Artful interiors

When interior designer Julia Mora was remodeling a Montedto home, she saw a need for custom paintings and commissioned artist STEPHANIE CATE. The great-grandniece of Curtis Cate—founder of the Cate School—Stephanie (who now lives in Los Angeles) has a strong connection to Santa Barbara and works closely with designers such as Mora to help homeowners and first-time art buyers move past framed posters and mass-produced art. Her abstract pieces now grace the walls of Gallery Montecito and a few local residences, lend-ing the "undeniable energy and presence" that she says only original art can. "When my work resonates with someone on a visceral level and they choose to acquire one of my pieces for their home, it's a great honor to me," says Cate. "You don't need to have a degree in art to understand abstraction. You just need to allow yourself to feel the imagery speak to you." .1.a . K.

Artful interiors // Santa Barbara Magazine - summer 2016