house philosophy.

An Afternoon at the Country

There's no place I'd rather be than the freshly updated Brentwood Country Mart. (Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but seriously, this is one cool place!) With shops and stalls arranged around a central courtyard, this kitschy 1948 red-board structure is a west side institution. While certain shops such as the post office and barber shop evoke days of old, new boutiques including Calypso, Flora & Henri, and Sugar Paper  liven up the joint and attract a chic clientele. Spend a day shopping with friends, or bring the kids to "dine" on freshly grilled Barney's burgers or rotisserie chicken. In addition to goods and grub, the Mart occasionally has special events such as Santa at Christmas (last year they even had a live reindeer!) and concerts in the courtyard. Always terribly popular with my little ones are the coin-operated rides -- while they're going round and round, I'm window shopping and planning my next purchase. Trust me, we all leave with a smile on our faces.

Delicate as a Butterfly

I met Shannon Shapiro of Moth Design at the Pacific Design Center recently, and was immediately impressed with her business card...it's a wonderful green square with half of a white moth on it. (Striking! Memorable!) It got me to visit her website and check out some of her lighting, which is imaginative, inventive and whimsical. Now I'll have to go visit her showroom in Sherman Oaks... If it's anything like her cards, it will be worth the drive.

Uber Luxe

What could be better than having your fave hair stylist smack dab in the middle of Montana Avenue? It's great -- you can shop before and/or after your hair appointment. But wait! The folks at Luxelab have gone one step further and granted you your ultimate wish: you can now shop DURING your hair appointment and you don't even have to leave the building (because let's face it: that would be OH SO gauche!!!). The deal is, that you can schedule one (or more!) of several treatments, including haircut, color, thermal ionic straight perming, permanent wave, or styling, with one of their many trained stylists (my favorite is Master Stylist Craig Wcislo -- he is amazing at anything except up-dos, he doesn't like to do those...), and if there's any waiting or down time you can slip next door and shop at the newly opened Luxehaus. Adjectives to describe the space and the housewares on offer are "edgy," "eclectic," "avant-garde" and "hip." Some things are ubiquitous in terms of design, you've definitely seen them before, yet somehow at at Luxehaus they're presented in a unique way. Often paired with a one-of-a-kind antique or a product from a company you've never heard of before. Lines on display include Jonathan Adler, Alessi, Fornasetti, Melissa McClure Jewelry Alchemy, and Hakusan.

Try to go when you're feeling flush, because despite the fact that the salon services are quite reasonable (considering the location and the level of service), it all adds up. And it's very hard to leave without buying something, whether that's hair products from the likes of Bumble and bumble or a cool wooden bracelet, or better yet: both!

Mangia! Mangia!

Located in Santa Monica on the ever popular Montana Avenue, Loconda Portofino is one of my absolute favorite restaurants on the west side. It's a bit under the radar with a small sign, no listing in Zagat's, and a modest location in a strip mall next to a dry cleaners, but it's worth finding. The food is fantastic -- very authentic. It reminds me of my semester in Florence. Some of my favorite dishes are "Spaghetti Portofino," a pasta with a hearty sauce of shrimp, tomato and a touch of cream, "Penne Vodka" an old favorite, but Locanda's is one of the best I've had, and the the "Insalate Verdi" an amazing salad of fresh local butter lettuce and home-brewed olive oil. My husband Gordon's favorite dish is the special "Sea Urchin Pasta" a salty and sweet dish with the flavors of fresh uni.  As for the setting, the room is small, the tables are close together, but somehow it's cozy. There is a small patio out front, which is good if you're a smoker, but I don't really like it because it's basically in the parking lot. The only other negative about Locanda as far as I'm concerned is the price, but it doesn't deter the regulars, of which I am faithfully one. I have heard complaints about the service, some say it's slow, while others say it's down right rude. I've only experienced the slow service, but that is not the norm. Perhaps because of my regular patron status I get special treatment...or maybe the other customer just caught the waiter on a bad day. Whatever the case may be, I still say Locanda is worth it's weight in Italian sea salt.

