PHOTOS: The party space

By Jan Molen

Sherry Walsh, a former fashion designer, and husband Miguel Nelson, an artist, bought a former smog-check station in Culver City and transformed it into an unusual venue for parties, weddings, movie screenings and more. Remnants of demolition -- wood, brick and an illegal billboard on the property -- were reincorporated into the design of the newly christened SmogShoppe.

Here’s a look at that successful remodel as well as the couple’s second party venue, Marvimon, which Nelson calls a “lost piece of history” near Chinatown. One of Los Angeles’ first auto showrooms has been turned into a free-flowing indoor-outdoor space decorated in vintage furnishings and salvaged materials.

Both party spots are loaded with ideas that DIYers can deploy at home. Here in this image, created by stitching four photos together to capture a 180-degree view, the SmogShoppe’s garage doors (original to the building) are left up to provide shade. Nelson says he used to bring his car here, and occasionally someone wanders in looking to get a smog check. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Sept. 16, 2014 4:48 PM PT

Tony Brown of Reorganica took lumber from the former smog-check shop and created tables and benches for the party venue. The benches are lined up two deep, providing plenty of seating facing the table as well as facing out. The benches also can serve as coffee tables and, when grouped together, as a stage. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

A 1,500-gallon rainwater tank collects irrigation for the plants. Solar panels provide 100% of the electricity. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

The tables were stained with coffee grounds. The bookshelves in the distance were originally used for storage at the smog-check station. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Vintage furniture mixes easily with items from the building’s smog-check era. Faux Egyptian statues found at the Long Beach flea market are playfully reincarnated as plant stands. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Mesh found at the shop was added to the bookshelves. Yellow letters, original to the shop, add a pop of color. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

In an effort to reuse on-site materials, nails from the demolition were turned into a decorative vignette. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Nelson calls this their mini Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. Doors from a flea market and panels from a Pacific Palisades restaurant flank a movie screen. The 6-by-12-foot screen from Stewart Filmscreen in Torrance was fairly affordable at $3,500, he adds. The projector, $6,000, was made by Dwin Electronics in Burbank. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Nelson remodeled the bathroom using “dead stock” Japanese tile from the 1960s that he found at B&W Tile in Gardena. The company also has stores in Riverside and Lake Elsinore. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Walsh decorated the women’s restroom. Local artist James Hill created the dividers using wallpaper, reclaimed steel and reclaimed wood. Industrex obscured glass from the ‘70s separates the toilets and is used near the sink. Hill’s studio will be one of those featured in the Brewery ArtWalk, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 24 and 25, 2100 N. Main St., Los Angeles. (Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)

Near downtown L.A., Walsh and Nelson’s second venue, Marvimon, deploys some clever design techniques of its own. The building had been a showroom built by a retired Italian race car driver in 1924. The couple replaced the dropped ceiling with wooden bow trusses. The indoor-outdoor floor is concrete that was sprinkled with marble chips and seashells just before it hardened. After curing for a month, a quarter-inch was taken off the top with terrazzo grinding tools. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

An iconic free-standing fireplace mixes with steel beams left from the tear-down of a portion of the building, removed to create a courtyard. For a similar fireplace from the 1950s or ‘60s, try Malm and Preway as keywords in your online search. Design Within Reach sells new Malm fireplaces for $1,500 and up. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

The venue’s name came from a sign found in the building. Nelson and Walsh have been unable to track down the origins, but that’s OK with them. They relish the mysterious history in the vintage items they collect. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

The kitchen was positioned to be “the helm of the ship,” says Nelson, pictured here. A collection of vintage lights illuminates the area -- like items grouped to make a collective statement. Glazed Castaic brick was used on the 19-foot island. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Walsh and Nelson like to source vintage items locally. Among their favorite places to find things big and small are the Long Beach Outdoor Antique and Collectible Market, held 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. every third Sunday of the month at Veterans Stadium; the Grove Antique Market at Irvine Valley College, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month, (949) 786-5277; Craigslist; and EBay. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Because Marvimon’s garden space was limited, Walsh and Nelson had nowhere to go but up. That’s how they came up with Woolly Pockets, their solution for creating vertical gardens. The planters are made from recycled plastic bottles that have been industrially felted and can be attached to walls, fences or other upright structures.

Here, plants tucked inside rows of Woolly Pockets form living art in the entry. A moisture barrier at the bottom of the planters keeps in the water. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Doors lined up, side by side, form a wall in the VIP suite. A mirror was added to a turn-of-the century industrial piece. Theatrical drapes help keep down the noise. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Instead of tiling the shower floor, the concrete slab was cut down. The walls are covered in Castaic brick. The Castaic company has been making bricks since the 1950s. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Walsh used everyday plants to create a lush garden. To see more of the venues, check out the websites for Marvimon and SmogShoppe . (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)