ISSUE 10 | 2020
THE GREAT OUTDOORS ISSUE GARDENS, GRILLS, & GO-TO DESIGNERS Inspiration and ideas for living in the landscape
DISTANCE YEARNING Design - inspired journeys of the imagination
ART & ARCHITECTURE Top proper ties, fine ar t florals, and al fresco dining finds
A R C H I T E C T U R E • D E S I G N • A R T • L I F E S T Y L E • R E A L E S TAT E
KITCHENS MADE IN GERMANY
10778 CHALON ROAD Bel Air | LP $35,000,000 | SOLD
Famed Bel Air Getty Estate
valiaOC.com
DRE# 01911636
CONTENTS
MAGA ZINE
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Salad Days A garden grows in the parking lot at Second Harvest Food Bank. Buy a box of impeccable produce and help feed the hungry.
30 Al Fresco Finds
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As the culinary world pivots to patios, here are a few OC favorites.
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The Case for Color
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Art of and about homes seems appropriate to celebrate as we spend so much time in ours. contents
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Distance Yearning To travel or not to travel, that is the question. Whatever your answer, these books will inspire you.
46 Do Architects Dream of Eclectic Suites?
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The best hotels in the world, as chosen by top global architects and designers.
60 The Art of Puzzles Time is on our side, so we spend it on aesthetically appealing puzzles.
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Celebrating Suffrage Portraits of women who fought to vote a century ago by artist Monica Garrett.
70 Summertime Grilling Orange County chefs cooking and entertaining in their own backyards.
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151 Kalmus Drive, Suite G1
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Costa Mesa, California 92626
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714.754.4040
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CONTENTS
MAGA ZINE
78 Safe at Home
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Blue Door Magazine insider Annette Reeves talks to designers about ways to improve and upgrade their outdoor environments.
86 Real Estate Gallery
Blue Door Magazine members offer the most exclusive real estate listings in coastal Orange County.
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104 Design Matters Tips, trends, and aesthetic advice from design insiders and interior experts.
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112 Westward Home
contents
Contemporary design takes a turn for the West in Dana Point.
124 The Outsiders A roundup of design ideas and outdoor inspiration for yards, gardens, and grounds.
142 Flower Power
124
Fine art photographers have often found inspiration in flowers.
158 Contact Orange County Photographer Brett Hillyard meets up with Jeff “Yoki� Yokoyama at his shop in Newport Beach.
The printing of this magazine is automated. Each issue is wrapped in a polybag by machine, untouched by human hands. The magazines are boxed and set on pallets wrapped again in plastic. Once delivered to coastal Orange County, Blue Door team members wearing gloves and masks distribute the magazines directly to your door.
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WE INVITE YOU TO LIVE THE LYNX LIFE ®
More than a grill, it’s a state of mind. Born in Southern California, and crafted by those who know their art. New technology designed and implemented by edgy thinkers, determined to elevate the culinary arts, no matter what’s being prepared. More than just a place, more than just a grill. Live the Lynx Life.
SEE LYNX A T T H E MIDDLEBY RESIDENTIAL SHOWCASE GALLERY 18650 MACARTHUR BOULEVARD I N IRVINE / SUITE 150 / 949 316-4872 / LYNXGRILLS.COM
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WHEN SELECTING YOUR CUSTOM HOME BUILDER, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS START WITH “REPUTATION & YEARS OF EXPERIENCE”. MICHAEL REEVES AND GREGORY HAWKINS HAVE THE REPUTATION WITH A COMBINED 58+ YEARS IN HIGH-END CUSTOM HOME CONSTRUCTION/MANAGEMENT. DON’T GET FOOLED BY THEIR COMPETITION, DO THE RIGHT THING, MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND MEET CRC’S TEAM BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!!!
CONTRIBUTORS
IS A CO-OP BUSINESS OWNED BY OUR MEMBERS
Brett Hillyard
Alexandria Abramian
Jenna Condas
Brett Hillyard (aka “Hilly”) is a Southern California native with a Fine Arts Degree from USC. Hilly is a freelance documentary and advertising photographer known for capturing black and white candid photographs. He shoots and processes his own film and finds a genuine richness in the analog process. Hilly resides in Laguna Beach where the ocean plays a big role in his life, both as a surfer and openwater swimmer. If you would like to learn more, please visit HillyCollective.com.
Alexandria Abramian is a writer and magazine editor covering home design, architecture, and real estate. She has written for OC Register, Los Angeles Times, Elle Décor online, Veranda, Sunset, The Financial Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and was a columnist for House Beautiful. Alex also provides strategic PR coaching for interior designers, real estate developers and real estate agents.
Jenna Condas received a B.A. in Art History and an M.A. in History with an emphasis in Visual Studies from UCI. She is working on a monograph about Abby Aldrich Rockefeller and the founding of the MOMA. She co-chairs the Visionaries Art Series at OCMA. Her website, HERstoriesrock. com, is devoted to incredible women who continue to create and promote contemporary art. Condas is a long-time philanthropist, the mother of 20-year-old twin girls, and is married to attorney John Condas.
Annette Reeves
Anders Lasater, AIA
Elaina Francis
Annette Reeves of PIRCH has 30 years of experience in the construction industry, including everything from windows and doors to plumbing, appliances, and outdoor. Her knowledge spans all elements of the design and build process, giving her the edge it takes to assist and coordinate every type of project. Reeves is dedicated to the needs of the client and the design community, and is excited to extend that connection as a contributor to Blue Door Magazine.
With 30 years of experience in architecture, the last 23 practicing custom home design in coastal Orange County, Anders Lasater is an award-winning architect specializing in custom homes, galleries, salons, restaurants, retail fashion boutiques, and specialized commercial projects. Anders served on the faculty of Cal Poly Pomona teaching architectural design and continues as a guest lecturer at colleges and universities. That dedication to education now extends to writing for Blue Door Magazine.
Elaina Francis is a lifestyle photographer and mother of four children, nine and under. She specializes in families, newborn, and documentarystyle shoots, including birth photography. Her work has also been seen in OC Family magazine and in South Coast Plaza at 50, a coffee table book published by Assouline. Follow her work at @elainafrancisphoto on Instagram.
Creative Director
the board / staff / contributors
THE BOARD
Designer
Steven Short, Timothy Tamura, Casey Lesher, Mike Close, Michael Reeves, Michael Johnson, Jason Bradshaw, Carol Lee, Justin Williams, Shannon Ratcliffe
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Writer
Architect
Writer
Photographer
227 POINSETTIA, CORONA DEL MAR | $6,795,000 4 BEDROOMS, 5 BATHROOMS | EXQUISITELY REMODELED | OCEAN BLOCK | 4,080 SQ FT HOME | 4,720 SQ FT LOT Sited on a 40-foot-wide lot in the 200 block of the Village, this slice of Provence provides an elegant handcrafted, custom seaside home with no expense spared between the collection and quality of fixtures and finishes. 227Poinsettia.com
CASEY LESHER 949.702.7211 caseylesher@gmail.com caseylesher.com CalRE# 01795953
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY
Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. Š2020 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell BankerŽ System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell (20327512) Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act
POWER HOUR
FOUNDING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Kedric Francis
from Shannon Ratcliffe
Blue Door Magazine pivots to provide even more content and collaboration.
kedric@bluedoormagazine.com
ART DIRECTOR Randi Karabin
the board / staff / contributors
As the market is ever changing in the media industry, it is important that we, at Blue Door Magazine, stay on top of what’s hot, what’s not and how to keep the community connected. From Zoom educational events to strategic marketing campaigns, it is more important than ever before to find balance, pivot, and change with the needs of our local design and real estate community. Today, we are taking a holistic approach to marketing. From print to digital to social media, we recognize the need for content, engagement, and great user experiences. You can find us doing more social media postings, utilizing Instagram Live, and hosting live networking groups on a multitude of digital platforms. Gone are the days of big events, for now, but Blue Door Magazine is striving to keep the design and real estate community connected to one another. As we recognize that the world around us is changing, we also recognize the importance of digital access to our publication. With our audience in mind, Blue Door Magazine relaunched
randi@bluedoormagazine.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Brett Hillyard
brett@bluedoormagazine.com
its website, bluedoormagazine.com—bringing content to readers on a digital platform. The new site offers our real estate partners a new place to share their listings, updates on the OC industry, and video virtual home tours. With our new site, our marketing partners can now share their innovations, latest offerings, and luxury “must-have” products. These can also be found in the pages of our magazine, but sometimes a quick read online is a wonderful experience, too. Fortunately for us at Blue Door Magazine, we recognize that coastal OC continues to thrive. Having a digital presence means we can share more of our content with Orange County. From our door to yours…be safe and well! shannon@bluedoormagazine.com
SENIOR EDITOR Alexandria Abramian COPY EDITOR Carrie Lightner PUBLISHER Maria Barnes
949.436.1590 maria@bluedoormagazine.com
MANAGING DIRECTOR Shannon Ratcliffe
714.723.3501 shannon@bluedoormagazine.com
CFO Jan Super
208.721.7926 jan@bluedoormagazine.com
FOUNDER Justin Williams
208.720.2142 justin@bluedoormagazine.com ISSUE 10 | 2020
THE GREAT OUTDOORS ISSUE GARDENS, GRILLS, & GO-TO DESIGNERS Inspiration and ideas for living in the landscape
DISTANCE YEARNING Design - inspired journeys of the imagination
ART & ARCHITECTURE Top proper ties, fine ar t florals, and al fresco dining finds
A R C H I T E C T U R E • D E S I G N • A R T • L I F E S T Y L E • R E A L E S TAT E
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ON THE COVER
The cover photo was conceived and taken by Brett Hillyard. “This image was exactly as I pictured it, as I was inspired by the chefs and outdoor kitchens I was shooting. The Weber Kettle barbecue was part of the vision, as it’s a classic icon of summer fun. We wanted the location to be minimal and remote, so we set up on a salt flat near Yucca Valley. The model is Julianna Morse. She’s wearing Andy sunglasses from Salt Optics. My buddy Robbie Jeffers, who is a great photographer, assisted me on the shoot.” Contact Hilly Collective: 949.257.9011
Blue Door Magazine is published by Aspect Media LLC
Copyright © 2020 Aspect Media LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by the authors and contributors to Blue Door Magazine are not necessarily those of the editor and publisher. PRINTED BY PUBLICATION PRINTERS
www.geoffsumichdesign.com
contemporary home design geoff sumich design 31511-a camino capistrano, san juan capistrano, ca 92675 949.412.8461
WHAT IT’S MADE OF MATTERS...STEEL
MANUFACTURER AND DEALER | PROUDLY MADE IN ORANGE COUNTY www.moyaliving.com 800-545-8816
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE from Maria Barnes
Lucky to live here. To live in a place with so many beautiful outside places to explore during this time is such a gift. In this photo I am at one of my most favorite spots. It’s Buck Gully in Corona del Mar, where I have taken many hikes, runs, and walks during the last four months. If you have not explored this magical trail tucked in a canyon off of Poppy in the Flower Streets, you should. It’s interesting to chat with friends and find out about their new routines, whether it is to walk every street in their town, take up trail running, find an outside workout class, take a dive in the big blue every day, or Zoom into an Orange Theory class—and the number of Pelotons I see throughout the neighborhood is impressive.
publisher’s note
On that note, I would like to give a shout-out to the building, design, and real estate industries and applaud them for all of the nimble changes they have made so quickly to ensure that people are still building, remodeling, and buying and selling safely during these times. The social media creativity, quick process changes, virtual tours, and overall in-depth information coming from all our Blue Door Magazine members is impressive. For example, Mike Johnson and team put out a fantastic newsletter filled with all sorts of interesting information about the community and current events. And Maura Short’s email newsletter is filled with fun facts and impressive notes: as of earlier this summer her sales activity was 56.2 percent above the same time last year. Clearly coastal OC remains an amazing place to live, work, and especially move to! Thanks to all our members, and the design, development, and real estate industries, for keeping this crucial part of our economy humming. Yes, these are still uncertain times, but I hope that our chambers of commerce, landlords, city councils, and state agencies allow restaurant owners to keep the new outdoor seating that we have seen pop up all over coastal Orange County. Isn’t it great to have so many more places to eat outside in this most perfect climate we live in? Zinc’s parking lot cafe setting, Quiet Woman’s creative side lot, CDM Restaurant, Sol in Newport Beach, and many more have pivoted to outdoor dining. How about Laguna Beach shutting off Forest Avenue? I love it. Kedric, Brett Hillyard, and I had the most amazing lunch there just a few weeks ago. I don’t know that we would have thought to go to Forest midday if not for the outdoor seating. There are other good things to come out of this time we are in. People are friendlier for the most part and sticking together, getting creative, and seem more thankful. All of us at Blue Door Magazine are so happy to be publishing in this fantastic community we call home. If you have interest in advertising with us about how your business has morphed during these challenging times, then please email me. Happy Trails, Maria Barnes, Publisher, 949.436.1590 maria@bluedoormagazine.com 18
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PHOTO BY BRETT HILLYARD
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704 POPPY AVENUE, CORONA DEL MAR | $5,150,000 3 BED PLUS OFFICE | BUILT IN 2020 | OCEAN AND BUCK GULLY VIEWS THROUGHOUT | 3500 SQ FT HOME | 7785 SQ FT LOT Fulfilling their honorable reputation, Cornerstone Construction has paired with the visionary Teale Architects, to create a private oasis with prudent use of natural elements to enhance luxury living among ocean and lush views from every level. 704poppy.com
CASEY LESHER 949.702.7211 caseylesher@gmail.com caseylesher.com CalRE# 01795953
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY
Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. Š2020 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell BankerŽ System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell (20327513) Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act
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COLDWELL BANKER REALTY
The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2020 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act (20281104)
EDITOR’S NOTE from Kedric Francis
It’s the first day of third grade today at the Francis house, and also the first day of fourth. Kindergarten started a month ago for Mabel, who sneaked into the last spot at a new magnet school. All three kids will be on Zoom for class at 9am, each on their own Chromebook. I hope our WiFi holds up. We’ve met all three of their wonderful teachers via Zoom, Google Classroom, Facebook Live, or is it ClassDojo? No, the last one is the app where they turn in their work. I find it hard to keep track. Luckily, my wife doesn’t. She’s on top of all the distance learning details, as are the teachers. In the last issue, we had an epic photo essay by Brett Hillyard, where he took portraits of essential workers all over Orange County. As school starts around Southern California, I realize that we didn’t include two of the most essential groups of people: teachers and parents. Moms, mainly. editor’s note
Does that sound sexist? I mean it exactly the opposite. Studies and statistics show that women are bearing most of the burden of distance learning, childcare, and the rest of what it takes to make it through the stay-at-home era. The economic impact is felt disproportionately as well, with more women than men employed in some of the hardest hit industries, such as retail, hospitality, and tourism. I know the burdens of our brave new (hopefully temporary) world are unequal at my house, despite doing my best to help. My wife is now a homeschool teacher, IT expert, amateur epidemiologist, and a passionate patient advocate and home care professional for her mother, who lives with us. Plus, we got a puppy in April—guess who does most of that work? All of that is on top of everything else she already did before we all started staying at home 24/7. Now, working from home is no walk in the park for me, or anyone. Staying on task when the family needs you is challenging. Keeping focus when there are crazy people doing all manner of video-worthy things just waiting to be streamed can be hard as well. It’s easy to get distracted. Wait, have I watered my tomatoes this morning? I’ll be right back... I am well aware of our privilege in being able to work safely from home (to have work at all, actually), to care for our kids, to have access to three Chromebooks, and a fairly decent Internet connection. We are all happy, and healthy—at least in so far as the virus goes. Our children are fed and the rent is paid. We have a backyard for the kids to play in, and the tomatoes I planted when all this started are now ripe. Life is good. Our hearts and thoughts are with those who aren’t as fortunate, and those who are struggling, working, and fighting for the health, safety, respect, opportunity, and happiness we all hope to have, and preserve for the future. Stay safe, be kind, and take care of each other, please. kedric@bluedoormagazine.com 22
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PHOTO BY BRET T HILLYARD
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N K B A S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A I N D U S T R Y PA R T N E R
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COMMUNITY
SALAD DAYS
Harold Herrmann and Erik Cutter at Second Harvest Food Bank’s Alegría SoxxBoxx Farm.
