Malibu Times Magazine • Autumn 2022

Protecting Malibu Gesner

Earth, Sand & Fire Property

Wood If You Could

Comforting Colors The Know

Fall for New Things or more5/8% (0.625%) off interest rate

Autumn represents change—like the leaves turning colors, and comfort—with all the yummy pumpkin and spice treats, as well as balance after a busy summer as we all settle back into a routine. This fall, the back-to-school theme really resonates, and maybe it’s because the world is settling back into normalcy. Things seem possible again.

We asked our contributors what they hope to accomplish/learn this season. Tackling new things often brings happiness and pride. And before we know it, it becomes a natural part of our routine. I’ve been learning to sew—something that was always on my bucket list—and finally sat down and did it. I’m in the very beginning stages but it has not only allowed me to be creative, because I’m so proud of my basics I’ve made, but to also overcome obstacles (when things get tangled) and frustration (when I can’t figure out why something isn’t working). It’s also reminded me of the importance to make the time to do something, just for me, that I enjoy away from work, family and other responsibilities. There’s bliss in learning something new and adding this into our personal world.

We’re so fortunate that here in Malibu our world includes the water and the mountains. We love hearing from the community, so our “Loving Malibu” feature this issue wanted to inquire about people’s favorite beaches. It’s always such a personal question and that definitely comes through in the answers. Taking time to soak up the beauty of the sun and water is therapeutic in ways nothing else can be.

I hope the back-to-school theme resonates with you, too. Or, at least, just taking the time to do something just for you, your routine and your own world.

Happy autumn.

Ask how you can take advantage of Mortgage Relationship Pricing

KJ Margolis Home Lending Officer 310-994-5642 kj.margolis@citi.com citi.com/kjmargolis NMLS# 457645

Deposit Account Balances must be in the account five (5) Business Days following final loan approval and Investment Account balances must be in the account six (6) Business Days following final loan approval. Citi eligible accounts include a personal, consumer Citibank Deposit Account in which the borrower is a direct signer, Citibank IRAs, and Investments held in linked Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“CGMI”) accounts. The borrower must be an account holder on investment accounts. IRA and annuity positions shown on linked CGMI Account statements are eligible (except tax qualified annuities under sections 401, 403, or 457 of the Internal Revenue Code). Balances from Citibank Business / Commercial accounts, ERISA accounts, Keogh accounts, Bank Collateral accounts, Foreign accounts, Fiduciary accounts, and Trust accounts where the borrower is only listed as the Beneficiary are excluded.

All Custodial type accounts are excluded with the exception of Custodial IRA accounts through Citibank or Pershing LLC where the borrower(s) is the beneficiary, which are eligible unless otherwise noted. Citibank IRAs that are not linked to a Citibank Deposit Account are excluded.

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If you are interested in Citi’s banking account relationship offers, please contact your Home Lending Officer or Mortgage Representative. Speak to your loan officer about whether the relationship offer is best for you.

Citibank Mortgage Relationship Pricing for Citibank account holders can only be applied prior to loan closing and is subject to account and balance validation. Citibank Mortgage Relationship Pricing is subject to change without notice.

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Terms, conditions and fees for accounts, programs, offers, products and services are subject to change without notice at any time. Offer may be modified or withdrawn at any time without notice. Offer cannot be combined with other offers, except when applied with specific Community Lending Programs. Offers are not applicable on Home Equity Loans and Lines of Credit. This is not a commitment to lend. This offer contains information about U.S. domestic financial services provided by Citibank, N.A. and is intended for use domestically in the U.S. Investment products are offered through Citigroup Global Markets Inc. (“CGMI”), Member SIPC (http://sipc.org). Citibank and CGMI are affiliated companies under the common control of Citigroup Inc. © 2022 Citibank, N.A. NMLS# 412915. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. Citi, Citi and Arc Design and other marks used herein are service marks of Citigroup Inc. or its affiliates, used and registered throughout the world.

* Citi Mortgage Relationship Pricing - A Citibank deposit account is required to receive the interest rate discount or closing cost credit.

Automated monthly transfers of the mortgage payment from a Citibank Deposit Account using automated drafting will be required. Actual interest rate discount or closing cost credit will depend on the level of the Citi Eligible Balances, which will be verified after final loan approval.

PUBLISHER

Nicholas

Bridget

LAYOUT & GRAPHIC DESIGN

Evan

Jen

Neil

Lauren

Mary

Anthony

Dorie WRITERS

Benjamin

Judy

Laurie

Maya

One Gun

Emily

Laurie Hartt

“To understand SEO better! I’m starting two new courses to hopefully wrap my head around it.”

Emily Scher

“My goal is to get my Woolsey fire rebuild into high gear and move in by the first of the year!”

Judy Abel

“Complete my sixth Malibu HalfMarathon this year with my husband and daughter.”

Maya Williams

“After two years of cancelations, I can hardly wait to attend the fall furniture shows and spec out the best new product for my clients.”

Benjamin Marcus

“I want to finish this much-delayed, fairly ambitious history of Malibu I’ve been toiling over for almost three years: Chumash to Hard Cash. Oh and drive Russian forces entirely out of Ukraine and go all Nuremberg on Putin and his madmen.”

Samantha Bravo

“I hope to continue growing, learning and improving as a writer, photographer and editor and challenge myself everyday to reach new goals.”

Other contributors in this issue:

BC Gallery

Canejo Hardwood

Teak Warehiouse

w hat do you want to accomplish this fall?

Loving Malibu

Malibu West is one of Malibu’s best kept secrets. From the beautiful secluded neighborhood, to the private beach, it doesn’t get better.

One of its biggest perks is that it faces west—and the sunsets are incredible! Malibu West is a small community of its own; everyone knows each other. It’s seriously the best neighborhood in Malibu for families with kids. There is no place like Malibu West. We love it!

Malibu Drew+Sarah NewmanLevi+Noah

We asked the locals:

What is Your Favorite Beach in Malibu?

I grew up going to the cafe and the beach at Paradise Cove. I hadn’t been there in years until quarantine. I moved my horses to Ramirez, and would spend the weekend riding my horses to the pier and on the beach. Now, it’s my favorite beach again just like when I was little

Jessica Steindorff

Maria Flora Smoller

I moved to Malibu in 2000. We lived up Decker Canyon and the kids were in Junior Lifeguards and I would drive down the canyon to Leo Carrillo state beach every morning. Five sleepy kids in the back, Counting Cows music blasting and lunches packed. We were ready for the day! Then, I would sit on this most beautiful beach all day and picnic a little ways down, out of sight with my smaller children and spy on my junior guards, impressed by their bravery and attitudes. This beach is rarely crowded and is bigger than most around. This is my favorite beach because I have such sweet memories of those days. I don’t get down here as much as I’d like to but Leo Carrillo is definitely my favorite beach in Malibu.

What is Your Favorite Beach in Malibu?

Broad Beach has been a place for me to reset and recharge. I’ve always found it to be such a relaxing and peaceful environment. Maybe it’s the fact that I never have any cell service, and I feel so beautifully disconnected from the rest of the world when I’m there. There are so many beautiful beaches in Malibu, but, for me, Broad Beach is at the top of my list.

Max Watkin

Barbara Carey

I have lived in Malibu for 39 years, and for 28 of those, I have lived on this magnificent beach by Ventura County Line. My children were raised here and whether it was surfing, paddle boarding, diving into the ocean, happily splashing, or body surfing, this beach has facilitated an intimate connection between my family and the natural world for many years. When I look out my window, I know how fortunate I am and I count my blessings that I get to see and experience this magical beach every day. When low tides reveal tide pools, our whole family explores and gets to observe sea urchins, starfish, and the occasional octopus—as we watch dolphins frolicking and seals popping their heads up to get a peek at us. I love to reflect and recharge by walking on the beach barefoot to utilize the healing and restorative practice of earthing. Earthing helps me connect with the magnetic energy of our planet to ground and support me. I highly recommend everyone to make use of this natural source of well-being.

Eating with the Season

The fall harvest is full of comfort and love

It’s fall—which means crops are ready to picked for tasty fare of root vegetables, carrots, butternut squash, beets, apples, peppers, peas, spinach, cucumbers, figs, persimmons, pears, and, of course, pumpkins.

“Foods in the fall are comforting, especially root vegetables, as they are so grounding and nourishing,” Alice Bamford of One Gun Ranch, said. “It’s also the way you cook at this time of year, there are plenty of soups and stews.”

However, for the most nutritious and delicious fruits and vegetables, it is important to grow and eat organic.

“For the tastiest produce, stick with organic, biodynamic, and the most local possible,” Bamford said. “Avoid anything sprayed with pesticides.” One Gun Ranch in Malibu is the only biodynamic farm on the West Coast; they make their own soil, a chemical-free compost. They also pride themselves on education.

“Our mission is to educate people about biodynamics and regenerative climate-smart agriculture,” Bamford said. “To know the benefits and joy from living closely with the land and rhythms of nature, [it’s about] realizing that every living thing is inexplicably linked.”

In other words, a stronger, more connected, sustainable society means reducing and resources, harvesting energy, and supporting local food systems, businesses, and artisans. Therefore, eating fresh, organic fruits and vegetables provides the body vitamins, minerals, and necessary antioxidants for a healthy lifestyle. And the fall season is just what the body needs. Here are just a few favorites—so much fall fare from which to choose!

Pumpkin

There are many varieties of pumpkins, and it’s considered a member of the squash family. And although they are classified as a fruit (because they have seeds), we most often associate it as a vegetable. And those seeds that make it a fruit—well, those are delicious, too. Not only are pumpkins high in vitamin A and other important vitamins, it is low in calories (unless, of course, we’re talking about perhaps a pumpkin pie).

There’s a reason why we love everything pumpkin in the fall.

SQUASH

Believed to be one of the oldest crops ever grown, it is also one of the most versatile types of fruit (there are seeds); squash comes in many sizes, shapes, colors, and flavors. But no matter which type you choose, they are full of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Squash is delicious by itself or part of a hearty stew.

CARROTS

Another vegetable high in vitamin A is, of course, carrots. Whether they are cooked soft into a stew or added raw and crunchy in a salad, they are full of nutrients, especially beta carotene, and low in calories.

