Do you love looking at beautiful features of historic homes and thinking about how to incorporate the authentic, vintage pieces into your own humble abode? Or perhaps you bought a Craftsman or a Spanish Colonial Style home and you are looking to replicate these rustic (and oh-so-chic) details in your property. Even when you have a new construction home you can still find unique elements that turn a cookie cutter house into a dream home.
But where do you find these unique elements? These vintage, antique and one-of-a-kind items?
You’ll need to to turn to architectural salvage yards to find authentic elements that turn your home into a unique masterpiece. Fortunately for us, there are a number of architectural salvage outlets in Los Angeles for scoring the perfect find! Some examples of architectural salvage yards for hunting down decor gems are:
Olde Good Things
Prop stylists and set decorators have been frequenting this Los Angeles gem for ages. Boasting a warehouse of over 100,000 square feet, there’s a good possibility that Olde Good Things will have what you are looking for. While well known for its vast architectural library of amazingly restored and rescued pieces, you can’t miss its unique mix of up-cycled furniture and quirky objects d’art. ogtstore.com
Gayle’s Architectural Salvage
Located in Pasadena, Gayle’s has an extensive inventory of architectural salvage antiques including mantels, lighting, iron work, plumbing accessories, builders hardware, and furniture representing the Arts & Crafts, Spanish Revival, Art Nouveau,Victorian and Mid Century Modern periods. However, they are best known for their extensive stained glass window collection. Insider’s tip – be sure to ask if they have anything in storage! pasadenaarchitecturalsalvage.com
Big Daddy’s Antiques
With two California locations (Los Angeles & San Francisco) Big Daddy’s is routinely on the tip of everyone’s lips as a must-stop recommendation if you are looking for unique architectural and salvage finds. A mix of one-of-a-kind antiques and reproductions from European, Asian, and North American markets. facebook.com/BigDaddysAntiques
Rose Bowl Flea Market
The Rose Bowl Flea Market has been the most well-attended flea market in the entire country. For over 50 years, the market has been known for its uniqueness, quality of vendors, and great shoppers of all ages. The Rose Bowl flea market is considered an outdoor mega event and it is held the second Sunday of each month. Rgcshows.com
If you are interested in selling or buying a historic home and thinking about incorporating authentic, vintage pieces into your property. We, at Aspire Los Angeles, would like to assist you on this matter. Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We look forward to connecting you with the right agent on our team.
Take a trip through many of the communities in and around Los Angeles and ask residents about the Crenshaw/LAX Line, and you’ll probably get mixed responses. This light rail route is being constructed as a way to eventually create a rail connection to LAX, giving residents an easier way to get to the airport and dodge traffic.
Curbed LA recently posted that the line is now slated to open by 2020.
But the construction of the line has made a huge impact on many communities already, and it’s likely that once it’s open it will have even more of an impact on the neighborhoods it passes through – places like:
- Leimert Park
- Hyde Park
- Inglewood
- Baldwin Hills
Homeowners in the nearby communities are incredibly excited, and those who have any future plans on selling in LA or on investing are already seeing that property values and real estate prices are increasing quickly around the recent Expo Line. Additionally, development is exploding there, with more jobs and entertainment being created along with it.
That same impact is expected to take place in the communities around the Crenshaw line, with the rail’s convenience and potential increasing property prices, turning the area into a seller’s market and helping investors make a big profit. Residents have already benefited from the line in areas like Leimert Park – by adding stations to cultural areas like Leimert Park Village which are made up of mom and pop shops, these locally owned businesses could see their profits increase dramatically as new visitors make their way to the area by using the Crenshaw Line.
Progress is ongoing, and the line is now behind schedule. But it is something that is being constructed at the moment, and when finished there is no question that it is likely to change the landscape of Los Angeles and that it will impact every piece of Los Angeles real estate that is near the line.
