our time, taking on residences, hotels,
commercial properties including West昀椀eld Century City, décor, art, fashion, furniture, textiles,
Farrow & Ball paint, lighting, vehicle design, and more. To walk into, say, Downtown Los Angeles
Proper, is more than entering a three-dimensional space; Wearstler immerses guests in an experience
that encompasses visual nuances, attention to how light changes throughout the day, scents and music
to accompany each area of the hotel, and emotional facets to guarantee comfort and ease while away
from home. While she had not heard the term Neuroaesthetics prior to our interview request, her
innate talent for enlivening not only all of the senses, but emotional well-being, places her directly at
the epicenter of Neuroaesthetic artists and artisans.
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