Buying boxes of incredible organic greens grown in the Second Harvest Food Bank parking lot helps fund programs to feed the hungry. By Kedric Francis Photos by Brett Hillyard Some of the best produce ever grown in Orange County is thriving in a parking lot next to the railroad tracks in Irvine. Some 20 varieties of organic and nutrient-rich leafy greens are harvested each Friday from impeccably organized and maintained planting beds.
Shiny, fresh, and fragrant Romaine and red leaf lettuce, Tuscan kale, Swiss chard, lemon sorrel, purple basil, lavender, edible flowers, and more are placed beautifully into boxes and delivered directly to homes and available for pick-up that same day. What could be better with so many of us cooking and dining at home these days? Better than the produce itself is the fact that each $30 FarmBox provides sufficient funds for Second Harvest Food Bank to purchase 85 pounds of food to be distributed to those in need in Orange County communities.
And that need is great. Second Harvest delivered some 26 million pounds of food in the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, double what they distributed during those same months last year. The Alegría SoxxBoxx Farm on the Second Harvest facility parking lot is the result of a partnership between Alegría Fresh, Second Harvest Food Bank and Bank of America. Each FarmBox includes enough organic greens to make half a dozen salads. And it’s far fresher and more nutrient-rich than typical produce harvested half a state away and delivered to a local farmers markets days later, says Erik Cutter, the founder of Alegría Fresh and a pioneer in regenerative, zero-waste urban farming. He explains that the SoxxBoxx farming system used at the Second Harvest parking lot includes elevated planters containing individual planting bags, or socks, each filled with a regenerative organic soil blend developed with Kellogg Garden Supply. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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COMMUNITY
“Kathy Kellogg has been supporting me for 10 years while we’ve been developing blends of soil to try to push the envelope on how good of an organic soil we can put together,” Cutter says. He also cites the crucial support of Shari Battle, Market Manager for Bank of America. “She’s been working with me for more than four years, and when the opportunity came to work with Second Harvest, she said, ‘This is the perfect marriage.’” Bank of America’s support includes providing emergency grants to support the development of the Alegría SoxxBoxx Farm at Second Harvest Food Bank. The FarmBox project isn’t just about selling organic greens to affluent folks with refined palates as a way to raise funds to buy more food to feed the hungry, as crucial as the need is. “This is not just a revenue generator. It’s also an incubator of an idea to bring this level of fresh produce directly to people in need,” says Harald Herrmann, the innovative and energetic CEO of Second Harvest. Cutter points out that marginalized communities are getting hit the hardest by COVID-19 for many reasons, with a key one being “because they don’t have any access to this kind of food, or food at all sometimes.” Lack of fresh food contributes to obesity, chronic diseases, and conditions cited as co-morbidity factors.
“This can be duplicated in lower-income communities throughout Southern California,” Hermann says. He estimates that there’s as much as 40 square miles of land—unused and underutilized parking lots and similar space—available in the region. “Imagine farms like this on those parking lots, generating produce locally for those who live in the community.” And it doesn’t hurt that the Alegría Fresh micro farms are beautiful to behold. “You eat with your eyes first and we realized that this prototype farm needs to also give people a sense of the art of the possible,” Hermann says. “Something this pretty, vibrant, and green could live in the middle of an upscale shopping center, in the middle of a housing community, attached to a church or a school. It would be an asset for any business or community.” Freshly-harvested produce ordered by Wednesday will be delivered to locations within a 15-mile radius of Second Harvest, and is also available for pick-up at the Food Bank on Fridays between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. Second Harvest Food Bank 8014 Marine Way Irvine feedoc.org/farmbox
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Al Fresco Finds
OC DINES OUTDOORS AT NEW AND EXPANDED SPACES
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PHOTO BY BRETT HILLYARD
DINING
As restaurants struggle to survive, cities and landlords are pivoting to allow new and expanded outdoor dining options. An entire block of Forest Avenue in Laguna Beach has been closed to driving and parking, dedicating the public space to dining, shopping, and promenading.
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With restaurants among the industries most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, new and expanded al fresco dining opportunities are opening in many areas of coastal Orange County. Here are some of our favorites, defined by the outdoor aesthetic, quality of the cuisine, but most importantly, by how safe and welcoming they feel for customers.
Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach Locals had long been asking for the one-way stretch of this downtown street to be dedicated as a pedestrian promenade. It took the pandemic to push it through. The promenade includes six new dining decks for restaurants that include Alessa, 230 Forest, Moulin, and Brussels Bistro. Masks are required for access, with young officials enforcing the rule. Old Towne Orange The two blocks of Glassell Avenue that radiate out of the circle in downtown Orange have been closed to cars, with each restaurant allowed to put tables and chairs in the street. Masks are required to enter the restaurants, but not elsewhere. Provisions Deli is our top choice for casual cuisine, craft beer, and comfort. provisionsdeli.shop Top: Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens Right: Five Crowns 32
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ART
HOME ORGANIZER SERVICES MADE SIMPLE . We offer several options to help transform your closet, kitchen, bedroom… ANYTHING, with sensible function and style. Our home organizer services include functional products to declutter your home. Things like containers, jars, baskets, canisters, drawer dividers, hangers, bins, boxes, labels and more. Consider these items statement pieces that add a special touch of design to your organizing project. House Organized sorts your space, eliminates the stress and brings order to your home and life.
CALL US AT 7 14 .907.1140 | HOUSEORGANIZEDCO.COM
Five Crowns caption goes here BlueDoorMagazine.com
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Old Vine Kitchen & Bar, Costa Mesa The rooftop at The Camp has achieved its highest and best use so far as an outdoor dining area for Old Vine. The eclectic upstairs space (there is also seating in the original patio and under the stairway) has bit of a steampunk vibe, with separated tables, touch-less QR code menus, and masked servers. oldvinecafe.com Farmhouse at Roger’s Gardens The al fresco environment has been a draw from the beginning. It remains one of the most comfortable spots in Newport Beach. farmhouserg.com
Five Crowns and Sidedoor Open-air meals in the backyard of the historic restaurant are graciously served, with masks required to enter, and all servers taking safety seriously. lawrysonline.com Selanne Steak Tavern With outdoor terraces and patios, reduced capacity, and masked servers, Teemu’s place is a top option. selannesteaktavern.com Additional restaurants that have new, expanded, or improved outdoor spaces include Bistango, Broadway, The Hall, AnQi, Descanso, Gracias Madre, Sol Cocina, Sushi Roku, 4th Street Market, and Benchmark. From top: Provisions at Old Towne Orange; Old Vine; Gracias Madre 34
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Sue Capelli defines the complete custom design experience. For over 25 years Sue has transformed spaces and helped people build their dream homes. S u e ’s e x t e n s i v e s c o p e i n c l u d e s i n t e r i o r d e s i g n a l o n g w i t h c u s t o m d e s i g n p i e c e s , business development and product management.
PASSIONE INC. INTERIOR DESIGN
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PASSIONEINC.COM
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ART
THE CASE FOR COLOR
Art, design, and architecture at JoAnne Artman Galleries By James Reed One of the countless pleasures put on hold by the pandemic is the aesthetic and intellectual thrill of viewing art in person. Museums are off-limits, galleries are shuttered or open by appointment only, and art walks are on ice. While architecturally significant outdoor spaces, sculpture gardens, and public plazas thankfully remain largely accessible, the social, intellectual, and aesthetic aspects of appreciating art in-person and indoors is sorely missed.
As we spend more time in our personal spaces, the importance of art in the home is perhaps more valued than ever. Gallery owners have pivoted to online exhibitions and socially distant sales, with encouraging results reported. In an encouraging move in a difficult economy, JoAnne Artman Gallery has increased its gallery space in North Laguna’s Gallery Row, now offering two locations. Mary Finlayson and Michael Callas are among the many artists on display in the two galleries. Both artists have paintings focused on architecture and design in their oeuvres. Art of and about homes seems appropriate to celebrate as we spend so much time in ours. Still, it’s the eye-catching, joyful color of these paintings that speaks to us in this challenging time.
Beverly Hills Modern, 2019, by Michael Callas BlueDoorMagazine.com
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ART
Michael Callas grew up in Orange County. He says the combination of the area’s natural beauty with its planned communities and highly curated environments has had a heavy influence on his artistic process. Callas’ paintings are done entirely with spray paint and stencils. Rooted in Pop Art, Street Art, graphic design, drafting, and his life in Southern California, Callas combines text, character archetypes, and bold color within each work. He studied architecture before pursuing art full-time, which is evident from his series of paintings titled Case Study (Southern California Modern). Made between 2011 and 2014, the Case Study work depicts a familiar world of modern design steeped in a kaleidoscope of color. It is a combination of cultural references that Callas considers “archetypes of an American dream,” offered up by the visionary architects of the Case Study housing project.
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Mary Finlayson is a San Francisco-based artist originally from Vancouver, B.C. Finlayson’s interest in painting interior spaces portrays how environments reveal identity. Rendered with vivid color and an emphasis on texture, Finlayson creates spaces that are partly real and partly imagined. Considering interiors as portraits that contain their own narratives, her compositions explore the stories that each space tells about the people who inhabit them. Flattening the perspective of each scene, her still lifes provide a voyeuristic glimpse into each curated space. JoAnne Artman Gallery 326 and 346 North Coast Highway Laguna Beach 949.510.5481 joanneartmangallery.com Above: Najavo Weaving and Bird, 2020, by Mary Finlayson Opposite: Pink Room with Baldessari and Girard Figures, 2020, by Mary Finlayson
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ART
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DISTANCE YEARNING
California’s Alabama Hills in 150 Nature Hot Spots. Photo by Hartley Millson.
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WANDERLUST
Three travel volumes inspire dreams of journeys near and far Travel is a pleasure many of us are missing right now. But while there are places in the world where we currently can’t and perhaps shouldn’t go, there’s nothing to stop us from planning, dreaming, and scheming about new destinations to see one day and favorites to return to soon.
Certainly, the boxes we need checked to consider a locale have changed. Whereas once the buzz of a city center with museums and monuments, crowded sidewalk cafés, locals to meet, and culinary hot spots at which to eat would have been a top draw; today, we might seek out a more quaint, quiet, and uncrowded place. Close to home, perhaps, so we don’t have to fly. Low COVID-19 case counts don’t hurt, either. The natural wonders of California, West Coast towns to rediscover, and design-oriented hotels in remote locales are topics of recent travel guides and books designed to inspire and inform.
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CALIFORNIA WILD It’s been said that a culture can be measured by the wild places and resources it chooses to protect. If that’s true, then California’s preserved lands are a credit to American culture, or so opines author Ann Marie Brown in the introduction to 150 Nature Hot Spots in California. The handbook serves as a guide to the state’s natural wonders as well-known and easy to pronounce as Yosemite National Park, and as obscure as Lava Beds National Monument, located in the upper east corner of the state. How to choose? We spent a few quarantined hours online cross-referencing the outdoor options in the book with the California counties in which they’re located, focusing on those counties with fewer than 100 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Modoc County, with a population of only 11,672, has no confirmed cases of the virus as this is written (editor’s note: two cases currently). That’s where Lava Beds National Monument is, a wild and volcanic landscape of 50,000 acres that only sees 140,000 visitors a year (Anaheim draws 25 million in a good year). Those interested in California history will want to visit the battlefields of the Modoc War, where the Modoc leader Kientpoos (also known as Captain Jack) led an 1873 uprising against government forces. 44
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Other outdoor places featured in the book that meet our virusphobic criteria include Mt. Shasta (Siskiyou County, 61 confirmed cases) and Death Valley (Inyo County, 44 cases). Other California counties to consider based on case count and outdoor opportunities: Trinity (4 cases), Amador (69 cases), Sierra (1 case), and Alpine (2 cases). Alpine County’s quirky motto seems especially appealing in the COVID-19 context: “Two people per square mile, and you!” There is much more to visiting wild places than avoiding a virus, of course. As Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and UC professor Wallace Stegner once wrote, “We simply need that wild country available to us, even if we never do more than drive to its edge and look in. For it can be a means of reassuring ourselves of our sanity as creatures, a part of the geography of hope.”