APPLES

By Bridget Graham in collaboration with One Gun Ranch

We all know that an “apple a day keeps the doctor away” due to the vitamins and antioxidants. The best time to apple pick is in September—not only is it a lot of fun as an activity, the haul home of apples make great additions to salads or to a delicious apple pie.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & GINGER SOUP

Serves 4

This warming winter soup, thanks to the addition of ginger and jalapeño, is hearty enough to be a simple lunch or supper. We love spicy food, but you can, of course, cut down on the jalapeño (especially the seeds, wherein most of the heat lies) or leave it out altogether.

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into big chunks

3 tablespoons olive oil

Leaves from a few sprigs of fresh thyme, plus sprigs for garnish

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large white onion, quartered

1 clove garlic; unpeeled

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, plus more if needed

Squeeze of lime

1¼ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

2 jalapeño chiles, one seeded and finely grated, one diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Pile the squash on a large baking sheet. Season with the olive oil, thyme, and salt, and pepper. Tuck the onion and garlic on the pan and roast until the squash is tender and the onion is soft and golden about 35 minutes.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm up the stock with the lime juice, ginger, and the grated jalapeño.

Working in batches, combine the squash, onion, garlic, and stock mixture in a blender and blend to a lovely, thick soup texture. Pour each batch into a medium pot as you work. When everything is blended, heat over medium-low heat until hot, adding more stock if the soup becomes too thick.

Ladle into bowls and serve, garnished with a sprig of thyme and some diced jalapeño.

ROASTED CARROTS WITH CARROT-TOP PESTO

Serves 4

This can be vegan nose-to-tail eating at its finest! Nothing goes to waste in this dish, as every part of the vegetable is used — biodynamics on a plate.

1½ pounds small bunch carrots, trimmed and peeled, carrot-top leaves and stems, reserved

1 tablespoon vegetable oil or melted coconut oil

Pinch of minced fresh rosemary

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ tablespoons pine nuts

½ clove garlic

¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese or Parma! (vegan Parmesan)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

A pinch of ground ginger

A pinch of ground sage

Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

On a large baking sheet, toss the carrots with the vegetable oil, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste. Roast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool.

In a food processor or blender, blend or pulse the pine nuts and garlic until you have a coarse paste. Add the carrot tops, basil, and Parmesan or Parma! and process to a coarse purée. Add the olive oil in a stream and blend until combined and smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender jar as needed. Season the pesto with salt and pepper.

Serve the roasted carrots with the pesto spooned on top.

Serve in a large bowl, garnished with a few grindings of pepper, the ground ginger, and a sprinkle

BEET BROWNIES

Serves 4 to 6

Pure indulgence, this is a heavenly yet healthy treat. The beets keep the brownies incredibly moist, cutting out the need for the usual stick of butter.

1 pound of beets, trimmed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch dice

7 ounces dark chocolate (best quality, at least 75 percent cacao)

½ cup coconut oil

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (good quality), plus more for dusting

¼ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour or rice flour

1 heaping teaspoon baking powder

3 large organic free-range eggs

1 cup coconut sugar

¼ cup almonds

Optional Add-ins:

Handful of sour cherries

1 tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut

1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger

Juice of 1 ripe passion fruit

Ginger powder for dusting (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Meanwhile, bring about ½ inch of water to a boil in a saucepan and fit a steamer basked into the pan. Add the beets to the basket and steam until tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then put in a blender and process to a smooth and silky puree. Set aside.

Bring about 1 inch of water to a gentle boil in the bottom of a double boiler. Break up the chocolate into the top pan and add the coconut oil. Nest the top pan in the bottom pan over but not touching the boiling water. Stir until the chocolate melts. Once the chocolate has melted, stir well. (Alternatively, bring 1-inch water to a boil in a saucepan and melt the chocolate in a glass or metal bowl that nests into the saucepan without touching the water.)

Sift together the cocoa, flour, and baking powder into a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the coconut sugar until pale and fluffy. Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then fold in the flour mixture and the ground almonds.

Finally, add the beet puree and fold to combine well. Gently stir in any of the optional ingredients you like.

Pour the batter into a lightly coconut oil-greased 9-inch round and square baking pan. Bake until the edges begin to pull away from the sides, 40 to 45 minutes.

Let cool. Dust with cocoa powder and ground ginger, if you like. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Recipes courtesy of One Gun Ranch

When an artist recreates another’s work, it can be either inspiration or imitation. In this case, it is all admiration. Local artists came together to recreate photographs by Malibu photographer Emily Scher via their own interpretations.

“Local artists and friends started to ask me if they could paint my photography, and I loved the idea,” Emily explained. “And then I was blown away by how beautiful they were, especially side-by-side.”

Scher, who is originally from Manhattan, went to school for visual arts and became an animator for computer special effects for movies. She found herself in California in the Hollywood Hills after her then-husband landed a job in Los Angeles.

“Once I was out here, I remember my brother asking me how often I would go to the beach, and when I told him ‘maybe two times a year,’ I knew something had to change,” she recalled.

So, she drove out to Malibu, now 30 years ago, and walked up and down Malibu Road, where she found her first local house where she lived in for seven years while starting a family. Scher raised her two children within the local schools, Webster Elementary, Juan Cabrillo, Malibu Middle, and Malibu High school.

After having kids, she gravitated toward photography.

“I found and fell in love with photography, the ocean, and all the treasures there,” she shared.

Her very first showing of her photography work was in Starbucks, when they used to rotate art. She would go on to exhibit her work there three times over the years.

“I was so thrilled to be showing the first time,” Emily recalled. “It was a big gamble to spend a bunch of money on prints not knowing whether people will like them.”

But it paid off, not only selling a piece of work, but also being Daniela Schweitzer

painting by lori mills

By Bridget Graham

Local artists paint from photographs

“discovered by The Malibu Times.”

“I remember Arnold York grabbed my portfolio from the counter and said he’d like me to work with the publication,” Emily, who is currently an MTM photographer, explained.

In fact, York wasn’t the only one who liked her portfolio.

“Someone stole [it] from the counter, which I think is a big compliment,” Emily said. “It was actually stolen twice; after I did a reprint, it was gone again.”

Emily, whose work is inspired by nature’s colors and movement such as leaves changing colors, sunsets curling, flowers blooming, has since had her work shown at various spots, including Malibu Stage, the old Diesel Bookstore, Zumi Sushi back in the day, and now currently at Sunset Restaurant. She’s has shown twice at Ollo— so when she was granted a third show there, she knew she wanted to partner with local artists who were already painting her work—or were up for the challenge—and hang the pieces next to each other. She personally asked eight artists to take part in the experience.

The show was named “Malibu Echoes—where lens meets brush.”

“Emily puts her heart and soul into her photos,” artist Lori Mills said. “So mirroring her work and creating artwork within artwork … well, I can feel her heart when I paint.”

Lori, vice president of the Malibu Art Association, is an artist who paints different series that embrace abstraction, including abstract nudes, hearts, and other pieces that “come from emotion.”

“To be a part of this was so great because I just admire Emily and her work so much,” Lori shared.

Artist Bill Stange bonded many years ago with Emily because they are both water-oriented people. At one time, he said he called her ‘Rainbow’ because “her eyes see all the colors of the world.”

As an artist whose favorite medium is watercolor, Bill depicts

mostly tropical and game fish in transparent paint to create unique layers of details.

“It was a little daunting to hang a piece next to her photos,” he explained. “And it’s hard to replicate something in a photo that is so unique. Your mind wants to wander as an artist, so to replicate from a photo is difficult because that is a snapshot of a moment in time that passed.”

Artist Daniela Schweitzer also interpreted a water scene from the photography but was very upfront with Scher from the start that she is a figurative, abstract painter. A big theme in her work is water, the beach, and the ocean from a contemporary point of view.

“I was a little skeptical at first because it was duplicating photos, but it was a great experiment for everyone,” Daniela said. “I was humbled to be a part of this.”

When artist Lisa Semler was asked to be a part of the show, she knew that she definitely wanted to paint Scher’s photographs. Semler originally started her painting journey in oils but then progressed to other mediums as her artistry evolved. She recreated the photographs for the show from encaustics.

“It was definitely challenging to copy someone else’s artwork, but it was a really fun experience,” Lisa explained. “I think that I would only do that with someone like Emily. She is a really special woman.”

Emily said she continually feels grateful for the response to her photography, whether on the walls, Instagram or in a small online shop she created where people gravitate to Malibu pictures. And she said she still can’t believe how the show turned out on the walls of Ollo.

“It was just a magical feeling,” she said. “I was uplifted and overwhelmed, and just really excited and happy about opening this door to something new and all the artists coming together.”

EMILY SCHER

PROTECTING Malibu

Malibu’s

chief law enforcement officer, Jennifer Seetoo, makes history as the first female captain of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.

Her career started at 18 years old as an unarmed custody assistant for the Sheriff’s Department. And from there, Jennifer Seetoo’s journey from a teenage jailer to captain at the nation’s largest law enforcement agency—a first for a woman—has been idiosyncratic.

It was the late 1990s, the sheriff’s department wasn’t hiring certified deputies so, instead, the young Jennifer Seetoo entered the LAPD Police Academy. Mid-training, she got a call from LASD inviting her return and hasn’t “looked back.” In 2019, Seetoo was named by State Senator Henry Stern as Woman of the Year. She accepted the honor on the capitol floor. And in May of 2021, the prepossessing peace officer was officially named to helm the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station that protects Malibu.

Now as the mother of two youngsters, Seetoo recalled always

By Judy Abel

having “tremendous respect for law enforcement.”

“I’m so honored to be serving this community where I’m raising my family,” Seetoo said. “I am grateful. This is not just a job for me. I appreciate the support of the community.”

Growing up in a single-parent household in a rough corner of Southern California, Hawaiian Gardens, the young Seetoo recalled being frightened by a “horrific event” that happened next door to her. Even today, her voice paused, exuding a past trauma she did not detail, while recalling the event.

