rward2008

It’s tacos, craft beer, and arcade games and pinball at one of the most beloved spots in LA

Good news, Echo Park: the seven-year-old Button Mash is back starting tonight. The ever-popular arcade bar on Sunset has been in somewhat of a state of limbo for the past couple of years (as have many other businesses and restaurants), trying to navigate the pandemic, changing service needs, and more. Now, the games are turning back on.

What’s more, Button Mash has found a beloved new partner for its culinary side in Tacos 1986. The former street stand stars have now opened multiple locations across the Los Angeles region and will be running the kitchen inside Button Mash’s strip mall space beginning tonight at 5 p.m. While a full menu has not yet been revealed, expect much the same carne asada, handmade tortillas, and adobada that have made the place so successful already. The restaurant side of Button Mash was previously anchored by food from a different former underground option, Starry Kitchen.

Eater reached out to Button Mash owner Jordan Weiss earlier this week to discuss rumors of the upcoming reopening but has not heard back. Weiss has mostly stayed under the radar throughout the pandemic, as bars and indoor public spaces faced months of uncertainty and only limited government assistance. Back in 2021, Weiss told Eater that he felt like his business was left “dangling in the wind” without more robust federal financial intervention. That is still the case for many businesses, particularly as eviction moratoriums on commercial tenants have gone away in Los Angeles. Just this month, Valley legend Henry’s Tacos was apparently removed from its walk-up space over a failure to pay back rent as a result of the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.

But for now, with COVID cases remaining relatively low in Los Angeles, and no more mask or vaccination requirements at most facilities, it can feel like old times again. And that, for fans of Button Mash, arcade games, and Tacos 1986, is a very good thing. Button Mash reopens tonight at 1391 Sunset Boulevard, starting at 5 p.m.

The Hollywood Hills midcentury modern is one of several Lautners in the neighborhood

In 2004, LA native Christian Lamb was thinking about leaving Paris, where he’d been living and working for an extended period of time as a fashion photographer, and returning to his hometown. He got online and started trawling LA real estate listings, just to see what was out there.

What began as a casual search turned serious pretty quickly, however, when Lamb came upon a listing for John Lautner’s Bergren House.

As the virtual-tour technology nowadays considered standard had yet to be invented at the time, Lamb arranged to have a friend walk through the home with a video camera and FedEx him the Hi-8 tape. It was compelling enough for him to make an offer from Paris without ever having set foot in the home. “I was inspired—I could feel the house’s energy,” he recalls.

Tucked into a hillside off of Mulholland Drive north of Runyon Canyon, not far from the famed Garcia and Chemosphere Houses, the Bergren Residence was completed by Lautner in 1953 for guitarist Ted Bergren, then rebuilt and expanded by the architect in the late 1950s after a fire.

Per the monograph Between Earth and Heaven, the maverick modernist described the Bergren’s design as “a free floor set in a free space... so that when living there, one feels in the mountains and out of town.”

Measuring 1,582 square feet, the two-bedroom, two-bath home features concrete floors, walls of glass, and redwood-beamed ceilings in a distinctive chevron pattern. Other notable aspects include an indoor water feature, front and rear patios, a two-car carport, and spectacular valley vistas.

While the Bergren’s bones and footprint haven’t been significantly altered since the ’50s, its interior has weathered a few changes over the years.

According to Lamb, when he took possession of the house, it had a “Miami Vice meets Barbarella” aesthetic. “The master bath had a pink bathtub with a black toilet,” he recalls.

Even worse, the home’s signature redwood ceiling beams had been painted over and over.

“We started scraping the white paint off, and underneath it, we found brown paint, baby blue, yellow—just about all the colors in a crayon box,” he says.

Ultimately, Lamb, who studied architecture before switching into visual arts, spent a year and a half restoring and tweaking the house.

Among the projects were installing a new kitchen with a poured-concrete island and high-end appliances, retreating the concrete floors, overhauling the bathrooms, and adding new lighting, landscaping, and a laundry room (the latter of which was accomplished without changing the home’s footprint by moving the HVAC unit to the roof).

“I wanted to pare it down to wood, glass, steel, and concrete,” says Lamb.

After completing the renovation, Lamb had Karol Lautner Peterson, John Lautner’s sister and head of the Lautner Foundation, come over to take a look.

“She walked through it very quiet and pensive. I was holding my breath the whole time,” he recalls. “But at the end she said, ‘John would have really liked what you’ve done here.’ That made me so happy.”

As fate would have it, however, just about the time when he’d finally gotten the house into ship-shape, Lamb also started become increasingly successful as a director of commercials, music videos, and live music tours. Those gigs have meant spending lengthy periods of time away from his home, so Lamb began renting it out.

