A-DOOR-ing
Red doors abound in Santa Monica.
Welcoming us into homes,
Businesses…
Garages…
and…who knows what magical places.
Wooden doors abound in Venice.
And a beach town blue door speaks of sky and water.
Let us a-door- them… all!
Compliments of the House…and Sky
Compliments of the House…and Sky
L.A.’s beach towns offer an abundance of local, architectural, and natural color. Recently, I have noticed a predominance of the complimentary pair, blue and orange. In architecture, the urban landscape, and nature, this pair dances together with energy and grace, delighting our eye, and enlivening all of our senses. Check out the images below, for a visual feast that will may leave you full, yet ready for more!
Compliments of Venice’s Abbot Kinney District.
Compliments of the streets of Santa Monica!
Compliments of the Canal District of Venice.
Compliments of Nature, Marina Del Rey.
What color compliments have YOU noticed lately in your environment?
If you feel so inclined, please share about them with us here.
We love to hear from YOU.
Remember, we are all complimenting this thing called Life, together!
ENJOY!
LA Stories VI: A-door-ing
What is a door? A magical portal into worlds of fantasy, mystery, magic and even mayhem?
Recent explorations of LA area beach towns have yielded some a-door-able results. Please see below some examples of the door that keeps you coming back for more. Turn the key of your perception, and prepare to have your imagination turned on!
This amazing find in Venice near the storied Canal District looks straight out of Alice in Wonderland. What extraordinary creatures are playing croquet on the lawn beyond? Privacy seems to be the goal here.
Here is a more rustic version on a delightful street in Mar Vista, minus the hedge, and plus a “half” wall! The house and yard are in full view beyond. The door seems to be there for the sheer joy of it.
Energetic red animates a cottage-like Santa Monica residence, set off by soft yellow, and the colors of nature. A visual target, our eye is drawn to this door like a magnet to metal.
The red door is used again here to great effect, as a “real” element in the midst of a children’s mural. Red elements all around it integrate it into the scene, yet it stands out as a strong element, letting us know where to go to get to the other side of a seemingly safe and self-contained world.
Venice’s Canal District is home to many remarkable architectural design gems and delicious creative elements, including mosaic-ed columns which lead us down the path to the door to the door!
Giant bowling balls? Well, maybe. At any rate, these strong forms direct us to the portal of “UMG”, the Universal Music Group Offices in Santa Monica, where some of the giants of the music industry do business.
Who says a door has to be real? And what is “real”, anyway? Madame Chou Chou Bistro Patisserie on Main Street in Santa Monica is the perfect place to indulge your appetite for fantasy, and your sweet-tooth. Highly recommended for an elegant, yet fun indulgence.
What magical doors have YOU opened lately, and what fantastical worlds have You entered?
If you so choose, please share about it with us here.
We love to hear from You.
Remember, we are all opening the doors to this thing called Life, together.
LA Stories V: Navigating the Venice Canals 2
LA Stories V: Navigating the Venice Canals 2
Venice, like Los Angeles, like really most anyplace when you get up close…is a study in contrasts. Seeming contradictions, unless you both look closely and widen your view. Even in the storied Venice Canal District, one sees the fascinating contrasts which give the place its unique texture and flavor, and perhaps aren’t such contrasts after all.
Architecture, Design, and Landscaping….
A cottage, its blue body and white trim punctuated with an energetic red door, nestled into trees and foliage,
and a stately stone and glass structure graced by palms.
Color…
Warm, vibrant, high contrast hues,
vis a vis earthtones, neutrals, black and white, and bricks….
And whether it be
warm and winsome sculpture,
hand-painted tiles,
or mosaic-ed columns,
The angels, are in the details!
Here’s to the beauty of contrasts, in all its forms.
What magical neighborhoods have YOU explored recently? What angels in the details have YOU discovered?
If You feel so inspired, please share about it with us here.
We love to hear from You.
Remember, we are all comparing and contrasting our way through this Life, together.
Cheers!
LA Stories IV: Navigating the Venice Canals 1
LA Stories IV: Navigating the Venice Canals 1
The canal district of Venice is one of the most amazing urban areas I have ever seen. Just for that reason…how extraordinary to have picturesque waterways crisscrossing the urban landscape of this beachfront district on the Westside of Los Angeles, lined with residences ranging from the charming to the spectacular. The stone design of the embankment is a unifying factor, framing the multitude of creative energies and architectural styles.
The canals were built in 1905 by tobacco millionaire, and developer Abbot Kinney, who sought to recreate the appearance and feel of Venice, Italy in Southern California.
Did he succeed?
A color friend of mine likened this residence to a sherbert sundae! I love the color reflected in the water…
A “boulevard” of water…can create a feeling of such peace.
Reflection of a palm darkly…everybody uses that water, and crosses it.
Yes, that is a swimming pool, adjacent to the green wall, under the blue roof, and next to the orange post.
The perfect vista…a bridge over untroubled water.
From formal to funky, stately to sculptural, and shutters to shingles, the whole district is architectural eye-candy.
Multitudes of watery reflections turn the world upside down…a California preoccupation.
Classic forms remain.
Holidays on the Canals, anyone?
Have You ever visited the Venice Canals?
If so, what was Your impression?
If you so choose, please share it with us here.
We Love to hear from You.
Remember, we are all navigating this thing called Life, together.
LA Stories III: The Balm of Palm
LA STORIES III: The Balm of Palm
What says “Southern California” more succinctly than palm trees? Yes…they also bespeak the tropics, surfing, Miami Beach, and the essence of relaxation itself, , even paradise, but when in LA, the Balm of Palm is King…er. Queen?
Here are some of my favorite recent “Palm Psalm” sitings in Santa Monica and Venice…so sit down with your favorite drink, tropical or otherwise, , relax, and listen to the palm leaves rustle….
Palm-lined boulevards are the norm in Santa Monica
Reflections of a palm darkly…in downtown Santa Monica
Follow the palm-lined road…
Biblical implications behind Yahoo Center, Santa Monica?
Headed down Colorado Boulevard to the Santa Monica Pier…looking left!
The leaning tower of palm…
The Washingtonia robusta palm trees line Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica
Abbot Kinney, I presume…Venice!
“Who you lookin’ at?” Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
The storied Venice Canals…
So, what are we to make of the abundance of LA palms?
Well, according to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, “In historical times palms have been symbols for victory, peace, and fertility. Today, palms remain a popular symbol for the tropics and vacations”. Hmm…from victory, peace and fertility, to the tropics and vacations…go figure. Sounds like So-Cal to me!
What do Palm Trees mean to YOU? Have You relaxed under any lately?
If You so choose, please share about it with us here. We love to hear from You.
Remember, we are all relaxing into this thing called Life, together.
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