“I remember the impact these law enforcement officers had in my life,” she said. “They would drive through our little driveway and flash their lights at night to let my brother and me know they were watching after us. That was my first memory with law enforcement: what peace they gave to me and my brother.”

Still, the young Seetoo did not have plans to enter the police force.

“I wanted to be a Laker girl, but didn’t make it,” the 25-year LASD veteran revealed without regret. “[This is] the most amazing,

Photos By Emily Scher

exciting and fulling career I could have ever asked for.”

Her first assignment as a sworn deputy was difficult; at a men’s jail. Still, she’s glad to have had the opportunity to work the lockup before being assigned a street beat. In the jail, she spoke with gang members, learned about the criminal lifestyle and “life on the inside.”

On the street, Seetoo patrolled some rough neighborhoods.

“There are different levels,” Seetto explained. “Every time we put on the badge and gun and go in a patrol car there’s a heightened state.”

However, with her training and partners she put those threats aside while “serving the community.” Today, her community is Malibu.

“Three things make a great police officer: being a humanitarian, a guardian and a warrior,” Seetto said. “I want to be a good humanitarian.”

When Seetoo first landed in a leadership position in 2018, it was a tumultuous week. As number two in command, she suddenly found herself in charge, day one, when then Captain Josh Thai suffered a medical crisis. The next day, the Borderline shooting in nearby Thousand Oaks took 13 young lives. Among the victims were members of Seetoo’s church, a Pepperdine student and Ventura County Sheriff’s Deputy Ron Helus. It was a difficult time especially as a friend of the Thousand Oaks police chief. The very next day the Woolsey fire hit Lost Hill’s jurisdiction of Malibu, Westlake Village, Agoura Hills, Hidden Hills and Calabasas.

“It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done, but I’m thankful I

was there,” she said. “The deputies’ heroic actions, including putting out fires with garden hoses, along with the fire department, saved lives.”

She and a lieutenant were caught in a frightening Woolsey firestorm, somehow escaping tragedy by blindly plowing through as embers rained down on their cruiser. These are the conditions her fellow deputies also faced. She praised their bravery especially at Seminole Springs where her department evacuated elderly residents from danger. The Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station along with other peace officers have continued to support the mobile home community with fundraisers since it was essentially wiped out.

“It’s been healing for the community and the first responders there,” Seetoo noted.

The deadly fire in Paradise also happened the same day as Woolsey. That weighed heavily on Seetoo who spent summers as a child there in the Northern California town and said, “the fires impacted me deeply.”

Living near Malibu, Seetoo herself was evacuated for a week while at the time working 30 hour stretches for months following the fire due to repopulation, rain and mudslides. She now wants to ensure that Malibu is prepared for the next disaster.

“We have to protect our communities and when it comes down to it we will fight for our communities,” Seetoo said. “That’s what I believe makes a good police officer. I want to be a good humanitarian. I want to make sure we are being guardians for our communities and protecting our communities.”

MAVERICK Gesner

By Judy Abel

Driving northbound into Malibu, there’s one home that especially catches the eye, as it sits above the others perched on the hillside of the La Costa neighborhood, just north of Las Flores Canyon. The idiosyncratic home with a swooping bow that soars over the canyon below is evocatively called Eagle’s Watch. This grand artistic structure standing sentinel near Malibu’s front door announces to visitors, “You’ve arrived. This is Malibu and we’re a bit offbeat.”

The same may be said of the home’s architect, Harry Gesner, who died at age 97 in Malibu in June. Gesner, initially self-trained until earning his license, is responsible for designing some of the most prized homes in Southern California. A few of his most iconic works are sprinkled throughout Malibu. of Malibu

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ZEN GESNER

A cross the canyon from Eagle’s Watch, seemingly speaking to its sister, sits another Gesner masterpiece, Raven’s Eye. This jaw-dropping home features oversized windows inspired by Gothic arches—although its organic style and sloping roof resembles nothing 13th century. Word has it the Rolling Stones once held a jam session in the home’s spacious living room, a Gesner trademark: employing large gathering spaces and smaller sized kitchens.

It’s in the kitchen, however, in Gesner’s own beloved family home, the Sandcastle, where many loving memories were made.

“Growing up at the Sandcastle was a neverending adventure,” son Zen Gesner reminisced. The actor/real estate agent described the whimsical structure was “built to flow with the environment surrounding it: the beach,

the ocean, the driftwood, the sea, the ocean birds, and the waves.”

The three-story tower-like home, inspired by nature, was built using recycled materials rescued by the architect, including old gymnasium floors. Wood flooring that had burned and was to be junked was personally scraped down to usability by Gesner.

“He went through the layers of soot and saw there was beautiful wood underneath,” Zen explained.

In addition, the architect implemented stained glass windows from a church about to be demolished. The walls throughout the home are old-growth redwood previously used as water pipes (Gesner rescued the barrellike wood before it was to be destroyed). Railroad ties and telephone poles are also in the mix.

If design buffs know what they’re looking for, discovering a cove filled with Gesner homes is “like stumbling onto Shangri-La.” They are masterpieces designed by the “Maverick of Malibu.”

—Zen Gesner

Other Gesner structures came to life back in the 1950s when the architect fell in love with a property in a cove on the far north end of Malibu. He had been commissioned to design a house next door that would end up becoming a Gesner landmark, the Wave House, which he sketched while sitting on his surfboard in the water across from the property. The Wave House became an iconic architectural gem typifying a surfer’s dream of a cresting wave with a sophisticated 1960’s vibe. The Wave House has been featured in numerous videos and movies including the Beatles-themed film, “Yesterday,” and the Brian Wilson bio-pic, “Love & Mercy.” When Danish architect Jorn Utzon saw the Wave House profiled in Life Magazine, he was so taken with the design he contacted Gesner and thanked him for the inspiration when he designed one of the world’s most famous buildings: the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Which is “something that many architects don’t normally do,” Zen noted.

It was in the ’60 when the residential architect sold his sports car to put money down on the beachside lot next to the Wave House. The property sat untouched for years until Gesner built it in a romantic gesture for his fourth wife, actress Nan Martin, Zen’s mother. The two had gone to Santa Monica High School together, but never dated.

“He always had a crush on her,” Zen said. However, they lost touch and Gesner went on to marry three

times, storm Omaha Beach on D-Day, become wounded during the Battle of the Bulge, and work as a deckhand on actor Errol Flynn’s yacht—and these are just some of the adventures in the intrepid Gesner’s colorful life. But Zen said his father always tracked Martin’s entertainment career. So, in the late ’60s, when Martin was to receive an award in Los Angeles, Gesner devised a plan to be there and surprise her—which he did.

“There were lightning bolts in the room,” Zen said with imagination of what must have happened when they reunited.

Zen recounted that his father asked his mother to drive up to Malibu to show her his property where he intended to build a family home. Legend has it that Gesner told Martin, “If you marry me, I’ll build you your dream house.” And, thus, the Sandcastle was built.

“The main fireplace in the living room was built like a Greek theater shell; the hearth, a stage. He built her her own theater in this house.”

Martin passed away in 2010. And, the Sandcastle, the Wave House and a few other Gesner’s occupy the same cove still today. If design buffs know what they’re looking for, discovering a cove filled with Gesner homes is “like stumbling onto Shangri-La,” Zen remarked.

They are masterpieces designed by the “Maverick of Malibu” Harry Harmer Gesner.

By Benjamin Marcus

Abundance. Some say "Zuma" is a Chumash word for "abundance," which might be right, as this 1.8-mile, 150-acre stretch of beach has an abundance of sand, swell, wind, sun, sunsets, visitors, sky, sealife, waves, surfers, parking spaces, bathrooms, stories, and history, dating back 11,000 years.

Many abundances over the centuries but more recently, that abundance of earth, sand, and fire has inspired an abundance of good music over the years.

In 1975 Neil Young and Crazy Horse recorded an album called Zuma, and they sang beachy, ocean-inspired songs, for example, Through My Sails:

"New things I'm knowing I'm standing on the shoreline It's so fine out there Leaving with the wind blowing But love takes care."

And this, from Cortez, the Killer, sounds a little Malibu-inspired. Neil could have been singing about the Chumash, and Cabrillo fatefully showing up in 1542 like that epic final scene of Mel Gibson's Apocalypto:

"He came dancing across the water With his galleons and guns Looking for the new world And that palace in the sun."

A few years later, in 1978, Mick Jagger sang about women chasing his abundance and name-dropped this strand of sand in Some Girls:

"So give me all your money

Give me all your gold I'll buy you a house back in Zuma Beach And give you half of what I own."

In 2008, Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani named their child Zuma.

And in 2014, U2 name-dropped the 1.8 miles of sandy beauty in California (There Is No End to Love)

“California

Then we sail into the shiny sea

The weight that drags your heart down Well, that's what took me where I need to be Which is here, out on Zuma.”

If those Zuma-centric songs by Neil Young, the Stones, and U2 carry notes of heartache, beauty, and loss, maybe they were catching the historical vibe and felt from the transition of this beach from Chumash to Conquistadors, Spain to Mexico, Rindge to Los Angeles County, private Idaho to the public domain.

It's easy to rhapsodize about Chumash life before the Spanish Apocalyptoed Alta California with their ships, guns, horses, greed, and diseases beginning in 1542. If you're going to be a native American, the

Eleven Thousand Years of Zuma Beach

Abundance

coastal strip from Humaliwu to Zuma and beyond was the place to be: Almost perfect weather most of the year — marred by those pesky winds and the firestorms. Abundant food by land, sea, and air. Game, birds, acorns, seeds. At sea, from the tidepools out to the Channel Islands, a "Malibuillabaise" of seals, sea otters, lobster, abalone, tuna, swordfish, shark, and salmonids from the creeks, mussels, and clams from the tide pools.

An excellent diet. An abundance of food and sunshine.

When the Spanish showed up in 1542, the transition from Chumash to hard cash was glacial over the next two centuries, as the land showed its abundance for raising cattle, growing oysters, and farming lima beans, citrus, and other produce under Jose Bartolome Tapia from 1802 to 1848. Then from Frenchman Leon Victor Prudhomme from 1848 to 1857, Irishmen Don Matteo and Henry Keller from 1857 to 1891, and

Frederick and May Rindge from 1891 to the 1940s.

