Vintage Tile Heaven

We have climbed the staircase up to the second floor and are about to experience nirvana. But first...a beautiful piece of poetry by William Randolph Hearst himself. Hard to believe the tall, oft-feared newspaper publishing magnate could write something so sweet. This is what Marion inspired:



The details in the mouldings were not missed by my eagle eye.





Please let me catch my breath while I experience the sight of this vintage bathroom tile all over again.



They just don't make 'em like they used to.



And as if one weren't enough...here was the second bathroom.





What?!? A third bathroom of glorious vintage tile? Oh yes...







In this upstairs room, a documentary about Marion played continuously on a loop. She really did have a luminous quality to her. I could have sat and watched more, but other things were pressing on the agenda!



A previously posted shot of Marion herself, at San Simeon:



How about this view from the upstairs?



Next up: a trip back to the Santa Monica History Museum!



More Marion Davies Guest House photos at my main website.

The Annenberg Community Beach House

An undiscovered gem (to me, at least) in Los Angeles is the Annenberg Community Beach House. Originally the site of a 100-plus room mansion for actress Marion Davies (a gift from William Randolph Hearst), it later became a hotel (Oceanhouse) and the Sand & Sea Club, a limited-membership beach club. The main mansion was torn down in 1956, and the Sand & Sea Club almost followed suit when it suffered damage from the 1994 earthquake. In stepped Wallis Annenberg of the Annenberg Foundation, who held fond memories of visiting the Sand & Sea Club. She helped the city of Santa Monica by providing a $27.5 million grant that made it possible to reopen the site to the public as the Annenberg Community Beach House. The Beach House combines elements of the historic Marion Davies Estate with new amenities to create a truly unique community destination that's open to all.

The bougainvillea at the entrance was in full bloom when I arrived.



There are brand new facilities in this complex:



...that share the property that was once part of the Julia Morgan designed Marion Davies/William Randolph Hearst estate. When I got a glimpse of the pool, I had a hunch it was part of the original, and a tour guide later confirmed that I was correct.



These kinds of details are from days gone by.



Unfortunately the pool was still not open during my visit, so I couldn't get any better shots of the ornate tile below the water.



The landscaping is very well done; not difficult to see how this complex was awarded Gold LEED certification.



Until next time, I will leave you at the doorstep of the Marion Davies Guest House.



More Santa Monica photos at my main website.