Over the years, the Caverna Drive hideaway has attracted a fair share of artistic types—authors, directors, singers and songwriters—as residents.

“It’s a great space to create, a really quiet sanctuary,” says Lamb. “Even though it’s a glass house, it’s entirely private. You’ll see deer outside the window, but you won’t hear anyone else’s conversations.”

Though conceivably he could have continued renting the home out indefinitely, the director recently came to the conclusion that he’d “rather see it go to someone who loves it and wants to live in it full-time.”

The property is now on the market with an asking price of $1.999 million. Open house is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

• 7316 Caverna Dr [Patricia Tercek, Barry Sloane, and Marc Silver/Sotheby’s International Realty]

Sunset Beer Company jumps to York Bouelvard

Unassuming craft beer corner shop Sunset Beer Company is entering expansion mode, opening up a big new retail and on-site drinking space in Highland Park.

According to documents filed with the Department of City Planning, Sunset Beer Company owner John Nugent has set his sights on fast-paced York Boulevard, which has been dramatically changed in the past few years with new bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and retail stores. Sunset Beer itself will take up some 2,500 square feet of frontage, meaning there’s room for both a bottle-selling shop and a tasting room, as well as a patio.

The mood is likely to mirror the company’s existing location in Echo Park, tucked into the corner of a strip mall off Sunset Boulevard. The tasting room has existed there since 2011, becoming a staple for the neighborhood drinking crowd even as new competition has moved in. Bar Calo, the mezcal-focused bar and restaurant from the Ostrich Farm team, just opened next door to big crowds, and Tsubaki up the street is adding a sake bar to its existing restaurant as well.

Sunset Beer Company’s owners (including partners Andrew Von Ah, Jenna Miller Von Ah, and Phil Klemmer) will face similarly-stiff competition when it does open on York, given the proliferation of places from The Hermosillo (the original site of Highland Park Brewery, and a popular craft beer bar in its own right) and Block Party. Brooklyn’s Barcade is also opening up in Highland Park soon, taking the former El Arco Iris address just down the street. There’s even a veritable street food war between vegan pop-ups happening weekly along York Boulevard these days, though some classic restaurants and shops like Huarache Azteca and Galco’s also continue to thrive.

Sunset Beer Company Highland Park. 5541 E. York Blvd., Los Angeles, CA.

• The 17 Hottest Craft Beer Destinations in Los Angeles [ELA]

I didn't think it was possible to fall in love with a TV. Shoes maybe, but I've never been one to go gaga over tech. It's just that televisions have been eyesores almost as long as they've been around. Sure, they're functional, and flatter and thinner than before. But they've essentially remained big black boxes, even when hanging on the wall. That is, until now. Samsung just released The Frame television a little while ago, and boy, as a design enthusiast, am I fangirling hard over here.

READ MORE »

On the market for the first time since 1962

For sale for the first time since 1962, this wonderful post and beam by A. Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons has a cabin-in-the-mountains feel right in the hills of Brentwood—Crestwood Hills, to be exact.

The three-bedroom house holds many original details remaining from when the house was built in 1949, including the light fixtures and much of the concrete work. (Many of the rooms have never even been painted, listing agent Kathleen Bywater tells Curbed.) Like many homes from this popular era, it features floor-to-ceiling windows and what appears to be a tongue-and-groove beamed ceiling.

There’s an open floor plan where the living room, dining area, and kitchen meet, allowing one to imagine that the original split-level brick fireplace could warm all three areas on a chilly winter day.

Though it’s got a timelessly stylish look and sits nestled in a tony neighborhood, the house has fairly humble origins.

According to the residence’s application for historic-cultural monument status, it was one of the 27 original model houses in the Crestwood Hills Mutual Housing Association development.

Crestwood Hills MHA is considered the only successful large-scale cooperative housing development in California, according to the house’s application.

Four musicians looking to make housing more affordable during the post-war shortage created a cooperative housing group in 1946 that blossomed quickly into a 400-member group.

The group’s members pooled their money to gradually buy Brentwood lots. The application notes that the original cost of construction was $13,326, and that lots cost $2,000. Architects Whitney Smith and A. Quincy Jones and structural engineer Edgardo Contini were brought in to design the houses for the development.

The residence’s application states that landmarking this and other Crestwood houses was “an attempt to preserve a very unique pocket of California Modernism.” It received landmark status in 2001 as the Israel House, after Marion Israel, for whom the house was built.

It’s now listed for $2.45 million.