Mrs. Rindge's struggle to keep the Rancho Malibu private is well documented in The King and Queen of Malibu, but oddly, a search for the word "Zuma" comes up with zero hits. The transition of Zuma Beach from private to public is explained in a Los Angeles County Beach History put together by LA County:

"In December 1940, the entire Malibu Rindge property went up for sale under the pressure of tax assessments, legal bills, and the collapse of the ranch with the Great Depression. May Rindge died two months later, in February 1941. Within six years, over 80 percent of the Rindge holdings had been sold. Also, in 1941, the Marblehead Land Company that May Rindge had created to lease and sell her land defaulted on Los Angeles County taxes due on Zuma Beach property. The County foreclosed on the property demolished the few beach homes

that were there and created a vast public parking lot. Popular Zuma Beach was born."

The popularity of Zuma Beach inspired LA County to establish a lifeguard service as far back as the mid-1940s. Longtime Malibu resident Cal Porter (1924 - 2019), who was a surfer/lifeguard/waterman, wrote The Zuma Beach Story sidebar for a book called Our Lifeguard Family, Honoring Your Service, The First 100 Years , by Richard Mark, "When Marblehead defaulted on property taxes owed to the County of Los Angeles on Zuma Beach, the county stepped in, foreclosed, and began taking over the land. There were six private beach homes on Zuma and three more on the sand at Westward Beach, most owned and lived in by Hollywood personalities and musicians. There was also a large frame building at the edge of the lagoon where Zuma Creek meets the beach. It was a lodge or gun club that hunters used in order to shoot ducks and other animal life."

cal porter (1924-2019)

Legendary lifeguard and iconic California waterman

Porter remembered the County bought that frame building where Zuma Creek met the beach and stationed "the first and only lifeguard there." Then in October of 1945, they purchased one of the beach houses and turned it into the official lifeguard headquarters for Zuma Beach and eventually bought all nine homes along the beach, "The captain lived in one, the maintenance foreman lived in another, and when I transferred to Zuma beach as a lifeguard in 1949, my family and I were soon living in a fine, fivebedroom beach home for which I paid the County of Los Angeles twenty-five dollars per month."

The lifeguard crew expanded from one guard to a full crew by 1947, and in looser times, they were allowed to live and sleep in the headquarters for the summer, "The beach crowds in the 40s were not what they are today at Zuma," Porter remembered. "But there were plenty of rescues in the rough surf and lots of action for the crew whose numbers were only a fraction of the number there today."

Porter was amazed by the changes along Zuma Beach since he started working there in the mid-40s, "Today, all the houses have been removed and replaced with parking lots. The headquarters house was demolished and replaced by a modern building. Where we had one emergency car that couldn't be driven in the sand, there now must be close to a dozen all-terrain vehicles. The original four lifeguard towers have grown to around fifteen…Today across the Highway from Zuma Beach, the hillsides are covered with mansions and swimming pools. When I moved to Zuma in the 1940s, there was nothing but tomato and lima bean farming going on there."

Porter is amazed but wonders what the Chumash would think if they could time travel across millennia, "If the Chumash who

were here a thousand years ago were here today, they would be amazed. But if they stood on the beach and only looked seaward, they would find that nothing has changed. The white sand under their feet and the same beautiful ocean with its crystal clear, cold water is there. The powerful white

provided some flavor into the many flavors of the Malibu music scene in the mid-1970s.

In Chapter 54, Young travels from Chicago to Nashville for personal and creative reasons, then gets back to the beach, "When I got to LA, I was soon in the Malibu groove. Briggs

we hung out there, too. There were lots of girls, and we were living the dream. I kept writing, and when I wrote "Cortez the Killer" and 'Hitchhiker.'

I called for the Horse to come and record. We decided on Briggs's Point Dume house with the Green Board as the ideal location. I lived a few miles north near Zuma Beach. Malibu, with the Crazy Horse Saloon, was a few miles south. It was a perfect situation for good times.

The album Zuma is the first album we made with Crazy Horse after Poncho joined the band. It's one of my favorites."

Cal Porter and Neil Young's memories are just two stories from an abundance of history going back 11,000 years to the Chumash when wild, exotic animals roamed the beach and all the way to the present — when wild exotic animals roamed the beach. Most recently, Zuma made national headlines when it became a blood-red-skies surreal sanctuary for dogs, llamas, horses, ponies, and other animals foreign and domestic, all escaping the heat and smoke of the Woolsey Fire.

In addition, the many fire engines both in and out of town stationed and stationary along Zuma Beach, which also raised eyebrows among some Malibu citizens, who wondered why all those men and machines weren't deployed to save houses.

water breakers are still rolling in unchanged for thousands of years and probably thousands to come. The Chumash Indians would feel completely at home in their Zuma, their land of abundance."

Time travel across the decades from the mid-1940s to the mid-1970s, Neil Young also remembered his time at Zuma Beach in his autobiography Waging Heavy Peace . Mr. Young remembers an arc from Bob Dylan to Rick Rubin as he

and I were up to our old tricks, having a lot of fun in the bars at night and lying around in the sun all day. I had rented a house on Broad Beach Road. Nanu became a regular on the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). Ben had driven the car out from Nashville and brought it to LA. Nanu was the scene of many good times. There was a bar named the Crazy Horse Saloon in Malibu that we frequented. Poncho had a house on the PCH, and

Abundance. Zuma. The next time you are jogging the beach or riding your EBike on the path, walking your dog, sailboarding, surfing, standup paddling, playing your guitar, watching the sunset, making out, or daydreaming about going beyond the horizon. Or living in one of those palaces in the sun up high in the hills, close your eyes and look around with your ears and feel all that Zuma music—from Chumash chants to Spanish Canciones to Mick and Neil and Bono. Music is in the air—some of it happy, some of it sad, but all in abundance.

Rafi Lounge NFT MEMBERSHIP Wellness, and Workspace

By Nic Mattson

The sparkling Pacific Ocean and big blue sky meet in the coastal backdrop of Rafi Lounge, an oasis of health and wellness overlooking the sand and surf of Malibu. Rafi Anteby’s health and wellness lounge will add to its one-of-akind experience this October with an exclusive NFT membership in a limited run.

At this point, you may be asking what’s an NFT, why is it limited, and what makes it exclusive? The answers to these questions are presented in an unfolding experience of the mind, body, and spirit which takes place in the heart of Malibu in the rooftop esplanade known as Rafi Lounge.

An NFT is short for the digital asset known as a “nonfungible token.” In practice it acts as a key or a deed which proves ownership for the holder and can relate to anything from real estate, to physical or digital items. At Rafi Lounge, it means access.

From PCH, a look up at Rafi Lounge presents a scene of tents and umbrellas, with members soaking in the sun, sounds, and science of the health club. But from the deck of the lounge, with an encompassing view of the Ocean, members refresh, exercise, and stimulate the mind, body, and spirit, a new model of health and wellness emerges.

With the first-of-its-kind NFT drop at Rafi Lounge, an exclusive asset class will be born to grant owners lifetime access to all that Rafi Lounge has to offer.

RAFI

Rafi Anteby was born in Israel, and during his formative years faced an environment that demanded

a level of self defense and discipline which led him to train in kung fu. After serving four years in the Israeli army, he practiced two years of kung fu in monastery condition in Hong Kong then taught kung fu in South Africa, and won the World Title Shaolin world tournament in China.

His experiences brought him close to natural healing and spiritual healing, which came in handy when he was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, and told he was going to go blind. His teachers recommended him to take acupuncture, and to study medical qigong in China. After which, Rafi was invited to study at the Wudang Taoist Monastery where he became a monk trained in qigong, tai chi, and taoism.

“All those things brought me to this lifestyle that I carry with me all my life that shape really who I am today,” Rafi said in an interview with Axel Arzola.

In his journey, it was art that guided his travels. His curious mind and engaging spirit embraced new experiences as he healed from his past.

“I love nature, and would travel by myself to different places,” Rafi said, “I practice art as well as an escape and a way to focus. I couldn’t focus unless I paint.”

Prior to the pandemic, Rafi created “gifting lounges” for celebrities during award ceremonies, and was also

intrigued by the emergence of the “digital nomad” who could work from anywhere. On return from a trip abroad in 2020 at the outbreak of the pandemic, he decided to bring his lifetime of exploration and exercise to one place as an opportunity for others who have not had the chance to experience things he had.

On August 23, 2020, he opened Rafi Lounge on the 6,000 square foot balcony. His vision to create a safe haven of his experiences and merge them together into one thing where health and wellness can permeate its members and bring healing into relationships and financial matters was born.

“Everybody can have healing experiences, and all kinds of wellness modalities from the ancient warriors and ancient healers,” Rafi said, “and at the same time uplift them with futuristic modalities of health and financial wellness so they can really grow into the ‘next world.’”

RAFI LOUNGE

Rafi Lounge is a new age of health and wellness hybrid where members can work and meet productively, then shift to engage and exercise with like-minded people overlooking Malibu landmarks including Carbon Beach and Malibu Pier.

Photo by Axel Arzola

Members of Rafi Lounge enjoy access to work and study spaces, refreshments, wellness and workout classes, networking opportunities with creatives, and educational classes.

Classes and experiences include yoga, guided meditation, soundbaths, cycling, boxing, martial arts, dancing, Reiki, Tai Chi, master classes with gurus, and a long list of additional options. Rafi merges ancient wisdom and practice with the future of tech, including educational Web3 evenings to gather those interested in the future of the internet.

These experiences from the Malibu rooftop provide guided personal exercise and networking to advance personal and professional growth in a space curated by Rafi for optimum increase and engagement.

RAFI LOUNGE NFT

“What I realized is that the world on some level is turning upside down, in the most beautiful way,” Rafi said. “More and more we see kids teaching their parents to be social in new ways and make money in new ways.”

As a former taoist monk, Rafi is immersed in the I Ching — the “Book of Changes.”

“Everything is changeable,” Rafi said. “In the beginning of the pandemic, I said to all my students from around the world that this is the time they will learn how to pivot. So they better understand that everything they practice in pivoting in martial arts … this is the time.”

