Every home has its own personality and Beachy Keen is no exception. The owners of the Beachy Keen vacation home have an appreciation for art with a slight bit of whimsy. So they have made it a priority to incorporate a variety of distinctive art pieces from local artists throughout the home to capture the essence of Beachy Keen — cool, calm, and beachy.
Guests often remark on these unique art pieces. One once commented, “This bright and airy home has so many interesting art pieces to enjoy. The seashell coffee table, blown glass chandelier, and Orca photograph were our favorites, but the kids can’t wait to go back to the Octopus house real soon!”
Read on to learn more about some of these pieces!
Milano Glass Chandelier
Hanging above the living room is a hand blown Milano glass chandelier reminiscent of a yet-undiscovered sea creature pulled from the depths of the ocean. There are 140 blown glass pieces in shades of blue, clear, and white glass that glitter in the California sunshine and cool sea breeze.
Custom Seashell Coffee Table
Featured in Concrete Décor magazine, this custom coffee table is a stellar example of polished cast concrete by a local artisan in Oxnard beach. The table was created using locally collected seashells and abalone shells combined with white concrete, an all-sided mirror, and crushed clear glass. The custom mixture was cast into chipped stone edge forms and cast in place.
The 54-by-44-inch table was cast in three pieces — the top and two side legs. In the Concrete Décor article Cast, Broken-Edge Table Adds Casual-Cool Vibe to Beach House, artist Scott Cohen states, “It’s really hard to capture the beauty of this table in a photograph. It’s absolutely magical the way the color changes as you move around the piece. As the light reflects on the abalone it changes from magenta to blue to green.” You have to visit Beachy Keen to see it for yourself!
The finished piece looks like a slab of polished stone pulled from the sea and perfectly complements the nautical theme of the house.
Beachy Fire Pit
The art even expands outside! The backyard features a large 11-foot long fire pit that was fabricated in place by a local concrete artisan. The owners shared, “We wanted a focal point for families and friends to gather around and warm those cool Oxnard beach evenings. It’s become a guest favorite as it ends up being the gathering point for cocktails and late night storytelling.”
The fire pit was cast in place with white concrete, sea shells, and beach sand sourced from the nearby Mandalay Beach. The monolithic feature was polished to a smooth-as-glass finish. Deep sea blue glass jellybeans create a warm glow and a terrific place to roast marshmallows for the entire family. One happy guest mentioned that, “Our family had dinner outside every night and the evening wasn’t complete until we roasted marshmallows and told stories by the fire.”
Octopi Mural
In the main living room upstairs, there is a beautiful Octopi mural by local artisan, Lisa Kelly. Lisa has been painting professionally since 1979 and is well known in the Ventura Beach community for her one of a kind murals that adorn offices, schools, and fine dining establishments. Although originally from Ohio, her canvas artwork has been exhibited all over the United States from New York, to Hawaii and almost everywhere in between.
The mural she created for Beachy Keen is a study of different types of Octopi in a variety of different positions. The entire mural is painted in shades of blue to enhance the nautically themed home and match the living room décor.
The owners of Beachy Keen also commissioned Lisa to paint 8 silk pillows for the lounge, each with a different sea creature, but all in the same subtle shades of blue.
Orca Whale Photo
The Beachy Keen owners first thought the Orca whale at the famous Arch rock was photoshopped when visiting the Latitudes Gallery in downtown Ventura. “I was explaining to my wife that the photo had to be photoshopped because I didn’t believe there were any Orcas in the Channel Islands” the Beachy Keen owner said. Just then, the artist, Steve Munch approached from behind and said, “I actually took that photo and I assure you it was not photoshopped.”
He went on to explain that this pod of Orcas were hunting dolphins that day and he witnessed the entire event. The story of the Orca pod and that entire photo shoot is written up in the Latitudes photo book (featuring some of Steve’s best work) that is always featured prominently on the coffee table when you arrive at Beachy Keen.
These are just some of many stunning art pieces featured at Beachy Keen. Book your stay today to see them all in person!