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I love Los Angeles. This city has taken incredible care of me since I first moved here into a studio apartment after university, lifting me up through its endless capacity for reinvention. I have been able to take big risks here and have felt supported. This is a city of dreamers.
My heart aches for those affected by the devastating fires that tore through our city earlier this year. The scale of destruction is unfathomable, including the loss of more than 16,000 buildings, most of them homes. One of them was my own: my family home in Malibu.
Through years of interior designing for clients across the world, I’ve come to understand something of the soul of a home. It is, at its core, a story of someone’s life — a curation of memories and moments intricately connected to our sense of self. When you suddenly lose a home, it can feel as if you’ve lost a part of yourself. From the furniture passed down through generations, to photographs and letters lovingly preserved, to the irretrievable, familiar smell. At least it has felt that way to me.
Each of my design choices in my home had felt meaningful — from the statement Cornucopia plant that welcomed us home, to the shower that looked out to the ocean. But I’ve come to understand more than ever that these weren’t just aesthetic elements; they were witnesses to countless gatherings, quiet moments and daily rituals. As I grieve alongside my fellow Angelenos, I am reminded that while material possessions may come and go, the spirit of our homes and memories endure. And as we not only rebuild lost homes, but start afresh on new projects, we must hold that close.
Returning to Malibu with my family after the fires died down, I have witnessed something extraordinary — green blades of grass breaking through the burnt soil, a powerful reminder of nature’s resilience. There used to be a tall ficus tree growing inside our home. My friend Richard asked if when we go to the house we could try to recover a piece of its root — deep down there may be something undamaged — so that we might propagate a new tree. A small way that we could bring a part of our house back to life, symbolising the endurance of its spirit. “There is a metaphor there,” he said. “In nature, certain trees that endure fire use the pain to germinate in ways they could never imagine before.”
LA embodies this same tenacity. From the ashes, we’ve discovered our collective power. We’re not just rebuilding structures; we’re forging stronger bonds, discovering ways to support each other, from donating clothes to fundraising and volunteering — and transforming this challenge into a catalyst for innovation and unity.
Looking ahead at LA’s renaissance, our design community stands ready to innovate. This event has deepened our understanding of what makes a home sacred — the way it shapes our experiences and preserves memories. As a designer, I’ve always looked to centre the personal treasures that tell my clients’ individual stories — a family antique that has travelled across continents, an art collection curated over the years or a handcrafted ceramic discovered during a family trip. Each piece represents a chapter in their lives, and creating spaces that showcase them is a way to honour these stories. Design should be purposeful in not just telling but building on these narratives.
Today LA stands proud. The Getty museum maintains its watch over the city, “mom and pop” eateries across the Valley serve up dishes of every cuisine in the world, and the quirky pulse of Venice Beach remains undiminished. Even many parts of Malibu stand strong: the iconic Pier, the Country Mart and the beaches, which are what drew us here to begin with.
This weekend, the Oscars are back in town. The 2026 Fifa World Cup and the 2028 Olympics are on our horizon and we have an incredible opportunity to show the world who we are. Both events have taken on new meaning in the process of rebuilding, coming together to create something even more remarkable than before.
But, when all is said and done, however big the vision, the home is where the real stories begin and flourish.
Kelly Wearstler is the founder of Kelly Wearstler Studio
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