During that time, Rafi studied the emergence of NFTs from both an artist and a utility perspective. What he saw is that they allowed artists to present themselves in a new way, as well as allow for a utility that presented new ways of access, and he wanted to know more.

“I hosted a few NFT nights here, bringing different speakers,” Rafi said. “And if I can say it in a humble way, it was for personal reasons — I wanted to learn. So, I was bringing different people and listening to their lectures, and was able to pick and choose my team.”

In discovering the NFT world, Rafi learned the balance that the digital asset offered, and decided to integrate it into Rafi Lounge as both art and utility.

“As an artist, I paint mandalas from sand and I always wanted to share it,” Rafi said. “It is very difficult for an artist. It takes me over 2,000 hours to create one mandala. It is grain by grain that I put down, and it is two years of my life to do it. So to sell it — it is like

saying goodbye to a piece of my life.”

The NFT offered Rafi an opportunity to fractionalize his artwork and sell it without giving up the art completely, so others can still enjoy his art. The NFT offers members to attain ownership in his mandala as well as lifetime benefits at Rafi Lounge.

“We bring here the best of the best,” Rafi said, “from the Lama of Tibet to Sri Sri, the guru from India, to Gladys Knight who performed herem, to Brooke Burke who is teaching here and other amazing teachers that we have.”

The NFT gave Rafi a means to distribute an ownership stake of Rafi Lounge in both art and utility, and owners benefit from the expansion of experiences at Rafi Lounge. The value of NFT is emerging in the digital space, and their application in utility is emerging. Rafi sees his lounge — and the existing delivery of service, experience and opportunity — as a substantive asset integrated in an emerging digital reality.

“The NFT was the perfect thing,” Rafi said. “You take the NFT and distribute it to your members and they become almost like partners. They have the same goal as you — to make it go high. As the NFT world grows, I really believe that it will bring more and more utility. People want to see there is a substance behind it. I’m not a Picasso. I don’t have $10M art. My art has value, but the NFT needs utility.”

Rafi Lounge provides tangible utility for its members, and Rafi stands behind what he created.

“I have proven my utility,” Rafi said. “I have had Rafi Lounge for two years, it’s not going, it’s only growing. I opened it in the most difficult time. When everybody closed down, I opened. I was the only thing open in town and I opened it correctly. It was a health club, outdoors, and met all CDC requirements. It was a very good opportunity for me to explore it and showcase it to the world. I think it is the perfect thing at the right time.”

THE FUTURE

“I think what is happening now is a merging of two worlds that is so beautiful and that is what I wanted to bring together in Rafi Lounge,” Rafi said, “ a space to focus and work, hold meetings with like-minded people, then hop onto a cycle or into a class of boxing, tai chi, qigong, kundalini, yoga, and enjoy those things that uplift them and help them get healthy from the inside and from the outside.”

The power of the internet is in its infancy as it

connects the people of the earth. The possibilities are continually emerging, merging, evolving and reproducing.

“I hope people will elevate their consciousness the same way the internet goes,” Rafi said. “The internet is something that happened, and people don’t even realize. We see so much polarity, so much left and right, but really the internet broke all borders. I’m Israeli, and I can contact a Palestinian guy and say ‘I want you to be my brother. I want you to be my friend.’ We can contact people from all parts of the world and overcome the system that tells us not to.”

Rafi envisions his lounge as a physical space that can inspire the elevation of the mind, body, and spirit of the individual and into the larger world.

“If I can do it on Rafi Lounge and bring people of like mind together, then the collective consciousness can grow on so many levels,” Rafi said. “Each one of us can do that part. I wish everyone could see that, and see the little bit that is pushed and make the difference that is so big. If you knew how little you push that makes a difference — you go on the beach and you see a plastic bag and the seagull right next to it … stop and put it in your pocket and you don’t see the butterfly effect of that action. I wish for everyone to see that and be mindful and care about what is happening next door.”

Rafi Lounge NFT membership opens in October, with perks including:

• Access to all Wellness & Workout Classes

• Lifetime Membership Access to all Future Rafi Lounge Locations (Miami, Newport, Austin, Scottsdale)

• Monthly Educational Web3/NFT Nights

• Monthly Educational Wellness/Guru Nights

• Access to Online Sessions with Guest Speakers

• Own a portion of Rafi’s Physical “Malibu” Mandala as Fractional Art

• Free Access to Rafi Lounge Annual Retreats (Does not include housing and food)

• Free Access to the Oxygen Wellness Bar

• 50% Discount for an NFT Holder Guest who attends a class with the NFT Holder

• Networking opportunities with other entrepreneurs, founders & artists.

RESERVE YOUR POSITION

Hollywood story MeetsMalibu history

By Judy Abel

Photos Courtesy of Chris Cortazzo

It’s a time capsule of Malibu history—and it’s also one of the oldest, most storied homes in town. For the first time in its 85-year history, there’s now a unique opportunity to live in this historic Malibu residence with lease availability of the Runyon property.

The rambling home is nestled in a quiet cove between El Matador Beach and Broad Beach, and holds the beginning histories of not only old Malibu but nascent Hollywood as well. This one-of-a-kind dwelling, built to coexist in harmony with its serene beachfront setting, was commissioned in 1937 by Mrs. Cornelia Runyon, a member of the legendary Runyon family. After the family made its fortune in coal, they arrived in Hollywood to “get into talkies” according to Cornelia’s grandson Morgan Runyon.

Cornelia, a socialite and sculptor, entertained her glamorous Hollywood friends including Cecile B. DeMille and his playwright brother, William Churchill DeMille, along with other artists and intellectuals of the day at the Malibu home. As a sculptor, Cornelia chose the home’s location on a small cliff overlooking rock formations and the tranquil, natural beauty of the surf below.

“There’s a perfect, sandy beach in front. When you’re in the property game early, you’re going to choose the best location,” Morgan said of his grandmother’s real estate decision. “Plus, it’s not way high up on the bluff. It’s blufftop but with easy access to the beach.”

Exterior

Still, it was an adventure for Cornelia’s friends to travel so far out to Malibu from Hollywood back in the day. One of her confreres, the famous diarist Anais Nin, even wrote about her time at the Runyon estate. In the 1940s, when Cornelia was widowed and her son, Tom, went to serve in WWII, Cornelia stayed watch at her property as the only woman in Malibu in the Civilian Defense set up by President Franklin Roosevelt. She patrolled the beach in the morning looking for signs of footprints, which at the time were a rarity before Malibu was developed. In the evenings, she made sure the few homes on the beach used blackout curtains so no light emanated alerting enemy ships or planes of the land location.

Malibu was so remote at the time and undeveloped that in a twist of fate Morgan recently discovered his grandmother would need to travel all the way inland to the Cornell post office to get her mail. Ironically, that’s where he runs his family business, The Old Place, originally started by his father, Tom. Morgan discovered his grandmother’s old mailbox, P.O. box 26, Cornell, California, recently when going through nostalgic family mementos.

The closest phone at the time was at a guard shack at the Colony miles down Roosevelt Highway, the name of the road before the future Pacific Coast Highway.

“If there was an important call, they’d drive up, get my grandmother and drive her down,” Morgan explained.

In the 1970s, Cornelia’s son, Tom, lived at the home. He became a character actor but more notably a “character” in Hollywood befriending some of the biggest names at the time. He entertained his coterie of Hollywood pals including Steve McQueen, Sam Peckinpah, Ali McGraw, Katherine Ross, and Burgess Meredith at the Malibu property. Tom “was the guy people wanted to have around,” according to his son. Tom’s actor friends would often request parts for their buddy to be written into their movies. In 1970, Tom and his wife opened The Old Place saloon/restaurant at the old Cornell post office.

The Runyon house is an unchanged piece of Malibu history and one of the first homes built after the subdivision of the Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit was created. Architect Heth Wharton designed a modern house for its time

with the seeds of mid-century architecture. The celebrated home features wood-beamed ceilings, charming nooks and plenty of corner windows to capture wide ocean vistas. Wharton implemented newly invented concrete blocks called “iron stone” in construction. The house has been restored to its original state complete with hardwood floors, a soaking tub and patio where Steve McQueen was often seen relaxing with a nice “big cold mug of beer.” Views from the living room have uninterrupted ocean views

with no other homes in sight.

The property’s remote beachfront location has added another layer of fascination in what has washed ashore throughout the generations; whale ribs, pieces of shipwrecks, and even local Chumash artifacts.

For lease details on 32008 Pacific Coast Highway, contact the office of Chris Cortazzo; www.chriscortazzo.com.

Photo

Wood if you Could...

Natural wood accents add beauty throughout the home

By LAURIE HARTT

Russia’s Shiqior Idol is twice as old as Stonehenge and is considered the world’s oldest wooden sculpture; it’s estimated to be more than 12,000 years old. In Turkey, a wooden mausoleum for King Midas’ father remains preserved for over 3,000 years. Japan holds claim to the world’s oldest wooden building, last rebuilt in 700 A.D.

These are just a few instances of wood as a valued design material, leading one to wonder: Could wood be the best design material… ever?

Let’s consider the case.

It’s durable

It’s clear that wood has the possibility of a long lifespan.

“When you consider that raw wood can exist free of embellishment and provide both structure and beauty for centuries, you understand how virtuous it is,” Francisco A. Mondet, of Conejo Hardwoods in Thousand Oaks, shared.

The inherent natural properties of wood make it strong enough in original form to withstand much in the forest—and it retains much of that strength, flexibility, and durability when used in furniture, paneling, or decor. Therefore, it is not surprising wood is used more than other materials to make structures as well as to accent other elements.

“Wood has a natural durability,” Cecilia Palacios, of Teak Warehouse in Hawthorn explained. “It’s also known to have excellent decay resistance.”

In addition, wood species are widely varied, so their physical properties and visual character determine ideal applications.

“Beyond their unmatched beauty, tropical hardwoods are amongst the most versatile and resilient for outdoor applications, as well as interior finishes,” Mondet noted. “A select grouping of softwoods also find versatility, both in and out, yet yield shorter lifespans when exposed to the elements.”