• 914 Bluegrass Lane [Kathleen Bywater/Berkshire Hathaway Home Services]
• Mapping 20 of LA's Fabulous Modern A. Quincy Jones Houses [Curbed LA]

The architect was one of ‘modernism’s unsung heroes’

The personal residence of one of Los Angeles’s most important female architects is returning to the market for $4.295 million.

Greta Grossman, who hailed from Sweden, is perhaps best remembered for her cool Grasshopper Lamp (which you can buy today from Design Within Reach for $939)—but she has also been described as “one of modernism’s unsung heroes.”

For the two decades from 1940 to 1960, she was the only woman architect in the city of Los Angeles to own an independent practice, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy. She built 14 residences here, often on spec, creating homes that “were defined by their diminutive scale and lightness of form and were frequently balanced perfectly on the edge of a hillside.”

The Los Angeles Times says she designed this glassy two-bedroom stunner in 1948 in Beverly Hills Post Office as “a quietly dramatic showcase of her skills.” It features characteristic walls of glass, slate floors, an original fireplace, wood-paneled walls, tall ceilings, and incredible views.

It was remodeled and expanded in 2009 by then-owner Darryl Wilson, a designer, and architect Tony Unruh, using “blueprints and vintage photographs as inspiration.” The listing says the interiors were refreshed in 2015 by Molly Luetkemeyer.

• 1659 Waynecrest Drive [Redfin]

Santa Monica Place is on the rise again

Santa Monica Place’s boomerang-like return continues apace today, with news that The Dudes Brewing will be taking over a chunk of the development for all things craft beer. The Dudes originally began as a warehouse startup out of Torrance back in 2013, and now operate a small collection of tasting rooms up and down the coast.

Whereas those other taproom have been more focused affairs, highlighting the company’s offerings like Double Trunk IPA or Surfrider Pale Ale, the Santa Monica location looks poised to offer something more. According to Toddrickallen an ABC license is up now for the former Pizza Antica space, and it shows a desire to actually brew small batches of beer on property. Add in the restaurant’s square footage and existing kitchen setup, and there’s every reason to believe this could become The Dudes’ new flagship Los Angeles location, complete with an expanded food menu.

Owners Toby Humes, Jeff Parker, and Mike Holwick have certainly expanded fast since first landing on the scene a few years ago. The company has always been well-financed, and in short order began a full canning line and keg rollout to bars across the Southland. A taproom in Thousand Oaks was not far behind, along with the original Torrance location and now Huntington Beach as well.

No word yet on when to expect an opening for The Dudes Brewing in Santa Monica, but with notoriously tricky permitting for that coastal city expect things to take some time. Eater reached out for a possible timeline, but has not received a response.

The Dudes Brewing Santa Monica
395 Santa Monica Place
Santa Monica, CA

• The 16 Essential Santa Monica Restaurants [ELA]

Anyone here from Mount Olympus? Maravilla? [ more › ]

The bright yellow trailer is reportedly making the trek out west

The anticipation for La Barbecue is growing, as the Austin-based meat smokers are now claiming that they could be up and running in Los Angeles by September. That’s according to Eater Austin, who offer some insightful gems about the move west.

Eater’s Austin affiliate digs into a bunch of La Barbecue news after the trailer was named by Texas Monthly as one of the 50 best places for smoked meat in all of Texas. In that piece, the magazine praised owners LeAnn Mueller and Ali Clem for their spectacular beef ribs and brisket while noting that they’ll be trading places in Austin and moving into a permanent kitchen space. That frees up their current trailer for all sorts of West Coast smoking fun.

Digging in, Eater Austin has gleaned that Clem and pitmaster Brendan Lamb will both be jumping to LA to run the setup, which will indeed include La Barbecue’s current bright yellow service trailer for cooking. They peg the opening at sometime in September, but there’s no definitive timeline just yet.

Yelp

Mueller has previously told a Texas food blog that she would be landing at Smorgasburg in Downtown, but that’s far from a certain thing at this point. No matter where the bumblebee yellow trailer lands though, barbecue fans are sure to flock.

• LA’s Best Secret Brisket Comes From a Studio City Driveway [ELA]

The glassy, modern residence was built in 1951

Some rich person out there will soon become the enviable new owner of this exquisite 1951 residence, designed by masterful modernist Richard Neutra. Per the listing, the three-bedroom post and beam is known as the “Shaarman House,” and it includes plenty of the stylistic features Neutra is best known for. That includes glass walls, open living spaces, and plenty of indoor-outdoor access.

