A Long Night’s Journey into Day
Written by Joan Tapper | Photography by Riley Yahr and Nancy Neil Photography.
A lot can happen in five years.
In 2017 Jodi Goldberg, of Jodi G Designs, was living in Montecito in a Balinese-inspired home she had designed. After that house was destroyed in the mudslide of January 2018, she and her husband eventually rented a home at the top of the Riviera, though Jodi always assumed it was just a temporary residence. But there were more unwelcome surprises to come.
In February 2020 Jodi suffered heart failure followed by complications and then a diagnosis of lung cancer. “That was a double whammy,” she remembers, “a progression of being traumatized and starting over.” She had surgery, watched as Covid took hold of the country, underwent chemo. . . and has recovered. And along the way she fell in love with living on the Riviera.
“Creativity is what fuels me,” she says. “It gave me a reason to get better. And I can’t say enough about the Riviera. Being there feels very nurturing and nature oriented. The birds seem to sing louder, the stars are brighter. My husband and I walk every day.”
Ultimately, they bought the house they’d been renting. Jodi stripped out its earlier heavy décor and transformed it into a light, bright, airy space. “I used raw woods; neutrals like white, cream, and black; and lots of texture,” she says. “It feels more Zen.”
The experience has also altered the way she approaches her work. “I’m more confident, less afraid to take risks. My design has gotten more organic, but I find you can do that in many, many ways. I have more freedom.
“I got lucky,” she says, “I have amazing clients, friends, and family, and I have delved into positivity.” JODIGDESIGNS.COM.
