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W H AT ’ S N O W
Top to bottom: Handcrafted
STUDIO FORD designs; JOSIE FORD in India.
ONE TO WATCH
Just more than a year ago, 25-yearold Josie Ford journeyed to Jaipur, India, with sketches in hand and a textile dream in her heart. The trip proved successful as she found artisans who shared her love of traditional block printing and could bring her designs to life using their age-old manual process. “It’s an honor to be able to bring awareness to an art form that has been practiced in India for thousands of years,” says Ford, who grew up in Santa Barbara. The designer launched her Los Angeles-based STUDIO FORD in November, selling small batches of quilts, scarves, and napkins online, while giving 5 percent of profits back to the families she works with in India. Her organic patterns are inspired by nature, architecture, and art, and every item still starts with a sketch. J . B . K .
A Systematic Approach
A lot has changed in the 30 years since Hans Betzholtz and his wife, Elaine LeVasser, founded HIFI CLUB . In those days, many of his customers still had clunky stereo consoles. Today, the enterprise is focused on electronic system integration and design that’s also visually pleasing. “It’s more about the experience and letting people know what can be done,” he says. That means everything from whole-house audio and video systems to home theaters and, especially, smart homes. “Everyone likes music in their homes,” he notes, and he’s put in some elaborate home theaters for local celebrities. “But it doesn’t have to be a huge room.” Even a space for four or six can be exciting. As for comfort, convenience, and security, the technological advances are coming fast. Room temperature, irrigation, security cameras, smart locks—“you can operate the whole house from one screen,” Betzholtz says, whether that’s an iPad, a dedicated touchscreen, a phone, or a computer. “People want it to be super simple. The big thing is voice recognition,” so you can walk in your door with your arms full of groceries and turn things on. “Alexa, Google, Josh.ai— ultimately that where things are going.” 208 E. Cota St., Santa Barbara, 805-962-2525. J O A N T A P P E R H I F I C L UB .N E T
What’s Now
A HIFI CLUB cabinet that hides a TV when it’s not in use.
STUDI O- FORD.COM
THE EFFICIENCY PROJECT ’s CASEY GEEB and ALIA GLASGOW .
Mindful Minimalism
Santa Barbara natives/sisters Alia Glasgow and Casey Geeb bring accessible organization into your home with THE EFFICIENCY PROJECT . “The whole mission is to help families like our own conquer their spaces,” say Glasgow and Geeb (an event producer and an interior designer, respectively). From professional purging to concierge moving to keeping your next event running efficiently, these sisters set up, systematize, and simplify (consultation: $250). “We want families to win back time so they can do what they are passionate about.” 805-455-1622. G I A N A L E Ó N TH E E F F I C I E N C YPR O J E CTS B .CO M S A N TA B A R B A R A