WANDERLUST
THE WEST IS THE BEST For those avoiding all but private air travel, a West Coast road trip may sound appealing. The travel guide The Best Coast offers inspiration for such a journey, and is also an apt choice for those choosing to travel only from the safety of their armchairs. Billed as an “illustrated adventure along the West Coast’s historic highways,” the charming volume is written and illustrated by Chandler O’Leary. She is drawn to the hokey roadside attractions and vintage neon signs of the historic highways: “Even more than their humor and somewhat random nature, what I love most is the sincerity with which they were made,” O’Leary writes. The aesthetically pleasing book includes more than 400 original watercolor illustrations, 99 maps, and the author’s trademark hand lettering—she is the coauthor of Dead Feminists: Historic Heroines in Living Color. Locals may appreciate some of her quirks—she titles one Newport Beach section, “There’s always money in the banana stand,” while we quibble with other descriptions. She describes the Pageant of the Masters as “splendidly kooky,” and says that “Balboa Island is a residential community consisting of vaguely Venetian-style houses.” Venice—really? Still, the cool/quaint illustrations make the book worthy of any travel library, and an inspiration to hit the West Coast road one day soon.
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WANDERLUST
DO ARCHITECTS DREAM OF ECLECTIC SUITES?
If you want an opinion about design-centric destinations, ask an architect. That’s what magazine editor and author Sarah Miller did in her guidebook to hotels and resorts, Where Architects Sleep . Miller, the founding editor of the British edition of Condé Nast Traveller, reached out to 270 architects around the world, including renowned names and Pritzker Prize winners. Daniel Libeskind, Amanda Levete, Charles Renfro, Sir Norman Foster, Annabelle Selldorf, Fumihiko Maki, and Richard Meier, the lone Californian, are among those who were consulted.
The architects recommend hotels in a variety of categories, such as all-time favorites, best-kept secrets, good on a budget, eco-conscious, and family-friendly, as well as the favorite hotels in the architects’ hometowns, the ones they wished they had designed, and those worth the travel. The 528-page volume is more ascetic than aesthetic—there are no images beyond a few maps, just information. The result is an exhaustively organized guide to some 1,200 of the best places for lovers of design to stay in more than 100 countries and territories, from A (Antigua’s Carlisle Bay) to Z (Elephant Hills Resort in Zimbabwe). California has some 58 hotels in the book, including Orange County resorts Lido House (recommended by Anthony Mallows) and The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel (recommended by Kiyoshi Sey Takeyama). While Where Architects Sleep has no room for stunning photography, Blue Door Magazine does. In the following pages we take a look at 7132 Hotel in Vals, Switzerland, the hotel recommended by the most architects; Amangiri in Southern Utah, the U.S. hotel with the most recommendations; and Canada’s Fogo Island Inn, the remote resort on an island off of Newfoundland that seems the furthest away from where we are now, without having to leave the continent.
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Newfoundland’s settlers were not permitted to build permanent structures or dwellings. This led to buildings that were made of wood as opposed to stone and rested lightly on the landscape by making use of stilt wood legs—called shores—rather than fixed heavy foundations. The temporary nature of these original structures is still part of Newfoundland’s vernacular building techniques, and is clearly reflected in the architecture of the Inn.
FOGO ISLAND INN NEWFOUNDLAND, CANADA fogoislandinn.ca
At more than 4,000 miles from Orange County, Fogo Island Inn is about as far away as one can get in North America and still stay in a magnificently designed hotel. Architectural Digest has called it “One of the 10 Most Daring Buildings in the World,” and Bloomberg dubbed Fogo Island Inn “The Most Remote and Magical Hotel on Earth.” The 43,000-square-foot Inn is perched on stilts and hugs the North Atlantic coastline, affording all 29 rooms with floor-toceiling views of sea and sky. Designed by Newfoundland-born, Norway-based architect, Todd Saunders, the contemporary structure speaks to the traditional Newfoundland aesthetic. Every building—from the six artist residency studios to the 300-footlong Inn—draws inspiration from the wooden houses and fishing stages built in Newfoundland for centuries. The Inn’s dining room, with massive bay windows facing the sea, resembles the prow of a ship as it weathers the perilous North Atlantic. 48
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Fogo Island native Zita Cobb spent $40 million to build the hotel after retiring from a career as a tech executive. The Inn itself is owned by a nonprofit foundation Cobb founded that also includes Fogo Island Arts, a residency-based contemporary art venue for artists, filmmakers, writers, musicians, curators, designers, and thinkers from around the world. Any profit from the Inn, as well as shops and Fogo Island Fish, which sells hand-lined cod to high-end restaurants, is reinvested into the community to help secure a sustainable and resilient future for Fogo Island. “Maybe a small island is a good proxy for a small planet,” Cobb says. COVID-19 CHECK-IN
U.S. citizens are not currently allowed to travel to Canada—let that sink in—so for now, plans to visit Fogo Island Inn must be kept on hold. Low-density Fogo Island, population 2,700, has not had any cases of COVID-19 to date. Newfoundland and Labrador, the province in which the island is located, has 266 cases and three deaths. GETTING THERE
The airstrip on Fogo Island can accommodate a fixed-wing 12passenger Beech 1900D aircraft, and the 37-seat Dash 100. Or fly to St. John’s (YYT), Gander (YQX) or Deer Lake (YDF) and then fly charter or helicopter to Fogo Island. The resort’s global charter partner is Air Charter Services (ACS), aircharterservice.ca.
ARCHITECTURE WANDERLUST
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7132 HOTEL
VALS, SWITZERLAND 7132.com
Architecture fans obsess over 7132 Hotel, in the Swiss village of Vals, especially the thermal baths designed by architect Peter Zumthor constructed from 60,000 slabs of local quartzite. The property includes two hotels, 7132 Hotel and House of Architects, which includes seven rooms each designed around a single material. The architects who designed rooms include Thom Mayne of Morphosis (the architect of the new Orange County Museum of Art building now under construction at Segerstrom Center for the Arts), Tadao Ando, Kengo Kuma, and Peter Zumthor. Morphosis also redesigned the building’s lobby and entrance area to provide a better sense of welcoming visitors to the retreat. The property is also home to Silver, the resort restaurant led by Mitja Birlo that has been awarded two Michelin stars.
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WANDERLUST
“Peter Zumthor’s thermal baths will never go out of style.” —Gert Wingårdh, one of Sweden’s most esteemed architects
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Above: Kuma Room
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COVID-19 CHECK-IN
Anyone entering Switzerland from one of 42 high-risk countries, including the U.S., has to quarantine for 10 days. The country’s lockdown and restrictions had a dramatic impact, flattening the curve in the country. The canton where 7132 Hotel is located, Graubßnden, has 861 reported cases. The hotel reopened on June 19. GETTING THERE
Arrive by air via Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lugano, Altenrhein. 7132 is the only deluxe hotel in Switzerland with its own helicopter (Airbus EC 130). Transfer from the nearest landing point to a home in Switzerland or an international airport in Switzerland. The limousine or helicopter transfer is included for guests staying in the penthouse suites.
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ARCHITECTURE
AMANGIRI
CANYON POINT, UTAH
aman.com/resorts/amangiri
Amangiri is a remote luxury retreat set on 650 acres amid the dramatic desert, lakes, cliffs, and mountains of Southern Utah. It is a minimalist’s dream, a symphony of clean lines and natural materials that blend serenely into the wilderness beyond. Each suite has an outdoor lounge and fireplace, and some also have a private pool.
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“Designed by the great desert Modernist Wendell Burnette with Rick Joy, the architecture frames and heightens the experience of the landscape.”
—Deborah Berke, founder of Deborah Berke & Partners Architects, a New York City-based design firm.
COVID-19 CHECK-IN
As of late July, Southwest Utah reported 2,750 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 151 deaths. Kane County, where Amangiri is located, has reported 47 cases with no deaths. The property closed for two months in March. In order to reopen safely on May 21, Amangiri implemented rigorous health and safety measures and other strategic processes. The property lowered guest capacity to about 50-55 percent (60 to 70 guests), which in turn enables the resort to lower the density of staff needed to serve the guests. And on July 1, the resort revealed the new Camp Sarika by Amangiri, a collection of 10 one- or two-bedroom pavilions that redefine glamping. GETTING THERE
Located some 500 miles from the OC coast, the resort can be reached by a long road trip, if desired. Or fly private into Page, Utah, by a preferred method or via the resort’s partnership with RYL Jets. amagriri@ryljets.com BlueDoorMagazine.com
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THE ART OF PUZZLES
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DESIGN
By Kedric Francis
I was never much for jigsaw puzzles growing up, and even less so as an adult. Who has the time? Make that “had.” Now, with a gaggle of kids at home looking for something to do, the calm, quiet, and screen-free activity is just what the family ordered. We are not alone in our quarantine quest: jigsaw puzzle sales are up some 400 percent during the pandemic.
Still, not all puzzles are created equal. Our preferred puzzles are kid-friendly with a focus on art, nature, design, architecture, and other aesthetic endeavors. Titles that are colorful, whimsical, and offer an emphasis on equality and empowerment are also favorites. Plus, they have to be solvable in a reasonable amount of time. Our attention span only stretches so far! Our top picks include Artsy Cats, which features 16 illustrations of colorful cats in the guise and painting style of famous artists, including “Vincat van Gogh” and “Frida Catlo.” It’s from the Mudpuppy brand (mudpuppy.com), a puzzle publisher that offers other great options, like Little Feminist. It’s a fun 500-piece puzzle featuring colorful cartoon-like images of 16 historically significant women such as Rosa Parks, Sally Ride, and Maya Angelou. Our kids love it. Other choices include gorgeous still lifes like Tutti-Frutti and Forbidden Fruit from Pieceworks (pieceworkpuzzles.com); MOMA’s artists series that includes Viva La Vida Frida Kahlo (store.moma. org), and Pomegranate’s Charlie Harper series (pomegranate.com). The nature-themed puzzles feature Harper’s cool ‘60s-era graphics
in titles like Canyon Country, Tree of Life, and California Desert Mountains. The most impressive puzzle we’ve discovered so far during the pandemic is Votes for Women from Uncommon Goods (uncommongoods.com). Designed and illustrated by Monica Garwood, the puzzle includes lovely portraits of historic individuals who fought for the rights of women. To see more of her work, turn the page. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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Sojourner Truth
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper
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Daisy Elizabeth
ART AND CULTURE
CELEBRATING SUFFRAGE Gertrude Foster Brown
Mary Newbury
Nineteen women who fought for the right to vote finally protected by passage of the 19th Amendment 100 years ago, as illustrated by California artist Monica Garwood
As the 2020 election approaches, one way to confirm the importance of voting is to remind ourselves and our children of those who spent their lives fighting for the right to vote, which was long denied to them. For women, that hard-fought battle was won when the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified on August 18, 1920.
Bay Area artist Monica Garwood was commissioned to create portraits of key individuals in the decades-long battle for voting rights—the constitutional amendment was first introduced in Congress in 1878. The evocative portraits are included in the Votes for Women jigsaw puzzle celebrating the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote being included in the Constitution.
Naomi Anderson
Not all women, though. Despite the 19th Amendment barring states from denying voting rights based on gender, Black women across the segregated South were denied voting rights when they were prevented from registering. In California, Proposition 4, recognizing the right of women to vote, passed in a statewide election in 1910. Its language, however, expressly stated that “no native of China, no idiot, no insane person, no person convicted of an infamous crime… and no person [unable] to read the constitution in the English language and write his or her name,” would be allowed to vote.
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Ida B. Wells Mabel Lee
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Lucy Stone
Alice Paul
ART AND CULTURE FRANCIS ELLEN WATKINS HARPER was an abolitionist, suffragist,
poet, teacher, public speaker, and writer, one of the first African American women to be published in the United States. In a now famous speech given in New York, Harper told the audience that fates of black and white, rich and poor were “all bound up together.” was an American abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son in 1828, she became the first Black woman to win such a case against a white man. SOJOURNER TRUTH
Susan B. Anthony
Lucy Burns
DAISY ELIZABETH ADAMS LAMPKIN was an American suffragist,
civil rights activist, organization executive, and community practitioner whose career spanned over half a century. was a concert pianist, teacher, and suffragist. Following the passage of women’s suffrage in New York State in 1917, Brown wrote Your Vote and How to Use It, published in 1918. GERTRUDE FOSTER BROWN
MARY NEWBURY ADAMS was an American women’s suffragist and education advocate. She was a major social and political activist, and she helped found the Iowa Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Northern Iowa Suffrage Association. NAOMI BOWMAN TALBERT ANDERSON was an African American
suffragist, temperance leader, civil rights activist, and writer who advocated for equal rights for all genders and races in the 1870s. was an American investigative journalist, educator, celebrated newspaper editor, anti-lynching campaigner, and an early leader in the civil rights movement. She was one of the founders of the NAACP. IDA BELL WELLS-BARNETT
LUCY STONE dedicated her life to battling inequality on all fronts.
Chinese immigrants were guaranteed the right to vote in 1943. Native Americans gained full voting rights in all states in 1948. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act provided that state and local governments could not deny American citizens the equal right to vote based on their race or color. The 1975 extension of the Act added membership in a minority language group to the act, which added Mexican Americans, native Alaskans, Hawaiians, and others to its protection. Today, new state and local laws and court rulings continue to impact the right of all Americans to vote. As Black suffragist Charlotte Rollin said in an 1870 speech at a national convention, “We ask suffrage not as a favor, not as a privilege, but as a right based on the ground that we are human beings, and as such entitled to all human rights.” See more of Monica Garwood’s work: monicagarwood.com @monicagarwood
She was the first Massachusetts woman to earn a college degree and she defied gender norms when she famously wrote marriage vows to reflect her egalitarian beliefs and refused to take her husband’s last name. ALICE STOKES PAUL was an American suffragist, feminist, and women’s
rights activist, and one of the main leaders and strategists of the campaign for the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. MABEL PING-HUA LEE was an advocate for women’s suffrage in the
United States, and the head of the First Chinese Baptist Church in New York for more than 40 years. SUSAN B. ANTHONY was an American social reformer and women’s
rights activist who played a pivotal role in the women’s suffrage movement. In 1872, she led a group of 16 women who were arrested for trying to vote. Only Anthony was tried and convicted. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.” —19th Amendment, 1920
was an American suffragist and women’s rights advocate. Burns organized lenghty protests at the White House demanding that President Woodrow Wilson support the federal amendment to the Constitution. She was arrested six times, sometimes serving months in prison. LUCY BURNS
was one of the first African American women to earn a college degree, and became known as a national activist for civil rights and suffrage. She taught in the first African American public high school in the nation. MARY CHURCH TERRELL
was an educator and an African American suffragist. Born in Massachusetts, she moved to Colorado where she achieved prominence as a leader in the suffrage movement. ELIZABETH PIPER ENSLEY
was a suffragist, abolitionist, and freethinker who has been called the “first Jewish feminist.” Her career spanned from the 1830s to the 1870s, making her a contemporary to Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. ERNESTINE LOUISE ROSE
JOVITA IDAR , a
teacher and journalist, penned a series of editorials circa 1911 in which she called on Texas Mexican women to organize collectively on behalf of themselves, as workers and as Mexicans. Idar became the first president of the League of Mexican Women, mobilizing League efforts to provide free education to poor children.