The 3,378-square-foot home is located on a cul-de-sac above Mulholland Drive. Situated on a nearly 1-acre lot, it offers views across the Hollywood Hills from the backyard and brick-covered patio.

Other features of the home include hardwood floors, a stone fireplace in the living room, large swimming pool, front garden with reflecting pool, and hidden shades—which seem important, given all that glass.

There’s also a separate one-bedroom guest house on the opposite side of the property (in case you like to keep your guests at a distance).

Last sold in 1993, the midcentury home is back on the market and asking $8 million.

• 7850 Torreyson Drive [Brett Lawyer | Hilton & Hyland]

One of Texas’s biggest names hits the West Coast

Austin, Texas smoked meat haven La Barbecue is coming to Los Angeles, with promises to provide some of the best smoke meat this city has ever seen.

Rumors have swirled for a little while now about a West Coast expansion of the popular Texas operation, and now it seems things are moving right along. In fact, if you check way down at the bottom of the La Barbecue website, you’ll see a little section for their existing address in Austin, alongside a note that reads “Los Angeles: Coming Soon”.

For those unfamiliar, La Barbecue offers a bit of Texas-sized barbecue royalty by way of co-owner LeAnn Mueller. Her father is Bobby Mueller, a longtime icon in the Taylor, Texas barbecue scene thanks to his Louie Mueller Barbecue operation. Bobby passed away in 2008, so now LeAnn runs the show with her own La Barbecue, which itself has drawn rave reviews.

LeAnn and partner Alison Clem apparently split their time between Los Angeles and Austin already, so an extension of their barbecue greatness seems only a matter of time. As for an exact location, Mueller tells LA Weekly the same thing she told Eater last week: They aren’t ready to divulge details just yet on the when and where. Regardless, this is a city that, while not quite starved of the good stuff, could still stand to take things up a couple of notches, so the more competition on the smoked meat circuit from Texas-bred places like La Barbecue, the better.

• This Underground Barbecue Joint Reflects LA’s True Smoked Meat Tradition [ELA]

Watch: Everything on La Barbecue’s Menu in 60 Seconds

A Seattle couple, an artist and an engineer, had a list of requirements for Heliotrope Architects to meet in the design of their new Capital Hill home. First, they required a modern home with an art studio, along with an interior that had an art gallery feel, a guest wing, lots of natural light, a street presence balanced with privacy, and a connection between the indoors and out.

They managed to make it all happen complete with a checkerboard layout that alternates between indoor and outdoor spaces. Open sight lines from the front courtyard to the back patio courtyard create a light-filled interior.

One of the walls in the main living space is outfitted with a custom bookshelf with light passing through the top row of shelves. The flooring is a mix of polished concrete, tile, and myrtle wood, all of which ground the interior spaces.

LOVE the furniture they chose which perfectly complements the design of the house.

The master bathroom features Western Red cedar cabinets and a Japanese soaking tub that’s paired with pale blue/green tiles.

The art studio resides in a double-height space with a cathedral ceiling. It’s right off the living room, but in order to feel separate, they built it a half level below so you step down into it.

Photos by Ben Benschneider.

Complete with fake cows and horses

In September, a 1924 Spanish-style home left behind by fashion designer Christian Audigier after his unexpected death in 2015 hit the market looking surprisingly tasteful—by Audigier’s standards anyway. The late designer, known for popularizing the Ed Hardy and Von Dutch clothing lines, had five homes total in the LA area and another one has just come up for sale.

This time, it’s a seven-bedroom, five bath compound in Topanga. According to the listing agent’s office, the home was a favorite weekend spot for Audigier, as well as the site of his wake.

Under Audigier’s apparent direction, the property has been turned into an odd sort of faux-ranch—a bit like a long-lost section of Frontierland that somehow made its way from Anaheim to the Santa Monica Mountains. There are fake cows and horses, Mission-style courtyards and seating areas, and a wood and stone lounge with antlers dangling from the ceiling.

And there’s not much guessing as to who’s property this was. Audigier’s initials adorn everything from the chairs to the sides of buildings.

Other features of the home include a spacious living room, crowded but certainly complete kitchen, and a two-car garage. On more than three-acres, the gated property includes rambling walking trails, gardens, gazebos, and grape vines. Asking price is $1.995 million.

• 2083 North Topanga Canyon [Rory Posin | Re/Max
• Ed Hardy designer’s home is surprisingly not terrible [Curbed LA]

Her new Venice Beach pad has a swimming pool and a giant walk-in closet

Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke is putting down roots on the Westside, buying this cool contemporary in Venice. (Quite different from the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired pyramid Daenerys Targaryen inhabited in the last season of GOT.) Trulia reports the British actress spent $4.64 million on approximately 2,800 square feet of space in the trendy, Silicon Beach-y neighborhood.

