Category: Design

One of Costa Mesa’s classiest corners is calling it quits after — *gasp* — 99 years in business. Von Hemert Interiors has been a mainstay at 1595 Newport Blvd., on the southern edge of Westside en route to Newport Beach, since the late 1970s. However, the business itself dates to 1920 and founder Anna Martin von Hemert, an immigrant who came to America from Europe…

Despite our city’s size (112,000 residents or so) – a fair number of the neighbors we interview cite ‘that small-town feel’ as one of their favorite things about Costa Mesa. So what gives our town such a homey vibe? And why – no matter how robust the population becomes – does it still feel so much like ‘Costa Mayberry?’ Well, one of our theories is that it’s because so many people who grow up in Costa Mesa, stay in Costa Mesa. The city has a vigorous representation of multi-generation families, all living, working and supporting each other within these 16-square miles.

Here at I Heart Costa Mesa, we think every day spent in our beautiful city is reason to celebrate – and we’re in good company! Today’s featured Costa Mesans are truly the life of the party… as in, you’d be hard-pressed to throw one without them. They are so interwoven into the festivity fabric of our city, chances are you’ve already attended at least one party (and likely many, many more) outfitted by Baker Party Rentals…

Every once in a while we stumble upon a “costamazing” little find with a “je ne said quoi” that really bates our breath. And this week’s feature brings the magic in the all the best, most-antiquey and frenchiest ways possible. We’re talking about the lovely, little-corner, quonset hut….

When was the last time you crafted something from scratch? Built something by hand? In a world...

Naive. Unrealistic. Gullible. When people discover I Heart Costa Mesa is an online magazine dedicated to celebrating our city and only focusing on the good – they think we are blinded to all the difficulties and injustices in the world. But the truth is, we are painfully aware of it all – the brutal as well as the beautiful. It’s just that our team has made a very deliberate, conscious decision to feed the stories that highlight the everyday good, the positive, the productive. Because we want this project to embody what so many of you already know… that the secret to leading a happy life is all in how you frame it. And when it comes to productivity, positivity and frames, nobody walks that talk better than the hardworking couple-preneurs – Medi and Kristen Bendanna – over at Best Framing.

Happiness on the Mesa comes in many forms. Sometimes, it’s a beautifully-prepared meal. Other times, getting a good sweat going. Maybe your happy place is a community-led collaboration – or just the feeling of coming home to your favorite neighborhood. Yes, finding your bliss in the everyday is the secret to joie de vivre – where delight can come from something as simple as a charmingly-wrapped box. And if “brown paper packages tied up with string” are no longer one of your favorite things, consider stepping up your wrapping and shipping game with today’s featured business, Boxfli.

Getting out to lavish love on our city, each week, has unearthed many unexpected delights. New people, new places, new perspectives – Costa Mesa truly sows seeds of wonder around every turn. And today’s feature is a perfect example of one such accidental, yet serendipitous surprise. A few months ago, we were driving through adorable Eastside when we saw a sight that stirred us to a screeching halt. There, before us, was a rustic-yet-retro, charming-yet-contemporary, coordinated-yet-casual residential landscape being installed at the feet of a cute, little cottage. Besmitten with all-things-Costa-Mesa as we are, we just had to meet the genius behind this gawk-worthy garden.