Valerie Saunders | Sérendipité | serendipitedesigns.com | “I was inspired to suggest black and white-themed art so it would not distract from the funky mid-century design we are embracing. Hawaii is this family’s happy place, where they have created many memories, so I wanted to transport them there while they live the busy lifestyle that they have for a family of six. We selected these prints by Tropical Darkroom from Society 6 and had them framed by The Plexi Gallery.”
Denise Morrison | morrisoninteriors.com | “The nod to the nautical/beach lifestyle is subtle in the ocean abstract painting in the great room…We try to present more sophisticated ocean palettes rather than literal shells and ‘beach’ signs.”
Laura Brophy | brophyinteriors.com | “The clients wanted to incorporate the beach lifestyle into the home, and to do so in a unique way—we had the clients’ photography printed on wood. It is a statement piece in the home—and a ‘nautical’ nod in a more abstract way that is personal and design-focused.”
Mary Beth Christopher | mbcinteriordesign.com | Blue and white may make the ultimate coastal color combo, one that Mary Beth Christopher pairs in less expected ways. “There are so many ways to evoke the coast without doing it in a theme-y way,” says the Boston-bred, West Coast-based designer. “I love playing with more European coastal patterns in blue and white as a way of mixing it up or popping a bright hit of indigo in an otherwise all-white kitchen. The best kind of coastal-inspired décor is fun, sophisticated, and completely original to your home.”
TRUE BLUE
Then: Same Old Navy
Now: A New Take on the Nautical Hue
Laurel Harrington | honeydudley.com | Laurel Harrington’s debut collection of sustainable furniture includes the Daisy Doo, a line seating that melds whimsy and sophistication into one high-function bloom. Made in California from black walnut, white oak, and poplar re-harvested in the USA, the Daisy Doo chairs and barstools come in a variety of lacquer hues, including a moody matte navy that provides a totally fresh take on the classic coastal color. Start at $2,000.
Beach Regency
Then: Coastal Casual
Now: A New Wave of Glamour
Allison Knizek | allisonknizekdesign.com | When designer Allison Knizek gave her Laguna Beach midcentury condo a complete overhaul, she crafted a new wave of coastal chic by melding high-drama Regency details with a beach-leaning color palette. Case in point? A sky-blue, high-gloss sliding interior door punctuated with shell-inspired Pinch hardware from Stephen Antonson for Nest Studio Hardware.
Design Expansion
Then: Modern Farmhouse
Now: Architectural Inclusion
Lynn Stone | huntercarsondesign.com | Designer Lynn Stone’s home may not conform to beach basics. Victorian architecture may not scream beach cred, but designer Lynn Stone decided to go with the turrets and intricate ornaments instead of fighting them. The result? A clean take on a fussy design style, complete with surfboard parking and even an outdoor shower from Strand Boards.
Blue Door Magazine has its fingers on the pulse of what’s happening in coastal Orange County. We offer OC the only free magazine focused on architecture, real estate, art and design. Our vibrant stories are fresh, timely and capture the essence of this special community. We celebrate countless reasons to love, live and work in this unique community.