Just how much things change will be hard to say until the construction is completed and the line opens, but for now, most are optimistic that the line will change the community for the better by bringing new opportunities, increasing the ease with which locals travel, and more.
image: thesource.metro.net
The Jefferson Park and West Adams area of Los Angeles is one of the perfect locations for those looking to own a home and become a part of a community that is constantly growing and evolving. It has a centralized location and best of all, it is quickly changing into something truly special – buying a property now could be a serious investment thanks to the numerous attractions that are springing up here. In fact, West Adams was the 2015 Neighborhood of the Year, and it hasn’t diminished in attractiveness since then.
Restaurants in West Adams / Jefferson Park
The dining options here have always been unique, from fried chicken establishments to the best BBQ in the entire city to Chinese or Mexican fare. But new restaurants are always popping up. A perfect example is the new “Highly Likely” café. Created by Cary Mosier, it is filing the space once taken up by a furniture store and offers 2,000 square foot of space with open areas and frontage right onto Jefferson. It’s food options will focus on healthy daytime food like grain bowls and vegetable dishes that draw inspiration from Creole, Japanese, and modern California cooking.
And the craft beer market is exploding here as well, with a new valley Brewpub finding its home where Señor Fred once sat. This will be a beer-focused restaurant offering great craft beers along with delicious food options. And with the Artisanal Brewers Collective buying spaces and opening restaurants, breweries, and craft beer stores, beer lovers will find that this is the perfect California neighborhood for them.
These are just two of the most well-known and anticipated establishments in the area – every year more great restaurants, music clubs, and bars pop up. So what does that mean to those looking for a home in the area? Two things:
- First, it means that you’ll always have somewhere to go when you want to head out and enjoy a day, evening, or night out. Whether you’re hungry or thirsty, you’ll find something to match your mood.
- Second, it means that buying now is a great investment. With so many great things coming to the area, property values will likely only rise over the future, giving you a great return on your purchase in the process.
Simply put, there’s never been a more exciting time to live in the West Adams and Jefferson Park area. If you’re looking for a great place to buy a home and call your neighborhood, few places in South LA can offer what this one can.
Ever since Leimert Park won the 2016 Curbed Cup Neighborhood of the Year, more and more Los Angeles residents are discovering this great community for themselves. This diverse community with its historic homes, active residents, and great events make Leimert Park a great Los Angeles neighborhood. The location is ideal, close to DTLA with easy access to both the Santa Monica Freeway and the 110. It’s a perfect spot for young professionals, entrepreneurs, and new families. If you are considering Leimert Park for your home, here are some highlights you must check out.
A Rich And Diverse Arts Community
If you love supporting local artists, Leimert Park is a great community for you. There is a diverse variety of arts right at your doorstep:
- Art Walk: Taking place on every Sunday between 2pm and 8pm along 43rd and Degnan Boulevard, the Art Walk is a free event that showcases local artists. Whether you are looking for tasty food, forward thinking fashion, or lively music, you can find it at the Art Walk.
- Art + Practice: A non-profit dedicated to providing youth access to museum quality modern art, you can always check out a great exhibit.
- Vision Theater: This gorgeous art deco style gem is operated by the Los Angeles County Department of Cultural Affairs and features a calendar loaded with a variety of performance arts.
- The World Stage: If you are a Jazz lover, Leimert Park is a great community for you. At the World State you can catch legendary jazz legends and local up and comers on the weekends.
You can also catch a variety of pop-up art shows, musical performances, and a famous drum circle at Leimert Plaza Park every weekend.
A Food Lover’s Paradise
Leimert Park is also home to some world-class eats. Leimert Park is the Los Angeles destination for Soul Food with highlights like Philip’s Bar-B-Que and Delicious Southern Cuisine offering home cooked comforts. There’s also a great Jamaica food found at Ackee Bamboo Jamaican cuisine and tons of hidden taco spots to help fill your belly.
These are just some of the great things you can find in Leimert Park. We live and work in Leimert Park. So we know all the great spots in the community. We have sold many properties in this area and have assisted buyers in making this historic neighborhood their home!