Once wood makes it into the home for beautiful accents, it is important to dust frequently to minimize particles settling into nooks and crannies, and it should be oiled and waxed when necessary to

PHOTO Courtesy Conejo Hardwoods

protect against atmospheric degradation.

“Oil finishes are easily renewable, non-permanent, and the most eco-friendly,” Monet explained. “We often use a sunflower oil base with additives for stability.”

Another tip: keep it out of direct sunlight and heating or air conditioning vent blasts, and do your best to maintain proper humidity in your house—an inexpensive humidity thermometer can help—to preserve the beauty of the wood.

It’s versatile

Wood’s extreme versatility makes for a great accent. A cement door looks nowhere as nice (or convenient) as a sliding maple pocket door. It’s hard to make a sauna from steel without BBQing yourself. Wood lends itself to an incredible amount of ways it can be used for design, ranging from walls, bookends, dressers, floors, end tables, coffee tables, hall trees, sconces, vault beams, cutting blocks, poster frames, wall paneling, Christmas ornaments, chandeliers, serving trays—oh, let us count the ways.

“Using smaller, interesting blocks or slabs of solid wood for accent pieces, shelves or table tops is a way for any person, with any size space, to create beauty and bring warmth and character into their home,” Brett Cunningham, at BC West Creek Gallery in Ventura shared.

Moreover, it spans a surprising number of design aesthetics. Wood is equally at home in the shiplap paneling and driftwood mantlepiece

of a Coastal bungalow as it is in the colonnades of a traditional Craftsman front porch. Wood accents abound in a farmhouse full of Joanna Gaines-inspired wooden quotes and soaring overhead beams, as they do also in the quirky wooden backsplashes and timescarred center islands of a rustic cabin. A rich chocolate walnut coffee table would look equally at home in a modern apartment as it would in an ode to mid-century modern.

So it does its job and plays nicely with others. Is that enough to take first place as the best decor material? Perhaps a few more accolades will convince.

It’s better for the planet

On the one hand, wood is reusable. Demolish a home or remodel an office, and more often than not, wood can be recut, re-sanded, re-stained, and reused for another piece of the job.

On the other, it’s just a more planet-friendly choice overall. While growing, trees pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, improving the air we breathe. On average, just one tree can absorb over 48 pounds per year of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (per usda. gov) and release oxygen in exchange. Once cut, trees can immediately be replanted to replenish what was removed. The production of cement, conversely, is responsible for 5 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions. In fact, steel and concrete are estimated to be responsible for (per interestingengineering.com) more greenhouse gas emissions than wood.

PHOTO Courtesy Conejo Hardwoods

It’s timeless

Wood stands the test of time in design.

“Timeless is a term deserving critical discernment and thoughtfulness,” Mondet explained. “It points toward an extremely rare and intimate group of ‘things,’ which are beyond time and fashion. And among such icons, we recognize raw wood elements as the ‘elder.’”

makes you feel better emotionally, it contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones.”

If you’re now convinced wood reigns supreme in the design accent world, it’s time to consider what types of wood you want to bring into your home—and where.

The sounds of silence

Wood is also the perfect accent material if you’re in a metal band… or you just like loud music.

A wood-paneled wall, folding wood divider, or a planked ceiling helps with the noise. The lignin and cellulose in timber have a chemical composition that helps absorb it and act as an acoustic insulator.

Save on your AC and heat bill

Wood cells contain air pockets, which allow them to absorb and contain hot and cool air. A home with wooden walls, ceiling, or paneling accents better insulates the room, reducing the need for heating and cooling and reducing the energy bill.

What’s more, “wood, like many natural materials, is hygroscopic; it takes on moisture from the surrounding environment,” according to the US Forest Service. The next time there’s an especially muggy day, you can thank your oak sideboard for pulling some of the moisture from the air.

It’s good for your health

“Decorating with wood,” Cunningham said, “showcases a tree’s second life, which we believe brings pleasure and connects you to nature. “

And nature, it turns out, is really good for you.

“Being in nature,” Louise Delagran, from the University of Minnesota, said, “or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only

Any type of wood can be incorporated into home accents, but the most common types you’ll see include oak, cheery, pine beech, teak, alder, maple, walnut, poplar, birch, and mahogany. Lighter woods like oak and pine bring a soft warmth to any room, while a dark cherry or walnut lends a sense of timeless elegance or sleek modernity. The red-hued cedar wood is no longer only for sea chests or bridal trousseaus; consider a modern, minimalist cedar kitchen stool set.

Perhaps a hint of the timeless tropics with some waterproof bathroom cabinets or window frames is needed? Or a smooth, luxurious rosewood headboard? For those wishing to bring in a true sense of nature, a live-edge wood dining or coffee table brings an “authentic, very organic” design, Mondet suggested.

“Our favorite wood is from oak and eucalyptus trees,” Cunningham said. “The grain patterns are more interesting than other wood, and the deep rich colors are very unique and stunning. Although much more difficult to work with because of their density and longer curing time, they offer so much more quality, longevity, and beauty than average woods when used to make home decor.”

Another extremely durable wood, teak, is a prime choice for outof-doors decor.

“It’s designed to last in the outdoor elements,” said Palacios. “This exotic hardwood is the strongest of the hardwoods and perfect for outdoor furniture.”

So, the next time you consider a new side table, statue, or settee, consider choosing something made from wood, unequivocally the best decor material around.

Article was written in collaboration with: Conejo Hardwood, BC Gallery and Teak Warehouse.

PHOTO Courtesy TEAK WAREHOUSE

PREFAB AND CUSTOM ARE NO LONGER OPPOSITES a

By stephen laphen

Homeowners can explore a variety of new home designs that are prefabricated and ready for expedited builds.

It may be surprising to learn that there are more than seven million prefabricated homes in the United States. In fact, this comes out to almost 8 percent of all single-family homes. Why? Because building a home using prefabricated materials is more popular than ever.

Many people assume there is a sacrifice of customiza tion when building a prefab. But the reality is that this isn’t necessarily the case. Homeowners can explore a variety of new home designs that are prefabricated and ready for expedited builds. Many companies now allow the homeowner to be a significant voice in the final con struction of a house.

WHY PREFAB AND CUSTOMIZATION ARE NO LONGER OPPOSITES

Historically, prefabricated homes have used a standard set of materials that allowed little room for customiza tion. Now, companies have started to produce panels that can be mixed and matched based on customers’ design goals. With panelized prefabrication, a prefabri cated setup doesn’t have to mean preordained. It can be the best of both worlds.

PROS OF A PREFABRICATED BUILD

Energy Efficiency

While it is not necessarily an advantage that most people think of at first, the reality is that prefabricated homes are usually highly energy efficient. Prefabricated materi als can have much tighter seams along their edges, and windows that are sealed tighter to the rest of the wall they sit on. Modern materials make it easier than ever to get state-of-the-art windows with maximum energy effi ciency. Ultimately, prefabricated homes can help lower your carbon footprint.

A prefabricated home or modular home construction is very effective at withstanding natural disasters. If a home can withstand a hurricane easily, then it is structurally well-built to produce excellent energy efficiency day in and day out.

Faster Builds

Of course, the most obvious advantage to building a prefab home is that you can do so in a much shorter time frame. Although there is time factored in for ob taining permits and other basic licensing for the house, it is ultimately a faster build—which means a cost re duction of labor on-site and other uncontrollable factors like weather delays. All the materials in a prefab home are made ahead of time, so it is just a matter of putting them together, and connecting your home to needed utilities—and then you’re ready to move in.

Cost Controls

The need for fewer laborers for a shorter period of time leads to dramatic cost savings. Building an energy ef ficiency home saves hundreds—if not thousands—over the course of a year.

CONCESSIONS OF PREFAB HOMES

As customization has become an increasingly popular option among prefabricated homeowners, there is, how ever, a slight cost premium to have more control over your build. But most homeowners note it is well worth it.

There are also various climates, locations and budgets where a prefab home is not the better choice. It is im portant to consider all options when choosing a plan for a new home. Often the best route is to speak to a professional whether your budget is the right fit or your property is in the right location.

BUILDING A HOME USING CUSTOMIZED PREFAB MATERIALS

The most important thing to remember at the end of the day is that building a home using prefabricated materi als doesn’t mean sacrificing your dream home. By work ing with the right company, you’ll be able to set up a customized plan that maximizes your specific goals while also keeps costs down.

Stillwater Dwellings is an exclusive architectural firm spe cializing in high-end prefab homes; stillwaterdwellings.com

photos courtesy of Stillwater Dwellings

Comforting Colors get

By MAYA WILLIAMS Photos courtesy of MAYA WILLIAMS Design

Green is a color of abundance, richness, and prosperity

When going about one’s day-to-day, just how much our surrounding color affects our emotional state of mind isn’t consciously top of mind. But we can’t escape colors that immerse us daily. And, whether you recognize it or not, the colors of what we experience commonly have been planned out, so we feel a certain subconscious response.

The color you find yourself surrounded in will often play into your mood and can have a positive or negative effect on your psychological state of mind. As an interior designer and color theorist, I use color in spaces to create the desired mood my clients most often want to achieve.

continued 

For interiors, color is generally placed into two main categories. Warm and Cool.

Warm colors, such as reds, yellows, and oranges, can spark a variety of sensations ranging from excitement, confidence, and warmth. Warm colors are bold and youthful but can also evoke a feeling of hostility and anger if done incorrectly or not in the right proportion.

Conversely, cool colors like greens, blues, and purples often spark feelings of strength, dependability, health, and wellness. However, when cooler colors are not used correctly, they can induce a sense of sadness and melancholy. That’s why it is essential to get the proportions right so the colors can play off one another and create the mood you most want to feel daily.

Neutral colors, more often than not, fall into the cool color spectrum and conjure feelings of balance and comfort and can be both feminine and masculine, which are timeless. Since neutral colors are also very practical, designers use them in their client’s homes as a base and then strategically sprinkle in the emotional colors.

