I walk slowly around the Hidden Heights mansion holding a glass of red wine. There is no one home and it is night, as if a party has finished or is about to start. Inside, the railings of the stairs and the arms of the modern metal chairs gleam in the light of the dripping chandeliers overhead. White couches and wall-to-ceiling windows, stainless steel appliances, dark wood, a glass wine rack along the wall—it feels expensive here. Outside, palm fronds flutter over the moody pool that dominates the city skyline, all lit up in white lights. I pick up an inflatable donut and launch it across the pool.

I can’t really touch any of this, or smell the night air, or drink the wine in my hand. It’s a custom world created by Elaine, a digital designer who creates places like