Mary Church Terrell
was an American author, political activist, and lecturer. She was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, advocated for the blind and for women’s suffrage, and co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union. HELEN ADAMS KELLER
was an American-Canadian antislavery activist, journalist, publisher, teacher, and lawyer. She was the first Black female publisher in North America and the first female publisher in Canada. MARY ANN SHADD CARY
was an African American suffragist, civic leader, and civil rights activist. Francis founded and led the Everywoman Suffrage Club, an African American suffragist group that helped win women the right to vote in Minnesota. NELLIE F. GRISWOLD FRANCIS
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Elizabeth Piper Ensley
Nellie F. Griswold Francis
ART AND CULTURE
Ernestine Louise Rose Jovita Idar
Helen Keller
Mary Ann Shadd Cary
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DINING OUTDOORS
Summertime, and the Grillin’ is Easy! THE FIRST IN A SERIES CELEBRATING ORANGE COUNTY CHEFS AS THEY GARDEN, GRILL, AND ENTERTAIN IN THEIR OWN BACK YARDS Photos by Brett Hillyard
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Most of us are cooking, grilling, and eating at home much more than we were a year ago, with admittedly mixed results. Those with the requisite palate, skill, and experience post magazine-quality photos of delicious homemade gourmet dishes daily (we see you Moira, Adrienne, Jamie, and others). The rest of us are Insta-envious.
Oh, to have such a chef at home. For aesthetic and culinary inspiration, Blue Door Magazine is paying socially-distanced and masked visits to Orange County chefs and restaurateurs at their homes and in their yards. This issue, photographer Brett Hillyard stopped by the North Tustin backyard of Max Schlutz and Mona Shah, as Max prepared a feast of grilled vegetables and delicious appetizers for Mona, her twins Lara and Lennon, and their son, Asher. 72
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MAX’S GRILLING TIP #1
Always start with the best ingredients you can afford/find/source. If you start with seasonal produce, you know that it is going to be at its peak freshness, and that means you don’t have to do too much for it to be flavorful. Look to your local farmers market—and that way you’re also supporting your local economy! Oftentimes, farmers markets will also offer naturally- and humanely-raised meats. Free-range, antibiotic-free, hormone-free will always taste better.
DINING OUTDOORS
MAX’S GRILLING TIP #2
Never underestimate the power of salt and pepper! If you are spending the time and money to source local and highly marbled and delicious ingredients, let their true flavors shine. Often, intense sauces and rubs can confuse your palate. I’m a big fan of intensifying your product’s natural flavors with salt and pepper. Some nice finishing salts really do go a long way… BlueDoorMagazine.com
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MAX’S GRILLING TIP #3
Too often, cooks like to fuss with their various proteins on the grill; as if to say, “If I’m not constantly moving and flipping the meats, then I’m not barbecuing.” The opposite is where the magic happens. Let your product cook through. Let the grates sear and intensify the natural flavors and impart even more complexity into your steaks, chickens, etc. Those grill marks mean flavor, but you can’t achieve them if you are constantly fussing with the product.
Max is the affable chef-partner of Sessions West Coast Deli. With locations in Newport Beach (the peninsula and Fashion Island, Irvine, and Huntington Beach), Sessions offers cuttingedge sandwiches, salads, and sauces, along with breakfast, craft beer, and other delicious treats. Mona is the founder and owner of Moxxe PR. She specializes in promoting independent, chef-driven restaurants in Orange County, and has been doing so for more than two decades. Here are some pro tricks, tips and insider advice to rocking the backyard life, chef-style, courtesy of Mona and Max: “We recently downsized to a house with half the indoor space—and with three kids it could make things difficult. An outdoor area that is comfortable and usable has been the key to our family’s happiness!”
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DINING OUTDOORS
MAX’S GRILLING TIP #4
Don’t worry about “burning” your vegetables—many veggies can be intentionally charred to bring out a new depth of flavor that’s smoky and savory. Onions, tomatoes, and chilies, when charred, can be combined or blended to create a wonderful salsa!
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Mona and Max, with Lara, Lennon, and Asher
“This year, when we were faced with the mandate to stay at home, we discovered outdoor dining and now, it is vital to our daily life! We never knew how significant outdoor dining would be—it allows us to feel like we’re getting out of the house and being able to breathe in fresh air and soak in Vitamin D is good for our souls.” “Over the past few months, we’ve really made our space our own. We usually sit grill-side on a concrete counter that has a nice fire pit feature. When we have a special meal, we sit at a low-to-the-ground dining table that we made out of an old door. The kids have a decentsized grass area to run around on so they don’t feel confined for the entire meal—and we are ok with that!” “The thing about outdoor dining is that there’s always this sense of adventure as we experience new foods and cuisines. Everyone in the family has unique palates, but the one thing we have in common is that we are adventurous! The kids will try anything that Max makes when they are outdoors, including dishes they wouldn’t touch if served to them in the house."
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COVID-19 CHECK-IN Sessions West Coast Deli has been fortunate to have been better prepared than many restaurants at the onset of the pandemic, and in the months since. The restaurants were already focused on take-out business with to-go packaging, and had arrangements with all the major delivery services. All Sessons beach locations have a large grab & go-to-the-beach clientele, and the inland locations feature mostly outdoor seating. sessionswcd.com moxxePR.com
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SAFE AT HOME
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DESIGN VISION
Whether it’s installing a new kitchen faucet or building an entire new wing, making our homes more healthful, functional, and beautiful also provides a sense of control and comfort in stressful times. By Annette Reeves
Anne Michaelsen of Anne Michaelsen Design worked in collaboration with Bridget Skinner Landscape Design to reinvision a previously multi-layered Mediterranean yard to create a warm, contemporary outdoor space. Photos by Ryan Garvin. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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The world is full of dichotomies today. We’re forced to stay home but yearning to get out. There are financial obligations to meet, but the ability to work productively is hindered by supply chain issues and a weakened labor force. We have a commitment to provide a strong education for our children, yet the fear of sending them to school is wrought with panic. And on the simplest of platforms, we have the innate social desire to be with friends, experience new tastes and smells, hug and be hugged, but we’re conflicted by a fear of public assembly. Our sense of control is shattered, our need for normalcy heightened.
But with fear and conflict comes change, and while most of us have hunkered down at home and made the difficult decision to cancel much-needed vacations, the idea of making our homes into the perfect vacation spots has become the reality. At first, the small backyard space functioned adequately and the inexpensive BBQ from the local hardware store was perfect for the occasional grillout. But as the outdoor space became more of a focal point and a safe gathering spot where college students came home to wait out the pandemic, family and friends social-distanced in small groups, Zoom classrooms and conference calls took place, and its importance reached a critical level requiring unctionality and safety. Top: Anita Dawson of Anita Dawson Design created custom lower-slung chairs and an expansive table using weathered teak. This relaxed look was inspired by the client’s favorite travel destination, Ibiza. Custom lighting was also created to illuminate this inviting outdoor space. Photo by Brady Architectural Photography. Right: Kalamazoo Gourmet Grills’ Artisan Fire Pizza Oven, designed by Frank Mariani. 80
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DESIGN VISION And what about Dad’s new-found culinary passion to test out a smoked rack of lamb recipe he saw on Food Network while babysitting the kids and trying to work from home? Or mom’s new dream to become Martha Stewart and create a farm-to-table scenario where she never had to go to the store and everything her family ate came fresh from her garden? With restaurants only able to operate as take-out spots for several months, many found themselves pushed outside their normal comfort zones, seeking out new recipes, and creating culinary adventures at home rather than experiencing them at local restaurants. Creativity has reached an all-time high, as Travis Rotelli, West Coast Regional Sales Director at Kalamazoo Gourmet Grills, explains. “At Kalamazoo, we love to experiment and cook. Our website has hundreds of recipes that we have created on our own equipment. Since COVID-19, we’ve received dozens of calls from clients not just about barbecue appliances but about cooking tips. We are here and happy to walk someone through the process of cooking on their equipment,” he says. Kalamazoo’s expansive and beautiful “Food + Fire” cookbook features dozens of recipes with high-resolution images and stepby-step cooking instructions. And the equipment requested has expanded way beyond the traditional grill, side burner, and refrigerator. Rotelli says that the requests for outdoor design have become far more creative and expansive. “The requests and level of engagement is way up. We are seeing a request for more things to cook, even requests for smokers. They want to try and experiment with things that can take 6-16 hours. There’s a lot more exploratory cooking.” As people spend more hours at home, the necessity to throw a burger on the grill and be done in 20 minutes is no longer crucial. Now, ribs that take several hours to smoke are a reality and the budding epicurean can develop his or her desire to create the perfect home-cooked meal. Bridget Skinner, an Orange County landscape designer, says that people are enjoying the time they are spending at home. Now, more than ever, they want appliances that allow them to cook any style, on any day, and at any culinary level. My clients are saying, “I wish we had done this so we could be enjoying it now,” Skinner says. “And if COVID ended tomorrow, they still want to ramp it up, they still want to enjoy it right now.” Skinner says that gardens are definitely on the uprise. “Families have time to be at home, they have more time to dedicate, and they want to stay out of the stores as much as possible.” Beyond that, the safety factor alone has driven the desire to build chicken coops and create herb, fruit, and vegetable gardens. The control factor, the ability to know where our food comes from and what it was cooked on, is a strong element as a result of stay-at-home orders.
This outdoor kitchen features Kalamazoo Gourmet Grills and Fire Magic products.
Adding to this is the fact that college students are home, high schoolers are choosing between home school or a hybrid schedule, and families spend more time together. Thus the immediate need for parents to create an environment that is safe, comfortable and fun is first on everyone’s priority list. Anne Michaelsen of Anne Michaelsen Design, a 30-year expert who graduated from the school of Interior and Environmental Design at UCLA, says the outdoor space has evolved such that everyone needs their own area to do their work and have their space. The designer’s son and fiancé came home to wait out the pandemic, and have yet to leave. “We have slowed down. It’s been easier to have everyone here more than I expected, but it’s required additional seating and increased outdoor spaces for everyone to enjoy. We’re using the outside as office areas, which requires space and privacy so each one of us can talk to clients and do our Zoom calls.” Michaelsen also believes that the outdoor kitchen is a crucial factor in the pleasure a home can bring. Currently designing her own outdoor kitchen with every bell and whistle she can think of, Michaelsen believes that families and friends will find comfort in cooking at home and developing their culinary passions with a variety of appliances. Who says you can’t have Italian on Monday with a pizza oven, Chinese Stir Fry on Wednesday with the Alfresco Versa-Power burner, and Santa Maria-Style Rubbed Chicken on the Gaucho Grill on Friday? Michaelsen, a longtime proponent of the pizza oven, encouraged a client 30 years ago to install one. “I’d heard of this thing called a pizza oven. My client didn’t even make pizzas but I somehow talked him into it.” Michaelsen’s intuition proved correct and her client not only continues to use his pizza oven but BlueDoorMagazine.com
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Left: Anne Michaelsen of Anne Michaelsen Design created a transitional space bringing a bit of the indoors outdoors, underneath the covered terrace. Photo by Ryan Garvin.
has become a self-proclaimed master chef, developing his own fancy recipes that go way beyond the simple pizza pie. Rotelli of Kalamazoo agrees. Offering a pizza oven that boasts temperatures beyond 800 degrees with a solid ceramic floor and dual temperature controls, the Kalamazoo pizza oven can fire up in 15 minutes and produce a beautifully browned dough with melted cheese and an array of toppings. “It’s the experience, it’s the fun that is created while using it, the memories, the togetherness,” Rotelli says.
Right: Anita Dawson of Anita Dawson Design transformed a 1970s-style ranch home into a modern coastal beauty. The outdoor spaces include a rooftop deck with coastal views and a pool area complete with Ipe decking. Photo by Brady Architectural Photography.
normalcy amongst everyone and that need translates into ‘I want this done right now,’” Dawson says.
And with this transformation of the outdoor kitchen, the need and desire to get it done swiftly is a phenomenon the industry did not anticipate. Anita Dawson of Dawson Design Group, a well-known interior designer who creates beauty up and down the Southern California coastline, says she has signed three fairly large projects since the pandemic ensued. They were finalized virtually, without face-to-face meetings. “The ones that we are getting are big remodels, people saying, ‘I’m done with this house, I have to get it done’.”
And while Dawson’s projects tend to be large and design changes as a result of COVID-19 may not be evident today, the health factor is on the forefront of her mind when consulting with her clients. “We’ve always focused on the integration of outside and in, especially in a geography where real estate is such a premium,” Dawson says. “But that didn’t used to mean a matter of life or death. We now need outside space as a health requirement, space to be safe, materials that are equipped to withstand the outdoors and that include hygienic factors.”
With discretionary funds as a result of cancelling vacations and stock market upticks, clients have chosen to invest in their homes and they are ready to start now. “They want beautiful things and functional spaces that make them feel good. There’s an immediate need for
Rotelli couldn’t agree more. Kalamazoo launched their Arcadia cabinet series several years ago, evolving the traditional masonry structure into a snap-in-place design featuring color, symmetry, beauty, and functionality. Boasting a base of stainless steel, the
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DESIGN VISION
material itself is hygienic, not allowing germs and spores to grow and providing another layer of safety for communal gathering spaces. At the end of the day, normalcy is what people are searching for. What to believe, what not to believe, who to spend time with, and what sources to trust is truly questionable each day. By creating normalcy at home, whether it be outdoors or indoors, families find they can finally take a deep breath. Sitting down, smiling, and laughing at the end of the day, shutting down the part of the brain where fear and uncertainty exists, is crucial. Whether it’s installing a new kitchen faucet or building an entire new wing of the house, this is what people believe they can control and will provide happiness in today’s constant upheaval. Dawson sums it up eloquently, “People are finding that you have to provide the barrier to the outside and then make your space just as comfortable as you can. Today, protecting is the most important thing, being happy is the next thing.”