Read about Blue Door Magazine past, present, and future prospects for the Coastal Real Estate Market from members, friends, experts, and OC insiders including Brian Furstenfeld and Kristy Olson. Photo by Hugo Garcia. @bluedoormagazine @briancharlesfurstenfeld @kristyolson.oc @ogroup @hugo.landa.garcia @bluedoormagazine #briancharlesfurstenfeld #kristyolson #ogroup #hugo.land.garcia
Blue Door Magazine member Glaieul Samadani says, “Even when I have something in mind, I never know what the result will be as the painting evolves. The paintings I create are very much a part of me—my viewpoints, my opinions, and my emotions are all part of my creative process.” Read more in the current issue of Blue Door Magazine. @bluedoormagazine @glaieulsamadaniart @kimutley.photography #bluedoormagazine #glaieualsamadaniart #kimutleyphotography bluedoormagazinemember #coastalorangecounty #ocartist #coastalorangecountyliving
The new Blue Door Magazine has arrived! On this issue’s cover, “The Emotion Was a Silent Language” (oil on canvas 50x45 inches) by Jeff Peters. A recurring theme in OC artist Jeff Peters’ work is the idea of preconceived notions of beauty. Having been brought up in a picture-book-perfect environment where any disorder was a catastrophe, the artist has grown, in his own words, “suspicious of beauty, of value, and of desire.” In his most recent series, Peters has explored the changing impressions of the ocean, capturing and the overlapping striations of color in the mesmerizing, transparent, and ethereal ways that the water and sky present themselves. Jeff Peters is represented by SCAPE Gallery, Corona del Mar. Pick up your copy of the new Blue Door Magazine! @bluedoormagazine @scapegallery #bluedoormagazine #scapegallery #coastalsoutherncalifornia #californiaartist #artgallery #artworkfeatures #orangecountyartist
Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University acquired Ruth Asawa’s 233 ceramic masks as part of its Asian American Art Initiative (AAAI), intended to transform Stanford into the leading academic and curatorial center for Asian American art. Read more about this permanent exhibit in Blue Door Magazine. @bluedoormagazine @ruthasawaofficial @cantorarts #bluedoormagazine #ruthasawa #ruthasawaart #cantorartscenter #permanentexhibition #asianamericanartist #asianamericanart #californiaculture
Reflecting back to move forward for 2023, we celebrate the new Orange County Museum of Art on the campus of Segerstrom Center for the Arts and what’s to come. Art by Fred Eversley, “Untitled”(parabolic lens), (1969) 2020. Collection of Jimmy Iovine and Liberty Ross. Photo by Jeff McLane, courtesy of the artist and David Kordansky Gallery.
Happy New Year! @bluedoormagazine @ocmamuseum @segerstromarts @mclaneart #bluedoormagazine #ocma #segerstormcenterforthearts #fredeversley #jeffmclaneart #happynewyear #2023
Blue Door Magazine Senior Editor Alexandria Abramian shares some inspiration with a few coastal Orange County designers who bring on a new wave of coastal-inspired décor. Seashells, shiplap, and beach signs not required. Read more in Blue Door Magazine. @bluedoormagazine @alexandria_abramian @a.k.nackfordesign @serendipitedesigns @laurabrophyinteriors @dminteriors @huntercarsondesign @honeydudleyca @mbc.interiordesign #bluedoormagazine #alexandriaabramian #aknackfordesign #serendipitedesigns #brophyinteriors #morrisoninteriors #huntercarsondesign #honeydudleyca #mbcinteriordesign #coastalorangecounty #neonautical #bluelook
The California Biennial 2022 allows Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA) to explore the art of an era for a diverse and changing community. The California Biennial at OCMA began in 1984 and was critically acclaimed with each iteration through 2010, and with the subsequent California-Pacific Triennials in 2013 and 2017. California Biennials support young and emerging artists when they need it the most and provide audiences in Southern California with the opportunity to learn about the latest developments in art. Read Liz Goldner’s Q&A “California Cool” with former OCMA Elizabeth Armstrong, who served as OCMA Deputy Director and Chief Curator 2000 to 2008 to learn more about the current Biennial on exhibition until February 26, 2023 in the latest issue of Blue Door Magazine. @bluedoormagazine @ocmamuseum #bluedoormagazine #lizgoldner #contemporaryartdialogue #emergingartists
Diego Rivera believed in the power of art to educate, inspire action and transform society. “Diego Rivera’s America” brings together more than 150 of Rivera’s paintings, frescoes, and drawings—as well as three galleries devoted to large-scale film projections of highly influential murals he created in Mexico and the U.S. “Diego Rivera’s America” is at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art through January 2, 203. Read more in Blue Door Magazine. @bluedoormagazine @sfmoma #bluedoormagazine #sfmoma #diegorivera #diegoriveramural #modernart #mexicohome #artchangestheworld
Blue Door Magazine senior editor Alexandria Abramian shares Design Destinations travel ideas for your next getaway. Forget the columned entryway, the stately pillars, and the rooftop pool. The latest destinations are twisting and turning, curving and swerving everything we’ve come to expect from traditional hotel design. The result? A series of architectural adventures guaranteed to jolt the senses into a new dimension. @bluedoormagazine @alexandria_abramian @originslodge @careyes_official @andbeyondngala @centralstationmemphis #bluedoormagazine #alexandriaabramian #traveldestinations #architectadventures #travelanddesign #nextgetaway #luxurytravel #beyondaverage #exclusiveluxury