The energy, romance, and optimism of warm colors tend to be much more stimulating, and because they are more reflective in light, the saturation levels of the specific colors need to be carefully selected. You may not want to paint an entire room a warm color but methodically using them as accents in a spot you desire to direct attention to works wonders.

Cool Colors — purples, blues, and greens, all tend to be more calming and peaceful, and they bring out clarity and ambition. The color blue, historically the most favored color for Americans, has been proven to lower blood pressure and positively affect one’s respiration rate. It’s an excellent color for rooms you’d like to spend a lot of time in. The bedroom is a great place to use cool colors as they help you relax and are comforting.

My preferred color for comfort is green, which just so happens to be my signature color since my interior design practice is focused on holistic wellness, positivity, and prosperity.

The shades and spectrum of greens are universally associated with nature and represent balance and renewal. The refreshing color also embodies growth, safety, clarity, and harmony. We think of green with vitality, health, and wealth. After all, it is the color of money!

It has been studied and proven that the human mind and body have a positive reaction to the color green. Pituitary glands are stimulated, muscles relax, and blood histamine levels increase, leading to decreased allergy symptoms. In short, green is calming, stress-relieving, and invigorating.

In application, you can use greens anywhere. If you prefer a hint of it, you can select a fabric that is two-toned with a neutral and green blend to get the slightest hue. If you want a greater impact, bravely select a green wallcovering or wall color to really invigorate a space. Not looking for a green commitment? You can also do a varying range of greens in accessories for some added interest and a pop of color in an otherwise neutral space. And, if you recall last month’s column, there’s no better way to bring the outdoors in than with green foliage.

For a little drama, I suggest using deeper and stronger shades of green in powder rooms, living rooms, and dining rooms. And lighter shades of greens crisp up bedrooms, great rooms, and kitchens. Other colors that green works beautifully with are neutrals, blacks, yellows, and blues. Green is a color you just can’t go wrong with when the mood you’re trying to create is relaxation and comfort.

Photo by Ciro Coelho @ MariSol Malibu

In the Know

The Ultimate Products and Services for the Home

A CLEAR CHOICE IN WINDOWS AND GLASS

From elegant design to estimating, engineering, and shop drawings, Crystal Clear Glass o ers creative solutions for unique projects at the highest quality to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) status. Their state-of-the-art performing products will always meet the project requirements. Visit crystalclearglassinc.com or call (310) 456-8490.

FREEFORM-RESURRECTION

Freeform Wooden Artifacts are the most magnificent examples of such natural o erings. Ironically, they also happen to exist by way of a Second Life, as they were historically abandoned. They bring forth organic artistry, which escapes our understanding and, in doing so, leave our senses in Awe & Wonder. Such Freeforms come in a variety of shapes: Apertures, Bridges, Cantilevers, Bridges & Curls. They can be purposed as Tables, Benches, Stools & Sculpture… or as one’s imagination so desires. CONEJO HARDWOODS in Westlake Village is extremely proud to declare one of the most comprehensive collections of such Freeform Wooden Artifacts, which have all been finished to perfection and ready to deliver. conejohardwoods.com

In the Know

The Ultimate Products and Services for the Home

HANDWOVEN CRAFTSMANSHIP

The Kuba textiles of central Africa inspire this collection. Kuba cloth is handwoven using the strands from ra a palm leaves. The composition ranges in complexity and style but are graphically distinctive. Available at Amadi Carpets 408 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood (310) 659-5353.

With a one-of-a-kind approach to upscale interiors, Collectioni showcases furniture and lighting from Italy and around the world. Located in the original Cadillac showroom, this historical landmark was established in the late 1920s, known for serving Hollywood’s elite, including Elvis Presley. With over 6,000 sq ft of space, high-end o erings are designed by world-famous innovators, including Zaha Hadid, Christophe Pillet, Doriana Mandrelli, and Massimiliano Fuksas; visit collectioni.com

▼ LUXURY INTERIOR SHOWROOM IN THE HEART OF BEVERLY HILLS

SHADES OF ELEGANCE AND PERFORMANCE

Bay Shades o ers exterior roller shades for covering windows, decks, porches, pergolas, and other outdoor patio structures. All exterior roller shade systems are designed to control heat and glare while maintaining the view of the outdoors and are the most e ective shading solution for outdoor living spaces. The benefits of solar shades make them a clear choice for this extension of residential and commercial window treatments. Contact Orly Janiga at (310) 866-8311.

We have images of Mick Jagger reading a Playboy magazine. We have him looking at a Bob Dylan album. Tracy Park

PHotos by SAMANTHA BRAVO

ling Stones

PHOTOS ON DISPLAY IN MALIBU

By Judy Abel

treasure trove of never-before-seen images of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones are on display now in Malibu.

The unexpected and extraordinary behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of the two most prominent rock bands in history made its debut last March at the Tracy Park Gallery, who recently relocated to its new location at Malibu Colony.

Although the Beatles and Rolling Stones may have hit their peak during the well-known “British invasion” of the music scene nearly six decades ago, both bands have endured the test of time and are still considered the greatest rock bands ever.

The previously never-before-seen photos were taken by Bob Bonis, the tour manager of both bands during the height of their Beatlemania period and the meteoric rise of the Rolling Stones, from 1964 to 1966. It was a productive time for both bands and a busy time for Bonis managing the superstars.

Because Bonis had intimate access to the bands, he took their photos behind the scenes on his Leica M3 “which is the best camera you can possibly use,” according to Tracy Park who is showcasing the photographs at her eponymous gallery in Malibu. Bonis took “thousands and thousands of rolls of film."

In 1966, the Beatles famously stopped touring and Bonis put away his camera. He hadn’t developed the archive of film and stored everything away in his basement.

Bonis passed away in 1992, and his wife died 14 years later. When their son was cleaning out their house, he discovered the treasure trove of undeveloped film. With rock stars this important and influential, the newly discovered archive was like discovering plutonium. The rolls of film included proof sheets and detailed notes with dates and locations of the shoots.

Thirty-two of these rare, intimate images went on display at the gallery and are also currently for sale.

Park who recently celebrated her gallery’s relocation and 20th anniversary, described the images as “very personal. We have images of Mick Jagger reading a Playboy magazine. We have him looking at a Bob Dylan album.”

One striking image is of Mick Jagger in a hotel room

watching a Rolling Stones performance on TV.

“He’s on the television, so Bob woke him up, and there’s the photo of him awake watching himself on TV,” Park shared. “The one beautiful thing about all these images, too, is there are descriptions for everything.”

Many of the photographs of the Beatles were taken after they were asked to leave the Ambassador Hotel. It seems the commotion from fans and paparazzi was too overwhelming so the group decamped to a private residence in Bel Air. The photos capture the Beatles in unguarded moments, never before seen.

“Nobody was there except for the Beatles and their tour manager,” Park explained. “The pictures are insane. They’re gorgeous.”

After Bonis’ son passed away, the photo archive went to a friend who curated the images now on display in Malibu. Of only 32 framed photographs on the gallery walls, Park called the reception to the images overwhelming. The artist-proof photos will have a very limited run to maintain their rare status.

The Lost Images of Bob Bonis show is available to view at the Tracy Park Gallery located in the Malibu Colony Plaza, 23823 Malibu Road, or visit online at tracyparkgallery.com.

The pictures are insane. They're gorgeous.

Autumn Events in Malibu

SEPTEMBER 9

SEPTEMBER 8

CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE AT PEPPERDINE: LET IT BE: Released in the summer of 1970, Let It Be is the Beatles’ twelfth and final studio album. Issued almost a month after the band’s breakup, the album spawned some of the band’s biggest hits and marked the end of an era. Classic Albums Live takes the pure listening experience of “Across the Universe,” “Let It Be,” “Get Back,” and all the hits you love back to the vibrancy of the stage, with note for note, cut for cut accuracy. For more information, visit arts. pepperdine.edu/events.

SEPTEMBER 8 - OCTOBER 1

OUTDOOR CLASSICAL THEATRE: OEDIPUS AT THE GETTY VILLA. In this visually rich, innovative reimagining of Sophocles’s classic play, King Oedipus is confronted not only with legacy and destiny, but also culture and language as he uncovers the multiple truths of his terrible fate to kill his father and marry his mother. This fresh take, by Los Angeles’s Tony Award-winning Deaf West Theatre, is a bilingual production in American Sign Language and English. Oedipus deals with adult subject matter that is not recommended for persons under the age of 12. By Sophocles, directed and adapted by Jenny Koons. ASL Adaptation by Andrew Morrill and Alexandria Wailes. Co-produced by Deaf West Theatre. The Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, one mile north of Sunset on PCH. For more information on the event or any other outdoor theatre production at the Getty Villa, visit getty.edu/museum.

SUNSET HIKE AT CHARMLEE WILDERNESS PARK Enjoy a hike during the Golden Hour at Charmlee Wilderness Park. Explore the oak and sycamore trees. Learn about the region’s history and ecosystem. The view from the vista will be the perfect backdrop. Hiking boots, or sturdy closed-toe shoes, are recommended. Bring water, and dress in layers. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Trails are not stroller friendly. Registration is required for all hikes by visiting MalibuCity.org/Register.

SEPTEMBER 11

SEPTEMBER 9 - OCTOBER 2

THEATRE PALISADES PRESENTS: NUNSENSE Nunsense is a hilarious spoof about the misadventures of five nuns trying to manage a fundraiser. Sadly, the rest of the sisterhood died from botulism after eating vichyssoise prepared by Sister Julia Child of God. Thus, the remaining nuns – balletloving Sister Leo, street-wise Sister Robert Anne, befuddled Sister Mary Amnesia, the Mother Superior Sister Regina, and mistress of the novices Sister Mary Hubert – stage a talent show in order to raise the money to bury their dearly departed. With catchy songs and irreverent comedy, Nunsenseis sure to keep audiences rolling with laughter. Book, music, and lyrics by Dan Goggin. Directed by Alta Abbott. Musical Director Bill Wolfe Choreography by Victoria Miller Produced by Martha Hunter and Sherman Wayne. The play runs from September 9 through October 2 at the Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Road. For more information, visit theatrepalisades.org.

