Irina wanted her new home to be practical—to a point, anyway. After living for years in New York City and Mexico City, ririlazar felt it was time to return to California to be closer to her parents. But first, she had to find a place. “I was committed to checking listings every day, three times per day,” she says. “One day, this place came up and it had only been listed for thirty minutes. I was the first to respond and wrote a compelling and charming enough letter to land me the coveted first-look spot.” When Irina picked up the keys in January 2023, she wanted her new home to reflect her travels and personality—and to celebrate its unusual quirks. “I study and teach neuroaesthetics, which essentially examines how the brain responds to its environment, and how these things can create a sense of pleasure, positive emotion, and meaning,” she explains. “Our environments are an extremely powerful tool that can be used to optimize our overall well-being, and for me, interior design starts ...