Home Is, and Always Will Be, Where the Heart Is
By Lisa Marie Burwell
The coronavirus pandemic has, as yet, proven to be the greatest upset known by any living generation the world over. When was the last time a single cataclysmic event caused absolutely every person around the globe to be shaken to the core by either pain, grief, anxiety, sickness, economic strain, or a combination of these? When we emerge on the other side of all this, things may never be the same, but maybe they can be better. Since it is not over, we don’t know what the outcome will be, but many lessons have been learned thus far, and I’m sure there will be more to discover as time marches on.
I am not proud to admit it, but one lesson I have realized through this is that, for more than a decade, I’ve been merely existing through my life—operating at lightning speed with minimal downtime—rather than living my life. The stay-at-home mandate has forced me to recognize things that I most likely would not have come to terms with otherwise, one of those being an appreciation for my home. Before the pandemic, our house functioned more like a pit stop, a place where I mostly slept, only to get up and rush out to do the next day’s bidding. It has not been what most would consider a serene life. To truly live, in my opinion, is to live in the moment—to take the time to be still and be fully present.
Meanwhile, life remains beautiful, and in this issue, beauty abounds. Read about and marvel at Hollywood couple Kelly Lynch and Mitch Glazer in our feature cover story, “An Architectural Masterpiece: A Star among Stars,” by Anthea Gerrie. Enjoy this exclusive peek inside their John Lautner–designed home, which has been captured by the lens of Sara Essex Bradley. Another visual stunner is “Private Sanctuaries: Paradise in Santa Barbara,” an interview with landscape architect Margie Grace by managing editor Jordan Staggs. Holly Lepere’s gorgeous photographs magnificently showcase Grace’s distinctive landscaping style.
One significant disappointment during the last two months—among so many—is that countless students, having worked so hard to achieve an important milestone in their lives, are unable to celebrate openly with a graduation ceremony. We met Genesis Rosario five years ago in New York City, where she performed at a Girl Redesigned event coordinated by the Sports and Arts in Schools Foundation and educator Erica Ann Garber. VIE was a proud sponsor of the event, and the story appeared in the 2015 May/June issue. I followed up with Genesis this year to see how she was doing. We are honored to share her poignant story, “To the Class of 2020: Accepting Acceptance.”
At VIE and The Idea Boutique, a new level of gratitude has been reached during this time of isolation. Despite the hardships, we have discovered new methods for creating and managing content. We now know that a magazine can be published while collaborating remotely from home. I am not sure what that feat would have looked like if this disaster had occurred before the Internet; it has indeed been a godsend to keep the team connected from a safe distance. To the VIE team, you amaze me at every turn, and this issue is no exception. Thank you for your professionalism, talent, and enthusiasm. You are heroes in your own right for creating another stunning issue.
It seems fitting that we present our annual decor and home issue as most of the world has been relegated to their homes for the last two months. The circumstances that require us to remain homebound are unfortunate, but we should consider ourselves blessed. I pray that I can continue to help those who need it and show new levels of compassion and kindness to all those who are homeless, unemployed, and scared.
To Life!
—Lisa Marie
Founder/Editor-in-Chief
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