Kalamazoo Gourmet Grills Available at: PIRCH Costa Mesa 3303 Hyland Avenue Costa Mesa 949.429.0800 pirch.com/visit-us/costa-mesa Bridget Skinner Landscape Design Newport Beach 949.697.6277
Anne Michaelsen Design 747 Dover Drive, Suite C Newport Beach 949.922.1800 AnneMichaelsenDesign.com Dawson Design Group 4170 Voltaire Street San Diego 619.795.8353 DawsonDesignGroup.com
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FAVORITES
The Southern California chapter of the National Kitchen & Bath Association shares its favorite outdoor picks. Summer is here—365 days a year! Living in Southern California, we experience the best of outdoor living. As experts in the kitchen and bath industry, we’re looking at some of our favorite appliances and accessories to incorporate into your outdoor space.
NKBA.ORG | 800-THE-NKBA
Nichole Cooper, NKBA SoCal President (right) and Joseph DeCasperis, NKBA SoCal Communications Chair (left) at the Middleby Residential Flagship Showcase Gallery in Irvine
The outdoor kitchen is the hallmark of Southern California living. But, having an outdoor kitchen means having an indoor kitchen, which means double the maintenance, right? Not with DEKTON BY COSENTINO. Outdoor living is best when it incorporates Dekton, a stain proof, UV resistant, and zero maintenance alternative to the traditional countertop. Ranging from natural stone look-alikes to innovative industrial and liquid designs, Dekton’s ultra compact surface is the perfect choice to top it all off. —Joseph
Gone are the days of stucco and facades. Instead, outfit your outdoor kitchen with powder coated steel cabinetry by MOYA LIVING. Woman-owned and based in Southern California, Moya Living cabinetry is colorful, fresh, and stands the test of time. —Nichole
The LYNX 36” PRO SERIES GRILL is definitely my TOP pick for Outdoor Kitchens! As entertaining becomes intimate and shifts to the outdoors, my husband and I have started grilling more and more. And while I want to be the grill master, I don't want to monitor the grill all night long, either. Fire up the blue-lit control knobs and the patented All Trident Infrared Burners preheat in minutes, allowing me to sear and cook my favorite steak quickly. When it's time to grill the asparagus, the LYNX adjusts its temperature by around 100 degrees per minute. As dinner is served, the evening sets in—creating the most gorgeous shine on the mirrored finish. —Nichole
Here is an excuse to stay outside: the EVO AFFINITY 30G GRILL. Craft breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert on this premium flat top grill. With a 30” diameter, your guests can also be part of the culinary experience, adjusting temperatures ranging from 225°F to 550°F, cooking directly on the non-stick surface, or bringing their favorite pots and pans for use as a traditional stove top. Start up is effortless and clean up is a breeze. I especially love that the EVO is designed and built in America—it is made to last. —Nichole
Growing up in NYC, I was exposed to some of the best pizza in the world. When it is time for pizza night in SoCal, the ALFRESCO PIZZA OVEN PLUS is the answer. Perfect pizza and calzones happen quickly with its ability to preheat to high temperatures in under 15 minutes. This gas-fired oven also does its fair share of baking, roasting, and searing—making it a must-have in the outdoor kitchen. —Joseph
HIGH | CORKETT
1 SAN MATEO WAY | NEW LISTING Corona del Mar | $14,750,000 | 1SanMateoWay.com Over an acre of privacy and open space are combined with timeless Traditional-style architecture, beautifully manicured grounds, and endless Pacific ocean, Newport Harbor, city lights and Catalina Island views from this “one of kind, ” Corona del Mar estate. This approximately 11,000 square foot, English Georgian-style residence has gleaming white clapboard siding, dentil moldings, high gloss black shutters and a large ocean view veranda. The interior of the home exudes craftsmanship and English Country house-style with a pine-paneled library with built-in bookcases, oak hardwood floors, a formal dining room with painted wall coverings and a built-in China hutch, a formal living room with wainscot, fine moldings, and arched alcoves, a main floor bedroom that functions as a second master suite and a family room contiguous to the Island kitchen with professional grade stainless steel appliances, marble counter tops, and custom cabinetry. The upstairs of the home is highlighted by the gracious master suite with a fireplace, gym, window seat, and marble bath; there is also a comfortable media entertainment room and two bedrooms with en-suite baths. The lower level of the home features an uber-fun “Pub style bar, ” and a refrigerated wine room. The richly appointed gardens feature verdant lawns, flagstone pathways, pool, spa, and lush plantings of Hydrangea, Jacarandas, Peppertrees, Eucalyptus, climbing roses, boxwoods & citrus. A two-bedroom guest house sits above a 4-car garage.
STEVE HIGH
EVAN CORKETT
949 874 4724 SHIGH@VILLAREALESTATE.COM HIGHCORKETT.COM DRE No. 00936421
949 285 1055 ECORKETT@VILLAREALESTATE.COM HIGHCORKETT.COM DRE No. 00468496
JON FLAGG
411 39TH STREET | NEW LISTING Newport Island | Offered at $2,595,000 or $9,995/month BRAND NEW RESIDENCE ON NEWPORT ISLAND. Classic style and modern luxury abound in this latest front unit custom residence by SAILHOUSE. Ideally situated on one of Newport’s best-kept secrets, Newport Island, enjoy the peace of this charming island along with the convenience of easy access to the bay and finest surfing beaches as well as walking to the finest amenities, shopping and dining in the area. Properties rarely come to market within this endearing neighborhood and the unique, meticulously constructed home showcases a balance of form and function. Featuring 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms plus an amazing roof-top deck with covered cabana, fireplace and capacity to place a hot-tub/spa. The carefully considered floorplan encompasses approx. 2005’ of vibrant living space, including a beautiful main-level living area, kitchen/great room, bedroom, laundry area/mud-room and inviting patio. The second level includes a sumptuous master suite with walk-in closet plus a generous guest suite. Entertain, bbq or just relax by the fireplace and bask in the sunset and ocean breezes on the easily accessible roof deck with covered cabana. The home is adorned with white, French oak flooring, Pental honed quartz and Caesar stone counters, porcelain tile, Emtek hardware, Brizo fixtures and faucets, high ceilings, gourmet kitchen with center island, Jenn-Air appliances and a tasteful mosaic of patterns and finishes.
JON FLAGG
jonf lagg.com
949 698 1910 jflagg@villarealestate.com jonflagg.com JonFlaggRealEstateServices @JonFlaggHomes DRE No. 01316048
JON FLAGG
3311 VIA LIDO Lido Isle, Newport Beach | Offered at $3,499,000 Location - location - location. Views. Quality. Luxury – a vacation 365 days per year is sure to be enjoyed in this stunning Lido Villa. This alluring 3-story residence with elevator is a crown jewel in the award-winning enclave of the “Lido Villas”. Located in the heart of the newly invigorated Lido Village area, a car is not necessary in order to enjoy the finest in dining, shopping, recreation and beaches. With a juxtaposition of a chic, urban, modern vibe combined with a casual backdrop of seaside living, it does not get much better than this. This meticulously upgraded and spacious Coast model is punctuated by an amazing, full-scale roof-top view deck with mesmerizing 360-degree views that are truly awe-inspiring. The roof-deck, with bbq peninsula and beverage refrig is certain to be the gathering place on many days/evenings for relaxing, dining, entertaining and enjoying the bay views, boating activity, city lights, snow-capped mountains, boat parade and Catalina. The owners of this 3 bed/3.5bath, 2,240 sq. ft. residence worked directly with the builder and have given painstaking attention to detail throughout to create a casually elegant home with modern amenities which include the tasteful combination of Montclair Vermont marble, Quartzite stone, Thassos tile, honey French oak hardwood flooring throughout, custom cabinetry and designer appointments throughout. The entry level features a generous bedroom that can also serve as an office plus bath and elevator access. The second level benefits from two spacious bedrooms suites including a sumptuous master suite with resort-level bath and highly customized walk-in closet. The third level enjoys bay and city light views, an open-concept kitchen with commercial-grade appliances, wine refrig, dining area, abundant storage and a family room with surround sound. The home was designed in collaboration with Robin Strickler of DESIGNWORKS and from lighting detail to fixture choices to furnishings her signature touches are apparent throughout. This is a one-of-kind residence that is sure to please the most demanding buyer. Other conveniences include: automatic shades/blinds, Tesla charger and Nest system just to name a few. Move right in: the buyer has the opportunity to purchase furnishings and accessories outside of escrow.
jonf lagg.com
912 ZURICH CIRCLE Lido Isle | Offered at $3,979,000 3 Bed | 3.5 Bath | 2,850 Approx. Sq. Ft.
126 VIA KORON Lido Isle | Offered at $3,399,000
411 39TH STREET | NEW CONSTRUCTION Newport Island | Offered at $2,595,000 or $9,995/month
3 Bed | 5 Bath | 3,400 Approx. Sq. Ft.
3 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,005 Approx. Sq. Ft.
411 1/2 39TH STREET | NEW CONSTRUCTION Newport Island | Offered at $1,795,000 or $8,500/month
2024 AVENIDA CHICO Newport Beach | $1,399,000
3 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,500 Approx. Sq. Ft.
2 Bed | 2 Bath | 1,741 Approx. Sq. Ft.
JON FLAGG
949 698 1910 jflagg@villarealestate.com jonflagg.com JonFlaggRealEstateServices @JonFlaggHomes DRE No. 01316048
KYLE FLAGG
In Association with Jon Flagg DRE No. 02095991
228 HAZEL, CORONA DEL MAR | $5,995,000 4 Bed, 4.5 Bath | 4407 Sq Ft Home | 4,250 Sq Ft Lot | Direct Beach Access Views Throughout
416 DE SOLA, CORONA DEL MAR | $6,195,000 5 Beds, 5.5 Baths | 4,250 Sq Ft Home | 19,390 Sq Ft Lot | Ocean Views Throughout
2821 BAYSHORE, NEWPORT BEACH | $5,695,000 4 Bed, 4.5 Bath | 4,035 Sq Ft Home | 4,800 Sq Ft Lot Graystone Custom Home In Bayshores
460 SANTA ANA, NEWPORT BEACH | $4,495,000 5 Bed, 4.5 Bath | 4,960 Sq Ft Home | 5,875 Sq Ft Lot
223 ORCHID, CORONA DEL MAR | $3,995,000 3 Bed Plus Office, 5 Baths | 3,390 Sq Ft Home | 3,540 Sq Ft Lot
3351 VIA LIDO, NEWPORT BEACH | $3,599,000 3 Bed, 3.5 Bath | 2,240 Sq Ft Living | New Home With Views Throughout
602 HELIOTROPE, CORONA DEL MAR | $1,795,000 3 Bed, 2.5 Bath | 1650 Sq Ft Home | Front Unit | Completely Remodeled
735 AVOCADO, CORONA DEL MAR | $1,365,000 2 Bed, 2 Bath | 995 Sq Ft | Completely Remodeled Single Level Home
CASEY LESHER 949.702.7211 caseylesher@gmail.com caseylesher.com CalRE# 01795953
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY
Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2020 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell (20327515) Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act
Call 43 Emerald Bay HOME 4 B E D I 4 B AT H I 2 ,1 1 4 S Q F T I O F F E R E D AT $ 4 , 5 0 0, 0 0 0 Rare Oceanside Emerald Bay home is now available. Completely remodeled and absolutely darling cottage literally steps to Emerald Bay’s beach. Enjoy all the amenities that Emerald Bay has to offer. Move right in and enjoy living in this happy 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home. An Oceanside home with this beach proximity, at this price point, will not last.
W H Y YO U W I L L LOV E T H I S H O M E This is a great home in one of the most exclusive areas in the world. White Water views, Cul-de-sac.
Founding Agent at Compass
Maura Short 949.233.7949 maurashort.com DRE 01883774
Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit properties already listed.
SURFS UP 8250 NOELLE DRIVE SOLD 5 Bedroom | 5.5 Bath
Due to COVID-19 we are taking the comprehensive measures to ensure that we remain healthy and protect the safety of others. If you are contemplating making a move we are here to accommodate in every way possible. 949.433.0202. WITH GUIDLINES IN PLACE TO KEEP YOU SAFE
MASKS REQUIRED
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TECHNOLOGY ALTERNATIVES
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thekristinhaltongroup.com
SOLD BY THE KRISTIN HALTON GROUP IN PACIFIC SHORES
SOLD FOR FULL PRICE 21401 Abigail Lane Represented Sellers
RECORD BREAKING SALE 8380 Noelle Drive Represented Buyers and Sellers
LISTED AND SOLD WITHIN 1 WEEK 8372 Noelle Drive Represented Buyers and Sellers
LISTED AND SOLD WITHIN 2 WEEKS FOR FULL PRICE 8255 Kendall Drive Represented Sellers
KRI S TI N H A LTON DOWNLOAD OUR FREE HALTON GROUP REAL ESTATE APP TODAY! The Power of the MLS at Your Fingertips
COLDWELL BANKER REALTY
949.433.0202 kristin@thehaltongroup.com thekristinhaltongroup.com
Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2020 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act (20456731)
CalRE#01257593
700 Thalia Street Laguna Beach Offered at $7,950,000
There are only a handful of casual 'beach estates'
vintage elements of the original 1934 home remain
along this treasured part of the California coastline -
while all of the expected features of a luxury residence
not grand or opulent, but properties that reflect the
are fulfilled. Almost all rooms on the main level
laid-back California lifestyle while still providing the
overlook the same vast views - a 'right-sized' master
true luxuries of space, quality and gracious living.
suite with sitting room and outdoor terrace, and two
Anchored by a storied local surf beach where it hits
secondary bedroom suites. The lower level holds a
the ocean, Thalia Street gently rises above the coast
bedroom, a bath, a kitchenette, and an abundance of
and ends at 700 Thalia Street. The gates of the arcing
space that could be a second media room, games
drive open to a magnificently sprawling property - with
room, office or just about anything else. The privacy is
rolling lawns, a glistening pool, terraces and decks, the
virtually
entire
and
connected to all that makes Laguna Beach so
coastline views. Entering across the wraparound front
wonderful - just blocks to the beach, the village with
porch, the home feels instantly familiar and welcoming.
shops and restaurants, and local parks. This is a
Thoughtfully updated and expanded, wonderful
property without compromise, and a rare opportunity
property
overlooks
expansive
ocean
absolute,
yet
the
property
feels
very
to own a true 'beach estate'.