The two-bedroom, three-bathroom house has patios and a 30-foot swimming pool in the landscaped outdoor space that runs along the side of the house. The private retreat is accessible through a handful of giant sliding doors, like the ones in the living room and dining room areas.

Inside, there are floor-to-almost-ceiling bookcases, an open kitchen with custom wood cabinets and a marble backsplash, and a large island.

The master bedroom has a wall of windows that look out on the pool and garden, as well as a giant walk-in closet and a very serene master bath.

Emilia’s beachy dream house is worlds away from the Studio City home of costar Lena Headley (Cersei Lannister).

• Emilia Clarke Drops $4.64 Million On An Architectural Treasure In Venice [Trulia]
• See inside ‘Game of Thrones’ star Lena Headey’s laid-back Valley home [Curbed LA]

Winner of numerous design awards, it’s asking $2.295 million

Designed by the late Austin Kelly, co-founder of XTEN Architecture, this abstract black and white home in the Hollywood Hills has been much recognized for its striking, geometrical design. Called Nakahouse, it’s been the recipient of awards from both the Los Angeles AIA chapter and the national institute and has also been featured in numerous architectural publications and exhibitions since its completion in 2012.

According to an architect’s statement in ArchDaily, the 1,866-square-foot residence was constructed directly over the footprint of a previous home in order to keep costs down and avoid tricky zoning issues. The house looks a bit like it’s floating above its surroundings, with part of the home jutting out over the steep hillside. The very open design maximizes views of both the natural surroundings and familiar LA sights like the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory.

The all-white interior design is evidently meant to heighten the effect of the rooms flowing into one another, "creating a heightened, abstract atmosphere from which to experience the varied forms of the hillside landscape."

The three-bedroom, two-and-a-half bath home features numerous terraces accessed by sliding glass doors. And on days when it’s a bit chilly for all that indoor-outdoor access, there’s also a living room fireplace. Asking price is $2.295 million.

3140 Hollyridge Drive [Ryan Burns | Westside Estate Agency]

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Watch: A Daring Concrete Home on a Los Angeles Cliff

The proposal could create a full-blown 96-acre park in the neighborhood

The Silver Lake Reservoir is done as a source of drinking water and today it sits empty as necessitated by construction of its replacement. As the city makes the federally mandated switch to covered or underground water storage facilities, the future of the Silver Lake and smaller Ivanhoe reservoirs lies ahead. (A beach and an esplanade have been proposed in the past.)

One local group, Silver Lake Forward, is hoping that the reservoirs, which take up about 96 acres, could be revamped as a public park. Renderings for the reimagined space, via Urbanize LA, show wide walkways and lots of seating, kind of like Echo Park Lake on steroids.

Silver Lake Forward is even considering "the possibility of linking the reservoirs to the LA River through existing pipes, creating a a storage facility for storm runoff and recycled water," says ULA.

The conversion to a park would happen in four stages. The first stage would focus on the Silver Lake Meadow. Partnering with the LADWP, the group would either add or upgrade the existing restrooms there, increase shade in the area, create mounds for seating, and, importantly, get to work removing all the concrete they can.

The next phase would open up the area by the Eucalyptus Grove, making it more accessible to the public by taking out or relocating the fencing in the area, and adding inviting elements like furniture and walkways. This phase would also include work on a plan to reduce public access to the area during the season in which the Great Blue Heron nests.

Both these first two phases are expected to take about three to six months to complete. The first phase could begin immediately.

The next phase is actually planned to begin immediately as well, but would last between six and 12 months (so it would be happening at the same time as the first two phases). This would include some big projects, like removing the "concrete embankments" at both Ivanhoe and Silver Lake reservoirs and working on enhancing the shoreline at both.

This third phase would also include a lot of research—looking into the potential impact of creating a "promenade" between the reservoirs, watching how people use the reservoir, and considering possible impacts on traffic and parking in the neighborhood. At this time, the Silver Lake Forward group would also be looking into creating a parks assessment district or another way to generate funding for the park. In the fourth and final phase, the findings of all these studies would be put into action.

• Silver Lake Forward [Official site]
• Grassroots Park Proposal Revealed for the Silver Lake Reservoir [ULA]
• Everything to Know About the Emptying of the Silver Lake Reservoir, Coming Soon [Curbed LA]
• A Plan To Turn The Silver Lake/Ivanhoe Dam Into An Esplanade [Curbed LA]
• Bonkers: There's A Plan To Turn The Silver Lake Reservoir Into A Hipster Beach [Curbed LA]

Sponsored Post

1851 Webster Avenue

High up in the hills with jaw dropping views of Silver Lake, downtown, and the mountains beyond sits this spectacular new modern home. Everything you have been looking for is right here: over 2,400 square feet of space, privacy, pool and a separate lower level perfect for a home office, studio or guest space.