1110 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-394-2070

Dari Diva

Okay, so one of my best friends owns this shop, but all nepotism aside, this boutique is a must see. It's a bit outside of my usual haunt, but Dari is worth the drive. When owner (and friend!) Melanie Shatner Gretsch opened Dari 's doors seven years ago, she helped create the hipness which emanates from this stretch of Ventura Boulevard. The vibe inside the shop is serene, with many touches from the Far East, including the Asian lanterns outside, Indonesian wooden tables, and a tented pavilion in the back under which to sit and relax (or dig through the baskets of fab Cosabella undies!). Melanie is nothing if not stylish, and her store is stocked with what she loves. This means both little known designers as well as brand names, such as Sonia Rykiel, Marc Jacobs and Paper Denim & Cloth. The best thing about Dari (besides the twice yearly sales!) is the staff. Everyone is lovely, knowledgeable, and very helpful. There's no pressure here, just great fashion.

12184 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
818.762-3274

Dockside Dining

On weekends my family usually looks for adventures to partake in around town. Recently I suggested we take a trip down to Marina Del Rey to see the boats and have dinner. (My nearly two-year-old son Oliver is captivated by anything to do with boats...) After a bit of research we found a restaurant called Tony P's Dockside Grill which sounded promising. Zagat's gives it a 16 for food, 17 for decor, 17 for service and $23 for price. The write-up did raise a few flags: namely "sports bar" and "so-so service" comments -- but there were also some positives: such as "dockside dining" and "patio overlooking the Marina," which carried more weight.

The evening turned out to be perfect, and definitely repeatable! Parking was easy, Tony P's has a big lot, from which you can walk right out onto the Marina. There were tons of boats to see, and even a school of little fishies which entertained the kids until our table was ready. Once inside we succeeded in getting a table on the patio, which has an incredible view of the boats. Our table was so close they were within spitting distance (don't worry, we abstained).

The food was perfectly adequate, and the children's menu was quite extensive and affordable, with starters such as "Cup-O-Chowder" or  "The Wedge" salad at $1.95 each, and entrees including "Nicolette's Lots-O-Cheese Pizza"  or "Mom's Charbroiled Chicken Breast" at $3.95 each. Another bonus, the kids are greeted with bags of goodies (small rulers with stencils, crayons, mini puzzles, etc.) and a whole activity "book" of things to color, trace, and decipher while they wait. And we didn't have to wait or want for much; contrary to Zagat's, I did not think the service was so-so, our waiter was very attentive and friendly.

Next time we go, we might make a whole day of it, and actually ride on a boat beforehand. According to Tony P, Marina Boat Rentals offers everything from kayaks to private charters.

Tony P's Dockside Grill
4445 Admiralty Way
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
310.823.4534

High Street Fashions, Basement Prices

Looking for a quick way to make a buck and make room in my closet all at the same time, I braved Brentwood's oldest (and often reported "best") consignment shop: P.J. London. Though it has a huge neon sign and is located on the first floor of a business complex on busy San Vicente Boulevard, P.J. London is surprisingly easy to miss. For nearly two years I dined and shopped in the area and was completely oblvious of it's existance.

Typically I'm not a fuge fan of "used" items (although antiques and vintage items get special dispensation), but P.J. London has changed my tune a bit. My original intention was to sell unneeded clothing, but I was effortlessly converted into a buyer... It's very difficult to walk in to the store and not be tempted by the racks of designer labels (all for a fraction of the retail cost). Old and new favorites are nestled together: Gucci, Chanel, Marni, Prada, Dries Van Noten, Armani, Alaia, Hermes, Moschino...too many to name. Owner Phyllis Davis prides herself on only accepting items that are "gently worn," and indeed many items are brand new or never worn. On my first trip "selling" clothes, I left with a brand new Gucci bag and a vintage necklace from the '20s. And of course I felt virtuous--I saved money!