949.207.3735 mikejohnsongroup.com Mike Johnson DRE 01429647
Paulo Prietto DRE 01878796
Inge Bunn DRE 00641176
Sylvia Ames DRE 02021418
Nick Hooper DRE 01962012
Andrew Graff DRE 02024856
Kristine Flynn DRE 02063127
416 Mountain Road | Beach Cottage Perfection
Newport Coast | Offered at $7,000,000 or $24,500/mo
Laguna Beach l Offered at $4,095,000
507 Canyon Acres l Tranquil Canyon Home
616 Vista Lane l Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach l Offered at $1,349,000
$3,450,000 l As-Is with Approved Plans $6,750,000 l Completed Brand New 4,300 sqft Home Built For You
403 El Bosque | Monterey-Style Beach and Village Close Cottage
705 Marlin Drive l Open Floorplan and Large Pool
Laguna Beach l Offered at $2,350,000
Laguna Beach l Offered at $2,375,000
Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. To reach the Compass main office call 310.230.5478
3 Shoreline | Relaxed Beach-Close Home
Nick Hooper 949.939.7083 nick.hooper@compass.com DRE 01962012
1025 Flamingo Road l Laguna Beach Offered at $2,995,000
775 Summit Drive l Laguna Beach $3,595,000
1100 Balboa Ave & 1101 Balboa Ave | Laguna Beach $19,800,000
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. DRE 01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal without notice.
505 Center Street l Laguna Beach Offered at $2,350,000 or $8,000/mo
CELEBRATING 360+ SUCCESSFUL SALES AND COUNTING
TURTLE RIDGE | $3,295,000 29 CASTLEROCK.COM Single Level Home
NEWPORT COAST | $3,189,000 5SUNDIAL.COM
NEWPORT COAST | $3,189,000 23SEAVIEW.COM 9,300+ Sq Ft Lot
NEWPORT BEACH | $2,100,000 325ALVARADO.COM ADU/Investment Opportunity
NEWPORT COAST | $1,249,000 50VIAAMANTI.COM
NEWPORT COAST | $1,995,000 39CLERMONT.COM Expanded with Views
Even in the most challenging and uncertain of times, we continue to meet and exceed our clients needs. With the use of safe practices, creative and virtual marketing, and our extensive network, we have successfully opened/closed 10 escrow sides during Covid-19. Once again, we invite you to put the proven results of the Bradshaw Residential Group to work for you. Visit our Before and After gallery at BradshawResidentialGroup.com/Remodel
DARREN SMITH
JASON C. BRADSHAW
CalRE# 01233459
CalRE# 01304396
949.887.0643
949.433.3001
COLD W E LL B ANKE R RE ALT Y
Not intended as a solicitation if your property is already listed by another broker. The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2020 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which (20456581) are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act
A Great Journey Starts with a Great Guide ®
235 Calliope Laguna Beach 2 Bed | 2.5 Bath | 1,450 Sq Ft Offered at $1,100,000 Nestled within a private gated community just one block from the beach in the heart of the HIP District of Laguna, this wonderfully updated home gives you easy access to the beach, restaurants, galleries and shops. Features include two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, living room with fireplace, updated bathrooms and kitchen. In the master bedroom enjoy views of trees and foliage from the private balcony, walk-in closet and calming ensuite bathroom make this a splendid retreat. Additional amenities include two reserved parking spots with elevator access, in-house laundry and a spacious private courtyard perfect for relaxing after a long day at the beach. Whether looking for a full-time residence or vacation home this tranquil abode checks many must haves. Contemporary, updated and close to the beach with all that Laguna has to offer.
Hanz Radlein Realtor® 949.245.4470 hanz@radlein.com hanzradlein.com DRE 01954778 Compass is a licensed real estate broker (01991628) in the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdraw without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of an architect or engineer. This is not intended to solicit properties already listed.
LUXURYDESIGNER A Q & A with Luxury-Designer’s Donna Johnson
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What inspiration do you use to create the designs for Luxury-Designer? Our design portfolio has taken us around the world. Luxury-Designer has developed an exceptional experience designing for top resorts, hotels and luxurious residential properties. On each and every project our team collaborates with our clients to discern their specific tastes and lifestyles. Through incredible vision and meticulous execution, we are able to create exclusive interior spaces unique to each client. We are continually
With passion, cutting edge and global inspiration LuxuryDesign’s team represents the foundation of a true design firm. With a multitude of design styles and diverse industry experience Luxury-Design executes and delivers innovative luxury designs that will amaze our clients. What do you see as the biggest change in design of our homes as we are headed into the fall and 2020 during a pandemic? Any major design changes? I feel people are truly living in their homes. Some people actually just hung their hat in their home and now the home has become their place of work, family activities, exercise, and cooking at home. We are busier than ever right now. Clients are purchasing homes to allow for these activities. New office spaces, new home theaters to watch movies, game rooms, home gyms and kitchen/bath renovations. Clients are also cleaning out closets in their spare time thus new closet configurations and storage. What is the best piece of advice you could give a homeowner when deciding to design a home? I always say, “Design the life you love.” Not only do we want your home to look good, but to be comfortable for your particular lifestyle.
inspired by the high fashion world as well as global inspiration. Our creativity continues to put us in the forefront of the industry. We designed a table for a client that will be installed soon. I took a perfume bottle design that I loved, and designed the table from that. When there is a gap in the design flow, I get inspired and the best pieces are created in these moments. My inspiration can be drawn from my client’s needs too, when they are looking for something specific. I also had a client that wanted a conversation area in her dining room and would be using the room as a dining room once in a while. I designed a cocktail table that lifted to dining height and could be pushed together for a dining room set. Do you have a favorite design aesthetic right now? We can execute any design and feel confident in doing so. Luxury-Design is known for our contemporary look but we have recently completed all drawings and furnished homes that are Art Deco, Farmhouse Contemporary, and a very Modern home. We are about to install a beautiful home in Lake Tahoe, which is more of a Mountain contemporary, and we designed a contemporary beach look home in The Keys, Florida.
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What sets Luxury Designer apart from other design services? We can take a project from the very beginning to the very end. We do all the interior architectural drawings, the concepts, the specifications. We manage the project during the construction and then furnish the home right down to the last accessory. Why do you love being a designer? I grew up in the design world, my father was a developer and I worked with my dad since I was 12 years old. I love being creative and designing each home to have its own personality. You know, a home is where you live, and I feel like we can really make everybody more than just comfortable in their space. I love designing furniture pieces and creating different environments that have details that are creative. I have been designing homes for 38 years and I still absolutely love it. Donna Johnson, IIDA, AIA Luxe-Design/Luxury-Designer 120 Tustin Ave. #C1030 Newport Beach, CA. 92663 donna@luxury-designer.com (949) 697-5869
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Design Matters Blue Door Magazine asks design insiders and clients what trends, brands, and looks they’re loving right now.
Home by AR
Home by AR, Annette Reeves, makes designing kitchens and baths easy with a consultative approach at every stage in the building process. She ensures that architects and designers are kept abreast of the latest appliances and fixtures, and builders have the information they need to meet deadlines and resolve issues. She guides clients through the decision-making process for all appliances, fixtures, and outdoor needs, ensuring that they will fit within their budgets and serve their lifestyles. Annette also crafts image-based project collections and creates realistic budgets based on the careful evaluation of clients’ aesthetic choices, weaving in functionality for the end goal of a perfect home. WHY WE LOVE ANNETTE: After 28 years in the building industry, Annette is a kitchen and bath linguist. Her collaborative spirit with homeowners, designers, architects, and builders has made her the “go-to” expert in tailoring stunning kitchen and bath spaces without compromising functionality and livability. Home by AR 3303 Hyland Avenue, Suite D Costa Mesa annette.reeves@pirch.com annettereeves.com | pirch.com 949.212.9101
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DEJAGER DESIGN MARK TANNER PHOTOGRAPHY
DESIGN MATTERS
Emily Farnham
Fire Magic
Fire Magic Premium Grills define luxury in grilling. Manufactured in Southern California for more than 80 years, Fire Magic blends sophisticated styling, superior performance, and the durability to be enjoyed for a lifetime. Their reputation for unsurpassed quality and patented features, such as Diamond Sear cooking grids for faster and more even cooking, have earned them a place among the most coveted premium outdoor cooking appliances with grilling enthusiasts across the country, including Los Angeles architect Emily Farnham of Farnham Architecture. WHY EMILY FARNHAM LOVES FIRE MAGIC “As a designer practicing in California, I’m always tackling outdoor environments, and I especially love designing outdoor kitchens. Fire Magic is my go-to for outdoor appliances, for myself and clients. Initially, I was drawn to their products for their streamlined aesthetics. But, digging a little deeper, I quickly realized that Fire Magic products are unparalleled when it comes to performance, available features, and endurance.” Fire Magic Grills firemagicgrills.com 626.369.5085
TOP PHOTO BY TESSA NEUSTADT PHOTOGRAPHY
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Luxe Design Cabinets by Luxury-Designer Luxury custom cabinetry has become a necessity in many homes today. To meet that need, the creative team at Luxury-Designer has created their own cabinetry line, Luxe Design Cabinets. The cabinets are made to meet any style, any size, and any price point. While many people think of custom cabinetry for their kitchen or bathrooms, Luxe Design Cabinets can be utilized “out of the box” for all rooms in your home. “So many times, we design custom kitchens and many cabinet companies are not able to execute our vision in custom kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets, built-ins and/or closets. Thus, LuxuryDesigner created our own cabinetry line, Luxe Design Cabinets, which gives us more control.” WHY WE LOVE IT The diversity, functionality, and quality of these cabinets are combined with a superior design aesthetic and allow for creative solutions for unique spaces in homes.
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Donna Johnson, IIDA, AIA Luxe Design/Luxury-Designer 120 Tustin Avenue, #C1030 Newport Beach donna@luxury-designer.com 949.697.5869
DESIGN MATTERS
The Odin Kitchen Collection ®
The new Odin® Kitchen Collection by Brizo® represents an exquisite multiplicity, with a streamlined silhouette that takes on new distinction across a broad spectrum of finishes, handle options, and spout configurations. Named after a figure from Norse mythology, the Odin Kitchen Collection channels an elegantly balanced Scandinavian aesthetic. Inspired by clean, simple, and functional Scandinavian design, every line and curve in the collection is meticulously crafted to make a striking statement. Two spout architectures, including the graceful sweep of the Arc Spout and the gentle angles of the Square Spout, offer variety and personalization, while the warm to cool tones of seven finishes bring unparalleled versatility and allow the collection to adapt to a wide range of aesthetics. Available Fall 2020. WHY WE LOVE BRIZO® Brizo is a luxury fittings brand for those who understand that fashion isn’t only about the clothes they wear—it’s a lifestyle. The Brizo team designs and crafts distinctive kitchen and bath suites that artfully blend form and function, transforming minds, moods, and spaces. Brizo® brizo.com
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Kitchen Whisperer Creating truly custom kitchens with Joseph DeCasperis By Alexandria Abramian Joseph DeCasperis learned about the power of transformation early in life. At 16, the New York-born designer lost 100 pounds, a process that not only altered his presence, but his passions as well: “I created a YouTube channel where I filmed healthy cooking videos,” says DeCasperis. “By the time I finished high school, I wanted to be in a healthier environment, and that brought me to Orange County.” But the transformation didn’t end with his arrival at Chapman University. Instead, DeCasperis discovered another calling after his purchase of a Canyon Lake home with his mother. After gutting the house, repainting, refinishing, and installing new lighting and plumbing on his own, his official “aha” moment came with the kitchen renovation: “That opened up my eyes and reinforced where I wanted to be.” And that is indeed where DeCasperis is. The designer is now putting his own stamp on the kitchen and bath industry with a multi-pronged approach to home transformation. This summer, he opened his first showroom in the Canyon Lake Town Center, a golf course-view space where kombucha is served on tap. There, DeCasperis focuses on mid- to high-end residential kitchens and bathrooms. “People walk in convinced they want a white Shaker-style kitchen. They usually walk away with a whole different experience,” says DeCasperis, who quickly adds that he has no specific design agenda. “My style is the homeowners’ style. They call the shots. I’m here to make sure it’s well done and they get excited about that.”
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“When working with clients, I only have one goal: For them to go inside their homes and say, ‘This is me.’”
If running a showroom and kitchen and bath design business weren’t enough, DeCasperis is also making a name for himself on a larger platform. A chair member of the National Kitchen & Bath Association Southern California Chapter, he was also recently named a “Thirty Under 30” at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. All of this has been accomplished before his 23rd birthday. Today, DeCasperis juggles it all while keeping a close pulse on the latest kitchen and bath products and concepts. Distinguishing passing gizmos from lasting gadgets and appliances is second nature: “Air fryers are amazing and they’re being incorporated into more built-in appliances. From where I’m standing, I think they’re here to stay,”
PHOTOGRAPHY BY AMANDA PAULSEN
he says. Ditto for more diverse refrigeration options. “As people want to spend less and less time out, I always recommend additional under-thecounter refrigeration as well.” Not that the designer has any interest in chasing trends or replicating other people’s dream spaces: “When working with clients, I only have one goal: For them to go inside their homes and say, ‘This is me.’” 31534 Railroad Canyon Road, Suite J Canyon Lake, California 951.821.0097 byjoseph.com
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GROUNDED BY NATURE Are SMART homes smart? Justin Frandson’s EMF Rocks offer innovative and organic solutions for a healthier home.