Sited to take advantage of 180-degree views, each level has its own deck as well as high ceilings and a clean modernist aesthetic.

Head up the stairs from street level or take your own private elevator directly into the house from a jumbo 2-car garage. The main floor is a spacious living room, two bedrooms and a bath. Upstairs is a large kitchen, dining/sitting area and master bedroom with en suite bath. Off the kitchen is a private pool, additional bath, and deck perfect for outdoor dinner parties, all with incredible views.

Located on a great quiet street close to amazing restaurants, the reservoir, Sunset Junction, and all the best of Silver Lake has to offer. A true one-of-a-kind opportunity!

More details at 1851 Webster Avenue

Open  House

• Sunday, Mar 27: 2 pm – 5 pm

• Tuesday, Mar 29: 11 am – 2pm

This Sponsored Post is an advertisement on behalf of Take Sunset.

It’s time to dust off that neglected waffle maker and waffle all the things. Here are 10+ unusual foods that are perfect for cooking in the waffle maker (that aren’t waffles).

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The Expo Line extension to downtown Santa Monica has got its opening date

No Angeleno has been able to hop on a train to Santa Monica in 53 years, but that all changes May 20, when the Expo Line extension will officially open, creating a train line from Downtown Los Angeles all the way to downtown SaMo, just a few blocks from the beach. (The famed Subway to the Sea is now more like the Subway to the VA [in Brentwood], and will not even get there for at least another six years.)

The extension will add seven stops to the line between Expo's current terminus in Culver City and Colorado and Fourth Street in Santa Monica. According to KPCC, the full trip from DTLA to the DTSM will take about 45 minutes.

That's two line extensions Metro is opening this spring—the Gold Line's Foothill extension opens March 5.

• All aboard to the beach! Expo Line to Santa Monica opens May 20 [KPCC]
• The Expo Line to Santa Monica is Basically Finished Now [Curbed LA]
• Alert! This is the First Train to Glide Through Santa Monica Since 1953 [Curbed LA]
• Travel Down the Pacific Electric Air Line, the Expo Line Predecessor That Ran From 1908 to 1953 [Curbed LA]

Whether it’s magnetic levitating skateboards or floating audio speakers, it seems we’re obsessed with the idea of defying gravity whenever given the opportunity. But outside of Marty McFly aspirations and questionable audiophile claims, it seems the best use of magnetic flotation at this point isn’t functional, but simply decorative.

The Hoshinchu Air Bonsai is nothing but magical, a floating miniature forest that spins suspended over a magnetic electrified pedestal, a feat accomplished for no reason except it’s very, very cool.

A Kickstarter project which has already reached well beyond its goal, the floating bonsai tree concept is advertised as a two-piece system, comprised of an “energy base” and the plant potted “little star”. The flotation system can hold up to .66 lbs of weight at a little more than 3/4 of inch in height above the base.

Because of import laws the Hoshinchu cannot ship their sets with Japanese bonsai. Thus, they’re working with regional bonsai and plant makers in the U.S. to coordinate delivery of “matsu, a pine tree from your country”. Otherwise, this is a $200 BYOB (“bring your own bonsai”) set, delivering only the components to piece together your own plant setup. Still, it’s sure to be an enticing opportunity to up your centerpiece game, and should spark some creative arrangements for those florally creative.

12:11am

The end has been looming for almost a year and locals have had time to mourn the impending loss of favorite, low-key eating spot La Fiesta Brava. The time has now come to say goodbye, as the family run Mexican hole-in-the-wall, gets ready to close it’s doors forever  at their location on 423 Rose, Ave., in Venice.

In 2015 the Camarana family saw their restaurant become a poster-child for those against the gentrification of Venice as rising market rents, an evolving restaurant culture, and a proposed new development on the lot made it clear there was going to be no room on Rose for the family business.

However, after a year filled with anxiety and uncertainty, the family are now ready to move on, and look forward to the future with optimism.

“We don’t want people to mourn the move. Saturday is a celebration of all the years we’ve been in the Venice community. What happened was unfortunate but there’s nothing we can do about it now, so it’s time to look forward,” says Sam Camarena.

Camarena is just one of the five Camarena children who grew up at the family restaurant. A restaurant that had been successful enough over the years to support the entire family and put all the children through college.