PEPPERDINE: WAVES OF FLAGS Each September, Pepperdine University stages the Waves of Flags display honoring the lives lost in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, with nearly 3,000 flags in Alumni Park along Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road—one for each innocent victim, including a national flag for each foreign country that lost a citizen in the attack. Started by students in 2008, Waves of Flags has become a Pepperdine tradition that attracts attention and admiration across the country. It has come to transcend the commemoration of a single tragic day. The display educates both students and people far beyond our campus about the history of our country and the overwhelming sacrifices that heroic men and women have made to keep it safe, prosperous, and free.

SEPTEMBER 17 - 18

The 2XU MALIBU TRIATHLON welcomes athletes and spectators alike gather on the spectacular shores of Malibu for this highly attended event. Triathletes from around the country, corporate teams, professional athletes, Hollywood celebrities, and challenged athletes gather to race on one of the most beautiful race courses in the sport of triathlon, all while supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Whether you are a novice triathlete or a seasoned veteran, a weekend warrior, or a fan of one, join them for a beautiful day at the beach. For more information, visit malibutri.com.

SEPTEMBER 20 - 24

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST By Oscar Wilde and directed by Bradley Gri n, this classic English comedy from the late 19th century involves mistaken identity, dramatic revelations, and high anxiety hijinks in the idyllic English countryside. Playwright Oscar Wilde described his masterpiece as “a trivial comedy for serious people.” If cucumber sandwiches and misplaced handbags get your heart racing, this is the play for you. The play runs from Tuesday, September 20 through Saturday, September 24. No late seating is allowed. Join a talk back with the actors and director after the Wednesday, September 21 performance presented by Pepperdine Theatre Department. To learn more about Friends of the Theatre and unique member benefits, visit arts.pepperdine.edu/events.

OCTOBER 4

Jane Austen’s ultimate romantic comedy PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, PRESENTED BY AQUILA THEATRE, has stood the test of time. Filled with unforgettable characters, including Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, Austen humorously skewers the hypocrisies and absurdities of the English class system. Aquila Theatre brings her thrilling classic to life through their innovative adaptation, which the New Yorker calls “beautifully spoken, dramatically revealing and crystalline in e ect.” aquilatheatre.com for ticket information, visit arts.pepperdine.edu/ events.

OCTOBER 8

HAUNTED HIKE AT CHARMLEE WILDERNESS PARK Meet at Charmlee Wilderness Park for a naturalist-led haunted hike under the full moon. The hike will feature a trail lit by neon lights, scary stories, and ghoulish creatures that come out at night. An adult must accompany participants under 13. Participants should feel comfortable walking on uneven terrain at night. Pre-registration is required by Wednesday, October 5, at MalibuCity. org/Register

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 SYNCOPATED LADIES is a Los Angelesbased all-female tap dance band renowned for its “rhythmic virtuosity” (New York Times) and electrifying performances. With 100 million views on its viral videos and counting, the band has worked with pop icon Beyoncé, performed for So You Think You Can Dance, Good Morning America, and the US Open—and now brings its intricate and fierce footwork to the Smothers stage syncopatedladies.com for ticket information, visit arts.pepperdine.edu/events.

international success and making him the first artist in music history to have separate records topping four di erent charts. peabobryson2.com. For ticket information, visit arts.pepperdine.edu/events.

OCTOBER 20

PEPPERDINE ORCHESTRA AND WIND ENSEMBLE PRESENTED BY PEPPERDINE MUSIC Long-Tao Tang, Director, the Pepperdine Wind Ensemble is comprised of the most talented wind, brass, and percussion students on the campus. Its repertoire ranges from traditional band literature, one-on-apart chamber works, world premieres to contemporary works for wind bands. The Pepperdine University Orchestra performs a range of classical and contemporary repertoire, providing students the opportunity to perform great orchestral music in a positive environment while striving for the highest standards of excellence in performance. For ticket information, visit arts.pepperdine.edu/ events.

OCTOBER 22

Two-time GRAMMY and Oscar Award–winner PEABO BRYSON is one of the premier vocalists of contemporary music over the last quarter century. Possessing a beautifully rich, almost operatic voice, Bryson has released more than 20 albums, enjoying an unprecedented level of

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23 SHADES OF DJANGO

FEATURING STEPHANE WREMBEL Guitarist Django Reinhardt (1910–1953), the creator of what is now known as “gypsy jazz,” is regarded as one of the most influential musicians to emerge from Europe in the 20th century. Shades of Django, created by French-born guitarist and composer Stephane Wrembel and featuring a world-class band, pays tribute to the many elements of Reinhardt’s legacy with a musical journey from swing to bebop impressionism to New Orleans jazz. For ticket information, visit arts.pepperdine.edu/events

OCTOBER 25

TAIMANE Born and raised in Hawaii of Hapa Samoan descent, ukulele virtuoso and songwriter Taimane morphs genres that stretch her instrument far beyond the familiar melodies of the island, whether delicately finger-picking through Bach or radically ripping through Led Zeppelin. Experience the fierceness of a rock star filtered through the intoxicating sweetness of the ukulele, and see why Taimane is quickly becoming a global cultural beacon. Taimane.com. For ticket information, visit arts. pepperdine.edu/events.

Across

1 Self storage billionaire selling her Malibu mansion, 2 words

7 Hollywood status, 2 words

10 Govt. watchdog, abbr.

11 Raptor found in the Santa Monica Moun tains

13 Malibu beach where you can enjoy the intriguing rocky outcrops and caves and enjoy gorgeous sunsets, 2 words

16 Hollywood Bowl, e.g.

18 Tallest cascade in the Santa Monica Mountains, goes with 65 down

21 Southern California islands 23 Parking place

25 Santa ___ , California

26 It ebbs and flows

29 Canyon in the Santa Monica mountains

32 Historic Malibu house sometimes called “The Taj Mahal of Tile”

33 Des Moines state, abbr.

34 Area offering a good view, e.g. Mulhol land Drive

35 Dish you can enjoy at Malibu Seafood

38 Editorial marks on old manuscripts

40 French for key

41 Backdrop for Sandy and Danny falling in love in Grease

42 ___ -di-dah

44 Bob Hope Airport city Coves

48 Letters on a Lexus

49 Cool sculpture medium

51 “Barbara __”: Beach Boys hit Spectacular rock shape seen in some Malibu beaches

54 Repeated intro sound to “Barbara Ann”

56 Creature on the California state flag, 2 words

59 Jewelry unit

61 Provide food for the party Popular local source for groceries, 2 words

63 Island visible from Malibu In the distance Japanese restaurant in Malibu with a great sea view

68 Area

69 Great local spot for anglers, 2 words

73 WhatsApp co-founder who owns two mansions on the Malibu shores, 2 words Sculpted bird in Malibu’s Legacy Park Lavender bloom Soul from Seoul? e.g. Degree earned at the Graziadio Business

School, abbr.

79 Package delivery org.

Across 1 Self storage billionaire selling her Malibu mansion, 2 words

81 Big parties Pulp Fiction star, Thurman Tranquil

7 Hollywood status, 2 words

10 Govt. watchdog, abbr.

Down

1 Iconic Malibu attraction showing off art from Greek, Roman and Etruscan civilizations, 3 words

30 Black ____ event Elegant Falcon’s talon Goes up Pullet

21 Southern California islands

23 Parking place

25 Santa ___ , California

26 It ebbs and flows

11 Raptor found in the Santa Monica Mountains

13 Malibu beach where you can enjoy the intriguing rocky outcrops and caves and enjoy gorgeous sunsets, 2 words

39 On the sheltered side, at sea Temple near Malibu dedicated to the god Shiva Loveliness Small Malibu beach

29 Canyon in the Santa Monica mountains

32 Historic Malibu house sometimes called "The Taj Mahal of Tile"

33 Des Moines state, abbr.

2 LA’s The ___ Castle in Hollywood 3 Function ___ Collins (gin drink)

16 Hollywood Bowl, e.g.

5 Big wine holder

6 “The ___ Road” (originally part of PCH)

18 Tallest cascade in the Santa Monica Mountains, goes with 65 down

7 Business promotion

8 Gorgeous venue used for the Best Buddies gala fundraiser celebrating mothers, 3 words

9 Ray-Bans, e.g.

10 Face of a building Very long time Was ahead in a race Large tree California mission estates Wedding words Covert __: spy activities Special effects, abbr. St. crossers, in Manhattan Musician Yoko Lot of noise Good ___ TV cooking show Weaken

47 Malibu State Park named after a conserva tionist and actor, 2 words Purple blue flower

34 Area offering a good view, e.g. Mulholland Drive

35 Dish you can enjoy at Malibu Seafood

53 Western omelet component Mon-Li, for example Court figure, abbr. Buddhist temple

38 Editorial marks on old manuscripts

58 ___ Air: LA hotel on Stone Canyon Road The Farm Restaurant’s _____ mimosas Preserve Berkeley university nickname Plot measure See 18 across Rock groups Fine Malibu beach Verbal white flag Copper roof shape in an iconic Malibu home on Cayman Road

72 Pepperdine graduate, e.g. Triangular sail Global financial institution, abbr. Dad

Eyes on Malibu

Each Issue, we highlight readers, photographers, Instagrammers and #malibutimesmag posts as they depict the beauty of Malibu through their own lens.

CATCHING THE LAST WAVES AT SUNSET

PHOTO BY LISA MCKEAN

PHOTO BY SALLY DIBAEI

A BEAUTIFUL DAY ON WESTWARD BEACH WATCHING SAIL BOATS.

PHOTO BY KHENRY

SUNSET AND HONEYSUCKLES OVER EL MATADOR

PHOTO BY DAVID PEPPER

RESCUE DOGGIES AT MALIBU LEGACY PARK

PHOTO BY

A Beautiful Journey

PHOTO BY JAZAN KOZMA | JAZANKOZMAPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

The Malibu Creek gorge is a serene spot for the hikers who make the trek.

Send in your photos of Malibu (300 DPI resolution JPEG or TIFF) for consideration in Malibu Times Magazine’s Last Look to editorial@malibutimes.com or by mail to P.O. Box 1127, Malibu, California, 90265 Please include your full name, social media handles and a description of the photo