SANTA MONICA: Alison Martino, behind the Vintage LA website, created a furor a few days ago on Facebook when she described plans for separate mixed-use projects to replace a Norms and a Denny’s on Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica as “tragic.” While she received no shortage of support, others were flummoxed as to why anyone would shed tears over the loss of two chain restaurants with dubious food, even with Norm’s Googie design. Martino responded later, saying it wasn’t about Denny’s or Norm’s, but “about over building, creating more traffic and greed!!!!!” and on and on about how losing the diners will lead to the Capitol Records building getting knocked down–more than 3,700 people liked her post by Friday afternoon. Screams of traffic armageddon ran rampant through the comments, though as Santa Monica Patch points out, the developers plan on creating developments with 100 units each and they’ll both be near the Expo Line. [Facebook]

THE INTERNET: It’s Pets on Furniture contest time again! Furniture company Modernica will start accepting adorable cat/Bertoia chair, dog/Eames rocker, iguana/Barcelona couch, etc. photos on Monday, January 14 for its annual contest. Voting in round one starts on January 21. [Curbed Inbox]

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CITYWIDE: Racked released their updated list of the 38 most essential LA shops. Men’s, women’s, designer, vintage—it’s all there.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: Take a spin around the Rick Owens furniture exhibit at Maxfield. Reports Racked, “these are home furnishings made for aesthetes with really big living rooms and a desire to surround themselves in a Brutalist cocoon of blackened fossilized woods or perch upon massively lengthy chaises, for which custom cushions can be made.” The prices start at $ 10,000.

MID-CITY: Designer boutique EM & Co is moving on from its longtime home on West Third to a new storefront in Beverly Hills. To celebrate (and to help clean out stock in preparation for the relocation) they’re hosting a “killer sale with markdowns up to 90% off.”
· Racked LA [Official Site]

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