“My Dad built this place. He came here 22 years ago,” said Jasmin Camarena, the eldest Camarena daughter. “People have watched me grow up here, a lot of our customers, they’ve known me since I was 5 or 6 years old,” Camarena told Yo! Venice back in May 2015.

Saturday’s farewell party will run from 4pm-7pm at La Fiesta Brava and the family is inviting all of Venice to come join them, and a Mariachi Band, for one last supper at the Rose location before the doors are shut forever.

After Rose the restaurant will be opening a pop-up restaurant in the old Sauce space at  259B Hampton Dr, Venice.

Photo by Hadley Meares

The graffiti-covered ruins at the abandoned Murphy Ranch in Rustic Canyon are legendary not for their colorful exteriors, but for their colorful history, which supposedly involved a group of Nazi sympathizers and definitely involved someone hoping to build a sustainable utopia, inspired by Nazi ideals and centered on an incredible mansion (unfortunately unbuilt). The site is located in a tree-filled canyon in Pacific Palisades, and has become a popular hiking destination. But, according to LA Hikes, Murphy Ranch's days are numbered: many of the ruins are due to be demolished next month, and some of the minor structures are already coming down.

LA Hikes spoke to a city parks ranger who told them that the demolition is set for February 23. The anonymous ranger said that, though the multi-structure compound has been threatened with demolition in the past, "this location has finally became such [an] annoyance for the city that they have finally decided to tear it down." The process has already started on a couple minor structures, like a water tank and a garage, the ranger said. A rep for Councilmember Mike Bonin's office tells Curbed via phone that only some of the more structurally unsafe buildings are coming down, but others will only get anti-trespassing additions, like metal plates on the window openings. Curbed has a call in to the Recreation and Parks Department for more details.

Photo by Hadley Meares

Those looking to check out the ranch before it's gone should be sure to keep their distance. LA Hikes notes that it's already "closed" and no trespassing signs are up to dissuade anyone who'd like to go inside the buildings. Apparently, at least a couple citations have been handed out; on the day the blog visited the ranch, four unlucky teens were cited by the ranger when they were caught sneaking into the ranch's barn.

The Murphy Ranch legend stretches all the way back to the 1930s, when a husband and wife of considerable means and unclear origins appeared on the scene in LA with a ton of money to put into building a four-story mansion and compound in the hills north of what's now Will Rogers State Historic Park—supposedly under the influence of a mysterious man named Herr Schmidt. Pan Pacific Auditorium architects Plummer, Wurdeman & Becket and architect-to-the-stars Paul R. Williams both drew up plans for the never-built complex.
· Murphy Ranch Demolition Date [LA Hikes]
· Visiting the Paul Williams Nazi Command Center in Rustic Canyon [Curbed LA]
· What Really Happened at Rustic Canyon's Rumored Nazi Ranch? [Curbed LA]

The multiple-year library pact builds on the streaming service's deal with the studio behind recent addition 'Happy Endings.'

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Say goodbye to the generic yellow smiley faces. You can now top your LEGO people with 3D printed versions of your very own head.

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Addie and Marshall Burnette decided not to use a traditional videographer when they eloped a few weeks ago. Instead, they strapped a GoPro onto their Siberian Husky Ryder and trusted her to film the entire journey. From Addie getting ready to the enchanting ceremony amidst Roan Mountain’s snowy terrain, Ryder did an exceptional job capturing her humans’ big day.

“The cool thing about it is that we eloped to the same mountain where we had our first date 10 years before, and it just so happened to snow two feet that day,” Addie revealed, when discussing her magical wedding surroundings.

But it wasn’t just Marshall and Addie who enjoyed this winter locale. Right before the ceremony, Ryder happily ran through the snow and took viewers along for the ride.

“We actually eloped, so everything was last minute, including my wedding dress,” bride Addie Burnette told Refinery29. The wedding took place on the top of Roan Mountain, in Tennessee, last November. “The cool thing about it is that we eloped to the same mountain where we had our first date 10 years before, and it just so happened to snow two feet that day.”

Marshall Burnette posted the two-minute clip on YouTube earlier this month. “It was cold and magical,” he wrote on YouTube. “Our dog, Ryder, insisted on filming the wedding video, so we let her do her thing. She took awhile to edit the footage, but we think she did a great job.”

After the ceremony, Ryder filmed the family’s joyful celebration from a dog’s-eye view. As she wanders amongst the party guests, one can’t help but appreciate this pup’s impressive recording skills.