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PHOTOS BY BRET T HILLYARD
In this new era of working from home, we just keep adding more invisible stressors: WiFi networks, mobile devices, computers, SMART TVs, and more in every room. We find ourselves bathing in man-made millimeter waves. Add in the “Internet of Things”—wireless thermostats, appliances, and other devices, as well as SMART utility meters, solar power systems, wearable technology, and electric vehicles charging in the garage—and it’s no wonder that many are concerned about the impact of exposure to electromagnetic frequency (EMF) in the home. Justin Frandson, a well-known Orange County sports performance expert, coach, and founder of Athleticism.com, says that six years ago he started seeing the effects of EMF on the professional and amateur athletes he trains. EMF impacts include difficulty sleeping, hormone levels, longer healing and recovery times, inflammation, and more, Frandson says. Frandson devoted himself to researching the impact of EMF, initially to help the athletes he works with, and eventually to discover solutions he says can help everyone. His extensive research and interviews with hundreds of doctors shed light on the invisible stressors of electricity, dirty electricity, and wireless signals. “The home is where one can heal fast or not heal at all. Uncovering any invisible toxins is the first step for a healthy home, Frandson suggests. “Many of us go to bed with our cell phone on and next to us,” he says. “Plus, the WiFi is on, SMART meters are on, WiFi boosters are on in every bedroom. Did you turn the wireless printer off? Probably not.” The effect of all of this modern living is an impact on sleep, Justin says. “It’s like having someone tap you on your shoulder all night long, wanting to talk to you while you are sleeping. Our brain attempts to figure out what is pinging it at night. Instead of a deep sleep, it ends up being more of a twilight sleep with one eye open.” One of Justin’s simple solutions is to eliminate EMF stressors to help us sleep, heal, and perform. “First, turn all wireless devices on airplane mode or off at night,” he advises. “Make sure the head of your bed is not on the opposite wall of a SMART meter or major electrical device like a refrigerator. Consider converting your SMART meter to analog. Charge all devices in the rooms that you are not sleeping in. Make your bedroom a quiet sanctuary.” Frandson also suggests hard-wiring the home as opposed to relying on WiFi. “The irony is that hard-wiring with fiber optic is faster, safer (securitywise), more reliable with minimal health risks,” he says. During his research, Frandson learned about the concept of grounding, which suggests that activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the negative ionic charge of the earth and ocean can have healthy effects on your body, including something as simple as walking barefoot on the beach or in the yard to using grounding bags where one sits and sleeps.
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Frandson offers a simple solution in the home: Grounding Bags that he’s branded as EMF Rocks (emfrocks.com). “Our Grounding Bags offer an organic solution. They are bags filled with hand-mined natural crystals that repel EMF, ground and recharge you, and facilitate sleep, healing, and health,” he says. “There is not one other product on the market with Colloid crystals that carry moisture content and magnetic properties that significantly repel EMF, ground, recharge you, and facilitate healing. We have metered countless homes, found all the invisible stressors, and developed these solutions for you.” The EMFRocks.com site includes testimonials from OC health and wellness experts, including Dr. Rob Rettig, D.C., from Newport Beach: “I sleep better than ever now that I have a Grounding Bag under my bed. My patients get a deeper, uninterrupted night sleep too. It’s amazing!” Frandson says that the EMF Rocks Grounding Bags are available at Cohn Health Institute, Rettig Chiropractic, Priestley Chiropractic, Newport Spine & Sport, and other clinics, as well as through EMFRocks.com. “The best gift is the gift of a deep, uninterrupted night’s sleep,” Frandson says. “Our EMFRocks.com Grounding Bags give you that benefit.” EMFRocks.com Athleticism.com
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WESTWARD HOME A DANA POINT COMPOUND BLENDS CONTEMPORARY LINES WITH COWBOY INSPIRATION By Alexandria Abramian Photos by Darlene Halaby
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As far as home design unions go, the pairing was far from typical. On one side of the aisle was the clients’ penchant for Western design and art; on the other, the property’s enviable oceanfront location at The Strand in Dana Point.
A range of outdoor areas includes an intimate firepit nook located below the more expansive main pool area. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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Presiding over the project were two of Orange County’s top design talents, architect Geoff Sumich and interior designer Sue Capelli, and builder Russ Schwinn. “Throughout this project, the entire thought process was, ‘How do we create a contemporary home with Western flair?’ We know we didn’t just want a Western home,” says Capelli, who along with Sumich, worked with the clients to build the home from the ground up.
The key to the process turned out to be a small painting the clients owned that depicted running horses rendered in pale colors. “We contacted the artist of that piece to make a similar painting but on a larger scale for the living room,” says Capelli. “We did it before the house was even built and it ended up providing the direction for the entire rest of the home with its soft and soothing colors and overall peaceful feeling with just a little bit of that Western look.”
Outdoor furniture, including lounges and dining table and chairs, are from David Sutherland.
Today, the 5,000-square-foot, recently completed home manifests that original spark of inspiration: an ocean-facing compound that feels grand and intimate at once.
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Counters and kitchen backsplash create a textured canvas against which the turquoise stools and stove pop. The living room painting commissioned for the home inspired much of the design direction throughout. White rift oak panels are used throughout.
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“This house is split-level with two stories on one side and one story on the other,” says Sumich. “The great space is on the one-story side and has 14-foot ceilings with floor-to-ceiling glass on the view side, split in half by the exterior canopy, which cuts out all glare in the space. The kitchen and dining room also inhabit this voluminous space but achieve intimacy with a canopy I suspended from the ceiling.” When it came to integrating Western motifs, Sumich says that he opted for more abstract, less literal references to the concept without trailing into “theme-y” design. “I incorporated this direction by using references to Western architecture in an abstract way,” he says. “Both interior and exterior walls are wood board and batten like you would see on the side of a barn, but done in a very smooth wood varnish finish to give a sophisticated look and feel.” Even the exterior’s striking use of stone contains a subtle nod to the West, melding cowboy and coastal idioms into a single idea: “I approached the exterior stone work in the same way, using a grout-less tumbled Texas limestone laid in a linear horizontal fashion to mimic the horizontal stratification you see in the mountains of Arizona,” says the architect. Horse and cowboy images mingle easily with limestone and wood finishes and mostly neutral furniture. Neither the Western nor the contemporary elements appear to dominate the visual conversation, instead fusing into a single union of clean lines and textured depth. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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Details like the almost-white pony wall add texture and depth while high-impact black and white Western photographs make a graphic statement that echoes striking elements like the staircase instead of working against them. “Touches like the pony wall are a way to bring in a feeling without making it obvious. We already had white oak in the hallway and walnut in the living room, so we didn’t want any more wood,” says Capelli of the decision to texture the walls with squares of pony hide that complement the limestone tones with a contrasting tactile value. Throughout the home, Capelli used sourced seating from Mimi London and Baker to create a soothing sanctuary that would complement the clients’ art and treasures like a hand-carved pool table. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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This isn’t to say that the entire project hearkened to horse trails and lassos. There is also the enviable coastal location and the ocean views, which Sumich brought into almost every room of the home. Small punches of turquoise also incorporate the Pacific vibe within. “The client loves that color,” says Capelli of touches such as the statement-making La Cornue stove and kitchen barstools. “That was the punch of color throughout,” she says, adding that she kept ocean views as uninterrupted as possible. “There is no formal dining room in this house—just the kitchen and the nook. So the outside is more like the formal dining room, but we didn’t want chairs all the way around the table because of the view. When you’re in the living room you don’t want a chair interrupting the sight line. Benches help keep that sight line uninterrupted.” Located under a canopy that extends off the living room, built-in heaters mean that oceanfront dining happens year-round as a celebration of form and function. Says Sumich, “I love the warmth and soul this house has, which is a testament to the love and collaborative effort of the whole team.” 120
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In the master suite, Capelli designed the custom bed from Design by Passione rests in front of a leather-upholstered wall. Silver Siena travertine lines the master bathroom walls and shower.
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Right: “I truly enjoyed working with Sue Capelli and Geoff Sumich, as they are both creative and passionate about what they do,” says builder Russ Schwinn. “We worked well together as a team. They are consummate professionals who are the very best of their industries!’
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Sue Capelli Passione Interior Design 9550 Research Drive Irvine 949.336.7800 sue@passioneinc.com
Above: Designer Sue Capelli stands in front of artwork commissioned for the space by Ken Peloke. Left: Architect Geoff Sumich.
Geoff Sumich Design 31511 Camino Capistrano San Juan Capistrano 949.496.8991 office geoff@geoffsumichdesign.com R.J. Schwinn Associates General Contractors 949.218.6910 russ@rjschwinnassociates.com PHOTOS BY BRETT HILLYARD
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OC OUTSIDERS
THE OUTSIDERS Outdoor living is an art form perfected in Orange County. Get ready to extend summer with tips, tricks, and transformations to inspire our best lives right in our own backyards.
Garden Guru
By Alexandria Abramian, Kedric Francis, and Annette Reeves
PHOTO BY BRETT HILLYARD
Chef Cathy Pavlos has long served as an outdoor inspiration for diners. Her focus on fresh produce has informed her cooking at Provenance, as has her background in design. Her first career was as an architect, and her husband Elliott retired after a successful career in that field. The outdoor spaces and lush gardens have always been highlights of a meal at Provenance, made even more so by today’s focus on dining outdoors. A summer visit to the Pavlos residence in Westcliff (for decades the home of designer Betsy Van’t Hof ) reveals gorgeous gardens and green outdoor spaces. The backyard is planted in a Nantucket-inspired style, with flowers, herbs, and veggies growing together in lovely and beneficial combinations. A central courtyard is a verdant space filled with veggies that Pavlos served to her loyal culinary clientele. Alas, the past tense— Provenance has served its last Picnic in the Garden. Pavlos made the difficult decision to close the restaurant just as this issue went to print. We wish her what she gave Orange County: only the best. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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Burning Question What happens when an architect/artist sets her sights on the everyday fire pit? Sandra Vlock’s Fireballs provide a compelling response, turning up the temperature on both form and function. “Repurposing these vintage steel mooring buoys as fire vessels gave me a blank canvas; functional fine art that you live with,” says Vlock. “The natural allure of fire brings us together. I imagined the potential of this now ubiquitous outdoor living amenity to become something more than functional.” Visually compelling both with flames and without, Fireballs are made of sustainable steel plate, designed to weather and be extremely durable in coastal environments. “Because the imagery is literally cut away (like a big paper doll) you can see through the ball. It’s this transparency that makes the piece so dynamic,” says the artist of the pieces that come in 28”, 40”, and 58” diameters. studiovlock.com 126
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AQUA ENTRANCE
Intriguing water features are signature Paul McClean design details, such as the meandering stair entryway in a Temple Hills home that steps down from the street to preserve the neighbors’ Laguna Beach views. Floating concrete pads cross over the water, leading to an intimate kitchen garden and courtyard. The subtle opening water scene offers an overture to the stunning ocean and city vistas captured in the McClean dream team design. mccleandesign.com
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OUTDOOR OVATION
Blue Door Magazine has featured many magnificent homes with exceptional outdoor spaces—this is coastal Orange County, after all. Still, it’s hard not to name the hilltop estate designed by famed Laguna Beach architect Mark Singer as the best of a beautiful bunch. Gravel, concrete block, lavender, and sage are key elements of the minimalist landscape design. There are two pools, one each for the two houses on the compound, which are now separate properties. From the highest point in Arch Beach Heights, the entire Laguna Beach coast and beyond to the horizon is revealed. In the other direction, the Santa Ana Mountains rise in the distance, with the open space of wilderness parks preserving the vistas in perpetuity. Perfection? It’s pretty close. Listed by Mike Johnson of Compass. mikejohnsongroup.com, 949.206.3735.
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Canyon Country Corona del Mar is a dream town for those who love the idea of la ville de quart d’heure—a city where most daily needs (home, work, restaurants, shops, healthcare, etc.) are within a 15-minute journey on foot or by bike. It’s an especially attractive concept these days when we are working from and sticking close to home. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have open space and the city, too. See Mas de Soleil, a property recently listed and quickly sold by Casey Lesher, for proof. The midcentury 3-bedroom set on Morning Canyon in Corona Highlands feels like it could be in France. The 12,460-square-foot lot features expansive grounds, with terraces, patios—one featuring a stone pizza oven, fountains, fruit trees, and organic gardens growing grapes and other goodies. caseylesher.com 130
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Great Park Gardening Nurseries can be both functional and inspiratonal outdoor spaces. We may think we’re just popping in for a new pot and some poppies, only to stay for hours and gain an entirely new aesthetic for our gardens and grounds. The expansive and uncrowded setting of The Nursery by Southwinds is a new favorite to wander, seeking ideas and inspiration. A unique feature of the hidden gem adjacent to the Orange County Great Park in Irvine is its turn-key tableaus. The intriguingly designed backyard vignettes that include plantings, art, and furniture set amid the meandering pathways, luxurious water features, stunning sculptures, and gorgeous greenery at the nursery. thenurserybysouthwinds.com
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Next Big Thing: Petite Pools “With this home located just blocks from the beach, we wanted to create a unique outdoor space that would give that California living vibe,” says interior designer Lindye Galloway. “Houses in this area are traditionally more tall than wide (This one is four stories!), so an intimate pool was the best option while making it suitable for everyday use. We were inspired by boutique hotels that would enhance the intimate feel, so we added layers of curtains, furniture, and poufs to make this pool the perfect entertaining spot.” lindyegalloway.com
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Curb Appeal Sure, a big backyard is impressive, but the action is up front in this Emerald Bay beauty. When Mary and Bruce McDonald built their house 20 years ago, they decided the triangular lot lent itself to having the house and its wings hug the back setback, with a large yard in front. The 80-year-old olive tree is the centerpiece of the upfront area, which is raised for added privacy. The sounds of the street and the sea—the duo can hear waves crashing and sea lions barking— make this aesthetically-inspired outdoor space the perfect place to enjoy that unique EBay experience. TOP PHOTO BY CHAD MELLON
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Koishikawa Botanical Gardens, Bunkyo-ku, 1982, by Issei Suda. From the series Monogusa Syui. Courtesy Benrido Kyoto and Paris Photo NYC.
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Throwing Shade Indoor pool too much of a commitment? Indoor/ outdoor pools let you have it both ways, rain or shine. “Having a retractable roof makes swimming a breeze in all seasons while letting the natural sunlight still come through,” says interior designer Erica Bryen of the Dover Shores home she recently completed. ericabryendesign.com
Cooped Up As COVID-19 fears continue with more time at home, more and more homeowners are taking on the part-time career of farmer and ranch hand. For the “serious” farmer, handcrafted coops are on trend. Dare 2 Dream Farms in Lompoc specializes in handcrafted coops, as well as offering backyard chickens, free-range eggs, and organic produce for sale and delivery. Founded in 2009 by Jeremy and Megan Raff, Dare 2 Dream coops are made from redwood or Douglas fir, with elaborate pulley systems to open and close the coop door, and multiple add-on features. With money to spend, customers are even designing coops that match their home’s architecture. “We are so thrilled that people have found pleasure in raising chickens and are becoming more sustainable in their homes,” Megan says. “This was our dream, and it’s beautiful to see our dream come true while making people happy.” dare2dreamfarms.com 134
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This chicken coop in coastal Orange County was designed and built by architect Tony Massaro for his family. “We got into chickens originally so our kids could learn about real food and science,” says Cindy Massaro. “To our delight, they’ve become friendly and hilarious pets.”