Speaking of money, prices are usually 60% or more off retail. Sometimes you'll find things for a fraction of the retail cost (not necessarily good if it's your item for sale...but in her defense Phyllis sends the seller a list of their items with the prices she assigns, and you can ask her to make a correction). The sales spilt is 60% - 40%, with the lion's share going to the house, and nothing is paid up front, checks are sent out periodically. After 90 days you must collect your unsold items, or they are automatically donated to charity (though you get a tax write-of).

P.J. London, 11661 San Vicente Blvd, Brentwood, CA.
(310) 826-4649

Sommer Forever

Interior designer Ruthie Sommers has an eye for style. She can find any old thing, paint it or recover it and voila it's perfection! A rising star, Sommers has been published in a wide variety of national magazines (including two different issues of Elements of Living!), and is getting more popular (and therefore more difficult to hire!). Luckily for us anyone can get a sense of Sommers' style by visiting her chic boutique, Chapman Radcliff Home on La Cienega in Los Angeles--or if you're not in the area, check out her section on 1stdibbs.com. But don't worry, Sommers' fabulous finds won't break your bank. She's confessed to me that she wants good design to remain affordable, and she follows this through by not marking up her price tags with a heavy hand. For a client of mine I found a perfect vintage coffee table for only $300! (In the end I did bring the price up a bit by having it painted a high-gloss Hermes orange, but under Sommers' direction that stayed reasonably priced as well). Mind you $300 is not necessarily her typical price point, but everything Sommers offers is a good value. I recommend the shop to anyone who is looking for that special something...to me Chapman Radcliff is a real find.

Private Schools

When we moved here nearly 3 years ago, I was in a tizzy to get my then 18-month-old daughter into a decent preschool (never mind that she wasn't going to attend for two full years!). Our real estate agent drove us past Crestwood Hills Coop, the nursery school around the corner from our house, and we were sold. Little did I know at the time that it was harder to get into than Harvard. Coming from New York City I knew I would have to wage a campaign to get my little angel into school, and so that's just what I did. Both my husband and I attended a weekly toddler class put on by the school. We sent letters and e-mails and made the occasional call. We had other families at the school write letters on our behalf, and in the end went so far as to join the local housing association (which owns the land our school happens to be on, so you get an edge...doing this was no easy feat, and I don't recommend it). The point is getting in to private school is not to be taken lightly. You need to do your homework and decide which school is right for you, then go whole hog. We were "lucky" with preschool. I knew Crestwood was the perfect fit for our family right off the bat, and we love it there. I'm now in the throes of finding an elementary school, and the challenge seems greater. My first question was public or private? Given who our current president is, and the no child left behind policy, I think we're opting for private right now... But that only narrows the field a bit. To get to the next step, I'm using all my resources: books, friends, education consultants. And doing a lot of legwork: going on tours, tours and more tours. So far I have not identified my first choice, and therefore have not begun my next campaign. What I do know is that I'm thrilled that all the schools seem to honor legacy, and that includes siblings! I also know I don't really want to go through all this again until college (or at the very least junior high school...)!

Amalfi Opportunity

Here's another property that I love, and have showed a number of times, and have wondered why someone hasn't snapped it up sooner. (I just checked the MLS, and it's finally got an offer on it, and now just looking for back-up...but hey, you never know!) This one's on Amalfi, one of the best streets in the Palisades. And buying on this street is safer than putting your money in the bank (no guarantees, of course!). There are houses on Amalfi that have sold for upwards of $10 million, and this lovely little Nantucket-style gem is asking a mere $2,895,000. The perfect thing about this 3 bedroom/2.75 bathroom house is that it's in move-in condition, but could easily be developed into something grander at a later date... The woman who currently owns it recently renovated the place, putting in a new kitchen and updating the baths. And did I mention there's a view? The living room opens up (through French doors!) to a lovely garden that overlooks the Santa Monica Canyon. Can't you just smell the opportunity?