A Venice remodel stirs the waters

THANK you for the story about the woman who buried herself financially in her Venice Canal remodel [“Her Decision: Sink or Swim?” May 18].

To me, the story was less about real estate or investing than the weakness that seems to afflict us all in this town: vanity.

I hope that my children and grandchildren never start dreaming about perfect window views and bathroom tiles. The beauty in this lifetime is in the planet’s wildlife and in our hearts, not in doomed attempts to create domestic physical perfection.

MIKE RODDY

Joshua Tree

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REGARDING the Venice home of Lynda Taylor: The information in your story about miscalculations of the existing structure, new walls in which plumbing pipes don’t fit, and the difficulties achieving a water-shedding roof places real, licensed architects like me in a very bad light.

When an architect gives a formal proposal to the client on which a professional fee is calculated, that fee is not arbitrarily tripled, as the article suggests.

If Taylor’s designer was unlicensed and hired by the hour like one of her day laborers, then that fact should have been emphasized.

JOHN MALONEY

Culver City

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CAN’T tell you how strongly your article hit home! We began a remodel in October 2003. We’re just about to get the Certificate of Occupancy for our three-unit Craftsman in Silver Lake.

What started out to be a $200,000 extensive rehab turned out to be a $600,000-plus tear-down with one wall standing. After hiring and firing a contractor who used someone else’s license, we acted as our own contractors.

The stories of our experiences, good and bad, are endless. We could go on for hours. There were moments when we really wanted to dump the property.

We could have sold to an investor who could have built nine to 12 apartments or condos. But sitting on the steps looking at the panoramic views of Los Angeles kept us going. It’s all paid off.

It’s our dream home, and we have income from the rentals. And, we are really proud of what we have completed.

FRANK BOYLE

RAY LOPEZ

Los Angeles

These are shells with a conscience

ANITA O’CONNELL wrote a letter last week regarding Cameron Brunner’s home and the source of seashells used in my artwork for the home [“Shabby Chic, All Grown Up,” May 11].

Most seashells found in stores are sustainable and come from discarded food processing (conch, clams, scallops, abalone, snails, etc.). Many animals grow out of their shells as well, so some pieces are simply picked off beaches.

I got lucky and bought the contents of a seashell store in 1997. The store had been closed for more than 20 years. Occasionally I buy shells for particular projects and only from reputable dealers who get their shells from food or farmed sources.

KIM GORDON

Venice

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