Via My Modern Met, DesignTAXI, Refinery29

Photos by Shooting LA via 2120 Avon

Before Mayor Eric Garcetti's move to the official mayoral house in Hancock Park, he and wife Amy Wakeland lived in a contemporary house in Silver Lake (now sold to a guy from the band M83), and before that, they lived in this hillside Echo Park house, which they've been renting out since 2011. But now, says the Wall Street Journal, they're ready to let that Echo Park house go for real, putting it up for sale for $1.65 million. Garcetti purchased the 1950s post and beam, plus two adjacent parcels, for just $365,000 in 2000, before Echo Park became the new Silver Lake. The couple renovated the house, adding environmentally friendly upgrades like solar panels and recycled plastic sliding doors—that plus its Mid-Century Modern style and well-chosen decor got it featured in Dwell back in 2008 (when Garcetti was City Council President).

The three-bedroom house is about 1,900 square feet, and shares an approximately half-acre property with terraced garden boxes ("where the couple grew much of their own food") and many citrus trees. The house also has several outdoor decks and patios with fire and water features. That pricetag again is $1.65 million.

· Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's Eco-Friendly Home Lists [WSJ]
· For Dwell-Loving Local Political Wonks: Eric Garcetti's House For Rent [Curbed LA]
· City Council President Garcetti Goes Green At Home [Curbed LA]

Open House: Sunday Nov 8 between 1 - 4 PM

8661 Nash Dr, Laurel Canyon

Price: $1,400,000
Beds, Baths: 2 BR, 2 BA
Floor Area: 2,158 sq. ft.
Per the Listing: "The Jones House & Studio #1, 1938, A. Quincy Jones and Ruth Schneider Designer/Builders. Shortly after graduating from architecture school at the University of Washington, Jones brought fellow architecture student Ruth Schneider down to Los Angeles where they were married a year later. While still apprenticing with architect Burton A. Schutt, they designed and built their first house, a duplex set naturally within the native chaparral high on the western slope of Laurel Canyon. Reflecting the philosophy and many of the design ideas Jones would continue to develop throughout his career, the building is iconic. It is flexible as well: after the War Jones converted the buildings to a single family residence using half as his office and design studio. While converted back to two residences today, with soaring open plan living spaces above and bedrooms and baths below, the building lends itself to creative use. Built across two lots, the property is being sold with an extra parcel ideal for future development."

Well, isn't that romantic? Sadly, the love story between A. Quincy Jones and Ruth Schneider was not one for the ages; they divorced in 1942. On a happier note, their co-designed residence was photographed by the legendary Julius Shulman; those photos as well as blueprints can be found here.

8661 Nash Dr [Official site]

You may recognise Maddie the dog, she became famous as the rescue dog with an ability to balance on things. For those of you that aren’t so familiar with Maddie, here she is absolutely bossing it on the playground, what a legend.

Maddie isn’t just all about the balancing act, though, she is hardened traveller too. In his latest series, “four by three,” photographer Theron Humphrey will be taking Maddie on the road and through the American back-country.

The pair will be cruising along on their motorcycle with Maddie sat in a sidecar taking in the breeze.

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At first glance, these elaborate rooms appear as normal, everyday places. Once you look closer, however, you’ll see that a human hand easily dwarfs the architecture and everything is on a minuscule scale. They’re part of the Musée Miniature et Cinéma in Lyon, France, a five-story museum that contains over 100 hyperreal miniature film sets. The incredible attention to detail, including subtle lighting arrangements and replication of old textures, is why we’re mislead into thinking that each set is life-size.

To create these awe-inspiring works, skilled artisans from around the world have used their same techniques to produce smaller versions of the real things. Actual cabinet-making, string instruments, leather craft, and more are all part of the grand illusion, as are chiseled eggs, tiny origami, and sculpted matches. Magnifying glasses allow you to study the intricate characteristic of the exquisite works.

The hyperreal scenes of master miniaturist and Museum curator Dan Ohlmann are on display in Musée Miniature et Cinéma. He is formerly a cabinetmaker and inner architect, and all of his creations are based on careful research—hundreds of photographs, measurements taken at the real locations, and gathering as much information as he can about a site. With this meticulous process, it’s no wonder that the fabrication itself can take many months to perfect.

If you’re local to Lyon or are visiting there, the Museum is open throughout the year.

Via My Modern Met, Colossal

THE EDGE is aptly named – this fabulous home is very edgy. Set high up and floating among the trees with the best view Port Douglas has to offer. The Master Bedroom with double walk in large his and her dressing rooms and bathrooms overlooks the canterlevered concrete and granite day bed which floats on the balcony beside the 10 metre infinity lap pool and infinity pond.

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