TOP PHOTO BY CHAD MELLON
OC OUTSIDERS GAME TIME
When an unused side yard turned into a garden catch-all, designer Megan Dufresne decided to activate the space for better use: Enter a bocce ball/cornhole court. “So many homes have unused side and/or hillside space that’s long and narrow,” says the designer. “Converting a side yard or terracing part of a hillside into a narrow area for an outdoor game court instantly makes a home feel more like a resort,” says Dufresne, who routinely creates courts for bocce ball, cornhole, horseshoes, and even axe throwing. “Believe it or not that medieval pastime is having a huge revival!” mcdesignshop.com
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New Wave: Surfboard Shower
TREEHOUSE 2.0
A treehouse without the tree? That’s the idea behind this Corona del Mar playhouse designed by Shannon Wilkins. Extending the main home’s California minimalist vibe, the structure is built into the ground. “When clients have the space and needs, we are definitely recommending them,” says Wilkins. “Stylistically they go so much better the main house, and owners don’t have to sacrifice their aesthetic to create something wonderful for their children.” prairiehomestyling.com
Bring the beach home with an easy-to-install, hard-to-forget outdoor shower. Founded by Orange County native Hansni Thadhani, Strand Board marries ocean form with streamlined function to create a one-of-a-kind functional art. With plumbing integrated inside the board, each Strand Board is hand-shaped and hand-painted in Southern California and includes mounting hardware and faucets. Starts at $2,499. strandboards.com
LEFT PHOTO BY CHAD MELLON
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Locals Only It seems like everyone is upgrading their outdoor cooking, grilling, and entertaining game during the stay-at-home era. How to choose? If only there was a steel cabinetry line designed and made in California, with a midcentury vibe and modern materials. Love it if the cabinets were made of steel. And wouldn’t it be nice if the company was female-owned? Well, check, check, and check—Moya Living hits all those marks, and more. It was founded and owned by Moya O’Neill, who was inspired to launch her new creative career after upgrading her Laguna Beach home with steel cabinetry. Soon, she was working with Oakley and other local brands, building furniture for commercial spaces, hotels and homes. Now, architects, designers, and homeowners choose the Moya name for its brilliant look and exceptional functionality. moyaliving.com 138
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OC OUTSIDERS Backyard Barista We’ve seen firepits, fairy gardens, barbecues, balcony bars, birdhouses, playhouses, and chicken coops built (or bought) by handy OC homeowners. But the most creative and quirky building project we’ve seen is the backyard barista, conceived and constructed by local builder Ed Stefanovic. He named his cozy and cool coffee shop La Vida. Want a cuppa in your own backyard? Give Ed a call! ELSbuilds@gmail.com @ELSbuilds
Aviary Architecture We love the aesthetic of the handmade birdhouses created by Santa Cruz-based Douglas Barnhard. He uses reclaimed materials to build the tiny houses modeled after Eichlers and other contemporary homes—he makes custom furniture and breadboxes, too. sourgrassbuilt.com
Sleek Smoke Backyard grillers are going ga-ga over Spark Grills. The innovative wood briquette barbecue system ignites with one touch, offers precise temp control up to 900 degrees, and is accessed by a mobile app. But the thing we like best about the new Boulder-based brand is the aesthetic—it’s the coolest looking grill since the classic Weber Kettle. Price is nice as well: pre-orders are open now at $799. sparkgrills.com BlueDoorMagazine.com
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Beach Shack Chic Villa Zenyara, a 40-acre estate near Coachella, may seem over-the-top at first glance—it’s centered around a private lake in the desert, after all. But the interior and exterior spaces designed by Dorothy Willetts offer the Zen-like inspiration her clients wanted. We love the sandy outdoor bar area. “I wanted it to feel beachy and fun, like a surf shack,” Willetts says. “So I added reclaimed barn wood siding from Vintag e Timberworks, selected the chandeliers because they reminded me of crab traps, and I got the idea for the swing seating from a bar that I visited in Mexico.” She says the desert resort aesthetic would translate to coastal OC. “We could section off a dedicated part of your backyard and fill it with sand dunes to create a romantic, windswept vibe to your landscape. Or let’s level it out to create your sandy beach and add in volleyball! There is always an opportunity to bring outdoor and pool amenities that you see on a hospitality level to your own home.” willettsdesign.com
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FINE ART
THE POWER OF FLOWERS By Jenna Condas
Artists have featured flowers in their work as a symbol of rebirth and renewal for centuries. In recent months, many of us have been drawn to flowers as subjects in social media, and also as an excuse to get outside. People started noticing. Had birds always chirped so sweetly? Had that sycamore tree in the front yard suddenly grown taller? Were the roses in the neighbor’s garden always such a gorgeous shade of pink? The answer to these questions is quite simply . . . yes. When the first sign of spring is upon us, birds always serenade us sweetly and the neighbor’s roses bloom every season in that stunning shade of fuchsia. Nothing had changed but, at the same time, everything had changed.
Our world closed down. Most of us were housebound for months. It was a momentous and scary time, difficult in ways nobody could have ever imagined. Many asked if a silver lining could possibly be found. Perhaps, as explored here, we bumped into a lovely little discovery. Unable to socialize, work, or travel far, Orange County residents found themselves spending more time in our own county, whether gardening at home, walking through neighborhoods, and trodding along the greenbelts, trails, and parks that remained open. And a funny thing happened: We scurried around less and observed more. Like the moniker attached to so many great artists, we became “observers of everyday life.” Saturday 24th October, 2015, by Nick Knight. Courtesy Atlas Gallery, London, and Paris Photo NYC. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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A world that was largely closed off made people focus on their own natural habitats, thereby enhancing and reviving their powers of observation. We were inclined to look, truly look, after what had probably been a very long time, at the simple beauty that surrounds us every day that we most likely took for granted. Is it harder to “stop and smell the roses” with face coverings and masks on? No doubt. It has long been theorized that when one of the five senses fades (or in this case, is temporarily blocked by a piece of cloth over our noses), another sense is heightened. Maybe metaphorically, a heightened sense of sight expanded our ability to move through this strange, new world we find ourselves in. We now took comfort in the simple beauty of flowers. Whether they shimmered in the fresh morning dew, danced in the sway of an afternoon breeze, or remained motionless for us to simply take in, it allowed for a quiet moment to relish the stillness and beauty of it all. Above: Botanical Box, 2009-2019, by Jochen Lempert, from Botanicals. © Cortesía del artista y ProjecteSD, Barcelona (2019). Right: Magnolia Blossom, Tower of Jewels, ca. 1920, by Imogen Cunningham, from Botanicals. Courtesy Colección Per Amor a l’Art © Imogen Cunningham Trust. 144
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Fine art flower photographs for this feature courtesy of Paris Photo, the world’s largest international art fair dedicated to the photographic medium, and Botanicals, a compendium of artwork inspired by plant life selected from the Per Amor a l’Art collection. The first edition of Paris Photo NYC scheduled for April 2020 was postponed due to COVID-19. Botanicals, published by La Fábrica, was released in July 2020.
Urformen der Kunst, 1928, by Karl Blossfeldt, from Botanicals. Courtesy Colección Per Amor a l’Art.
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Above: Daily #14, 2011, by Thomas Demand. Courtesy Matthew Marks Gallery and Paris Photo NYC. Š Thomas Demand. Opposite: Gardenia, 1994, by Denis Brihat. Courtesy Nailya Alexander Gallery and Paris Photo NYC.
For centuries, artists have attempted to render the visual power of flowers, deciphering and depicting their ever-changing significance. A flower can mean many things in art: fertility, purity, courtly love, promiscuity, death and decay. But why do artists and art lovers find flowers so pleasing to the eye? Some suggest that flowers have an objective beauty, and we are immediately attracted to their lovely range of colors, their soft petals, and the symmetry of their botanical structures. Painters, sculptors, and photographers have largely documented on canvas, marble, and film the flora they observed in their own environments and domestic spaces. Claude Monet’s garden in Giverny, France, and his beautiful series of Water Lilies (1896-1920), is a prime example. Painted within 146
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Top: After Degas: Woman and Flowers,1951, by Tony Vaccaro. Courtesy Monroe Gallery and Paris Photo NYC. Far left: Kate Moss, Vogue Italia, 1992, by Arthur Elgort. Courtesy Atlas Gallery and Paris Photo NYC. Left: Rununculus, 2019, by Cig Harvey. Courtesy Jackson Fine Art and Paris Photo NYC.
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Koishikawa Botanical Gardens, Bunkyo-ku, 1982, by Issei Suda. From the series Monogusa Syui. Courtesy Benrido Kyoto and Paris Photo NYC.
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The Last Rose of Summer, from The Window of My Studio, 1956, by Josef Sudek. Courtesy Gitterman Gallery and Paris Photo NYC. 150
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a week of entering an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Vincent Van Gogh’s Irises (1889) illustrates that he also worked with what was accessible to him; he painted from nature in a hospital garden. He found visual splendor in a place where beauty and happiness were probably difficult to find or at least focus on. Esteemed Czech photographer Josef Sudek was mildly reclusive, but the windows of his studio were frames through which he could be an observer of life. A major part of his work was captured in his private studio space. It served as a fundamental source of inspiration. He photographed what was available to him in and around his artistic quarters, and his photographs are prized for their evocative and atmospheric quality, resulting in an almost ethereal, yet simple magnificence. Sudek was particularly drawn to how a pane of glass in a window reflected light and the elements as seen in many of his gorgeous photographs from his series The Window of My Studio (1940-1954). His mythical The Last Rose of Summer is emblematic of his keen eye and talent. The series provides insight into the surroundings he loved like his studio and garden, all in his immediate purview. Long associated with notions of rebirth and regeneration of life, flowers have an amazing ability to attract pollinators like hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. They spread seeds and are a vital catalyst in the reproduction of plants. Robert Mapplethore’s Tulip (1985) reflects this process in a sensual, provocative way as he achieves a sense of intimacy through his photographic lens. He had a way of making flora erotic that few, if any, can ever match. The flower’s sexual organs are on display in his photographs, peering provocatively from their petals, emblematic of their reproductive potential. Mapplethorpe eroticized flowers and made them iconic even, but they also seemed to embody the transience of life. A flower when it is young is vibrant and radiant, but will become delicate and eventually wither and die, a poignant reminder of the fragility of life.
Top Left: Magnolia, 1930, by Laure Albin-Guillot. Courtesy Contemporary Works/Vintage Works and Paris Photo NYC. Top Right: Uoon I, 2019, by Paul Cupido. Courtesy Danziger Gallery & Bildhalle and Paris Photo NYC. Above: Tulip, 1985, by Robert Mapplethorpe. Courtesy The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, Catherine Couturier, and Paris Photo NYC.
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Above and opposite above: Botanicals exhibition at Bombas Gens Centre d’Art, Valencia, Spain. Through May 2, 2021. Gallery photos by Jabali Studio.
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Above: Flowers, 1968-2017, by Jonas Mekas. From Botanicals. Courtesy Colección Per Amor a l’Art. © Jonas Mekas.
As a parting gift to those whom he loved, Mapplethorpe sent a photograph of a flower as a touching and final goodbye, a memento to cherish and hold onto tightly. It is probably a fair statement that most of us are not painters or professional photographers, so our own mementos and pursuit of pastoral pleasures are most likely documented on our cell phones or cameras. Photographs of bright purple pansies or pink peonies or sprawling wildflowers on trails (or whatever other natural wonders move us) are often posted on social media. Not only is our own personal aesthetic shared with friends and followers on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, but it may have unknowingly touched people, imparting some joy to those unable to leave their homes, even for a brief walk. Sharing our daily walk became their daily walk; our appreciation of a beautiful garden or landscape soon became spaces they desparately looked forward to seeing again one day and hopefully soon. BlueDoorMagazine.com
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The flowers we encounter, photograph, and post are not just merely decorative. They come in a multitude of hues and colors and, upon close examination, it is apparent that a flower is not comprised of just one pigment or shade; rather, it is made up of different colors, whether in the middle, stem, or a petal’s fragile tips. They are complex and a powerful embodiment and symbol of the full cycle of life, an important reminder that as we continue to navigate a challenging “new normal,” life will go on. We may wither, as all flowers eventually do, but opportunity still abounds for each of us to blossom again, to thrive, and to make our own unique and beautiful contributions to our friends, families, and our Orange County community.
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Above: The Alchemist’s Chamber, 2019, by Maggie Taylor. Courtesy Catherine Couturier and Paris Photo NYC. Opposite: Fading Beauty, 2019, by Dale Grant. Courtesy Kerber Verlag and Paris Photo NYC.
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Opposite: Tokyo Parrots 009, 2013, by Yoshinori Mizutani. Courtesy Christophe Guye Galerie and Paris Photo NYC. Above: From the book Time Atlas, 2019, by Niina Vatanen. Courtesy of Kehrer Verlag and Paris Photo NYC. Left: Orchid, 1969, by Irving Penn. Courtesy of The Irving Penn Foundation, Atlas Gallery, and Paris Photo NYC. Below: Poppy, 1968, by Irving Penn. Courtesy of The Irving Penn Foundation, Atlas Gallery, and Paris Photo NYC.
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CONTACT ORANGE COUNTY
JEFF “YOKI” YOKOYAMA
I’m always looking for a reason to connect with and photograph interesting people. Our Contact page is a platform to get a candid glimpse into the lives of some of Orange County’s unique locals. For the first session, I caught up with Jeff “Yoki” Yokoyama at his shop in Newport.
If you haven’t been to Yokishop, put it at the top of the list. You will find one-of-a-kind garments that are made by hand in the back. Yoki has created a unique line of garments repurposed from remnants of fabric and used items otherwise destined for landfills, including USC and UCLA uniforms, military jackets, and Levi’s jeans. When I visited, Yoki shared some recent designs using vintage Maui 158
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& Sons prints, the iconic brand he created and co-founded in 1980. He’s also the key creative behind other brands like Pirate Surf and Modern Amusement. It’s inspiring to be in Yoki’s creative space watching him cut and sew garments together, each piece unique and hand-crafted with love. The paintings that hang on the walls of his shop could fill a museum or art gallery. If you want to go hang with this legend, he’s there Monday through Saturday 10 to 4! Yokishop 2429 West Coast Highway #102 Newport Beach yokishop.com
CONTACT ORANGE COUNTY BY HILLY
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CONTRAST is THE ROOT of INTRIGUE . The Invariâ„¢ Bath Collection Available exclusively in showrooms.
