Be Inspired by 65 years of Pink

Being to true to yourself is so important in life, but also in your design.  For nearly 25 years, I have been inspired by Phyllis Madonna's courageous use of pink to style her popular Inn in San Luis Obispo.  This well know stop for travelers since December 1958 has been known for their extravagant rooms, excellent food and excessive use of the color "Hot Pink"  Reminiscent of the board game Candyland, it may not be my personal taste for my home, but what an example of a designer who is true to herself. 

While my girls were growing up, we used to enjoy the day before school started with breakfast to celebrate the "new year."  I now go to meet friends and catch up on our careers. You cannot miss this hotel restaurant and event center as you travel north or south on 101 Freeway. The style of Madonna Inn is 19th-century Gothic and Swiss chalet but some describe it more accurately as Swiss Chalet meets Disneyland. What is fun is there are no numbers on the doors of rooms but each room has been given a name and each room is decorated uniquely. Madonna Inn is a hit with locals and many celebrities have visited the Inn too. (Ask the front desk clerk and she'll ramble off a list.) There are one hundred and ten unique rooms, each decorated differently to suit many individual tastes...rock rooms, waterfall showers, extensive fireplaces, European fixtures, and fine furnishings make every room special. 

A collectors item from years past the famous Madonna Inn Goblets in an array of colors.  You'll learn more about them in a future blog as I collect them.

While at the Inn, I took some pictures to share with you (excuse the camera phone quality, they are from my iphone 4)  You can see this beautiful hand carved wooden door when you arrive. There are also more wonderful carving on the walls and stair railings.  There are mirrors everywhere, gilded gold furnishings, fabulous light fixtures and wild bright (pinks) floral carpeting.  All this designed for a feeling of fine dining.  It is “over the top” in bright pink, white lights and flowers. You can't help but feel the passion and purpose the owners felt when building and designing the Inn.

Love the hand carved wooden doors

This is Sammy my good friend looking at that large light fixture that is made out of a wine barrel. In the late 1950's several wood carvers were brought in for the specialty work of hand carving the doors, beams, railings and the many other carved adornments you see here at the Madonna Inn.

Notice the use of white lights, hot pink vinyl and wisteria (Phyllis Madonna's favorite flower)

There are gilded gold frames and mirrors everywhere.  The Madonna Inn provided the backdrop for an episode of ABC's reality series The Bachelor. In the season 14 episode that aired on January 25, 2010, look for this mirrored wall.

I love that when visiting the Inn you can just stroll around and see it all:  Madonna Inn Bakery & Pastry Shop, Copper Café & Coffee Bar, Alex Madonna’s Gold Rush Steak House, Silver Bar Cocktail & Lounge and several boutique shops upstairs. It is amazing and while you are there you must make a stop in their coffee shop and have their Toffee Crunch Cake. It is one of my favorites and I always want a piece on my birthday.

The owners, Phyllis and Alex Madonna, were friends of my grandparents when they lived in San Luis Obispo.  Mr. Madonna, who's known as a rancher and a local philanthropist, with his wife, Phyllis, were the imaginative force behind the Inn.  The story goes that he designed it on a napkin. Everything from the street lights to the vending machines is painted in a shade of pink, which the couple thought set a romantic mood for honeymooners.  (When I was a girl the entire Inn was painted bubblegum pink.)  Mr. Madonna built the Inn with his wife, making sure to consult with her with each and every detail. If nothing else, this trip to Madonna Inn has inspired me to really be true to myself!

If you are interested in checking out the Madonna Inn, you will find it off of HWY 101 on the Central Coast of California (http://www.madonnainn.com/).    The Inn is noticeable right off the freeway with its bright pink and white sign and its stately appearance.  The hotel is a stopping place for travelers from all over the world because of their reputation for excellent food (and lots of it) and unique architecture and design.  It is a wonderful place to meet up with friends and be inspired by something totally unique!