Venice Surprises

i'm still getting used to the different architectural surprises i discover out here in LA versus my hometown in new england. instead of charming and well-maintained homes marked prominently on the front with dates in the 1600s to 1800s, i see much newer architecture here. the mix includes craftsman bungalow, spanish mediterranean, modern, cape cod, and ranch. the oldest homes i think i've seen here were only built in the 1900s!

however, there are incredible treasures that are unmatched in new england. for example, venice has a small residential neighborhood with canals and walking paths along both sides, small bridges, dinghies and many ducks! originally built in 1905 to copy venice, italy, most of the canals were filled in to accommodate the automobile in 1929. i take all my out of town guests through here so they can experience the magic of this very special place.

tonight, i was down the street from the canals, at the beach end of venice blvd and saw beautiful tiles at the entrance of what appeared to be an apartment building (see images above). i'm not sure of their history or true style, but they're similar to some hispano-moorish reproduction tiles at solar antique tiles, www.solarantiquetiles.com (see below left). another great tile resource is lascaux tile, www.lascauxtile.com, an example of which is shown in the image below right which is from a project by michael s. smith, my prior employer.