The living room is the first space you see upon entering the McQueen house in Point Loma. Elegant and inviting, it’s a study in transitional style, the blending of modern and traditional décor. “We built the room around these chairs that we loved,” homeowner Natalie McQueen says of her two camel-colored wingback chairs, which are family heirlooms. “I liked the traditional aspects but wanted to add modern elements.” She enlisted Timothy Ruiz and Lauren Manas of Pacific Interiors. They stuck with earth tones to complement the chairs, added marble to the fireplace, and, because the room gets so much light, chose a richer color for the walls, Valley Forge Tan by Benjamin Moore. The J. Redmond sofa and armchairs with Kravet fabric were custom-made to fit the space. Tall plants accentuate the room’s dramatic ceilings. Other modern accents include a coffee table from Williams-Sonoma Home and area rug by Calvin Klein.
Historical Roots
At the perimeter of this outdoor entertaining space lies a storybook stone wall. Covered with fig ivy, the wall was once part of the historic Rosecroft mansion’s begonia gardens. In the 1960s the gardens were closed and replaced by houses, but the wall remains as a historical landmark. Above: Homeowners Tim and Natalie McQueen watch daughter Bridget (8) and son Mitch (4) play. (Furniture by Restoration Hardware, accessories by Pottery Barn, area rug from Scout at Quarters D in Liberty Station)
Flipping Out
Its owners sought to preserve the original character of the house, which was built in 1989. “I wanted the outside to look as traditional as possible,” Natalie McQueen says. Her design team repainted the exterior and added flower boxes and Belgard pavers to the front yard. And yes, that’s eight-year-old Bridget doing a perfect back handspring on the grass. Stick it! (Landscaping by Pedro Ortega; floral arrangements by Erik Schumann)
The McQueens worked with contractor Robert McCarron to completely gut the original kitchen. They kept most of the existing layout, while extending the island and building an overhang with opposing pot racks. Stainless steel appliances give the space an industrial feel. Lava stone countertops and beveled subway tile create a crisp black-and-white aesthetic. For extra warmth and interest, designer Timothy Ruiz suggested adding a section of walnut cabinetry. Although the darker wood is built in, it’s meant to look like a hutch, or stand-alone piece of furniture. “I think it’s one of the best kitchens I’ve ever done,” Ruiz says of the space’s function and style. In the foreground, a whimsical chalkboard wall serves as a place to write messages and notes.
Clean and Simple
In keeping with the transitional style, designer Timothy Ruiz mixed ultra-modern chrome and white leather dining chairs by Bontempi with a classic dining table (another inherited antique). “When you pare everything down, and keep it real clean and simple, that’s how you keep your traditional pieces looking more modern,” Ruiz says. (Photographic painting by local artist Monica Hoover, purchased at Mixture in Little Italy; large seashell centerpiece from Z Gallerie)
Boyish Charm
When four-year-old Mitch outgrew his nursery, his mom and her designers turned his bedroom into a nautical-themed play zone. One essential? Custom built-ins to maximize toy storage. They chose moss-green paint because it was “a little different than the traditional boy colors.” Starfish pulls from San Diego Hardware add a fun seaside touch. The shelves are lined with beloved bedtime books and gifts from friends, like the spotted ukulele. Another gift—an old fishing rod—stands in the corner. “He loves to fish and loves boats,” mom Natalie explains. (Bedding from Serena & Lily, bed and dresser by Stanley Furniture Co.’s Young America)
European Influence
The lone bit of pattern, courtesy of paisley wallpaper and a European area rug, is in the master bedroom sitting area. Here, traditional elements like wicker chairs blend with modern throw pillows from Mixture and an abstract painting. The antique European chest is another family heirloom. “We lived in London when we were young, and my parents brought a lot of stuff back,” Natalie says. “They’ve slowly passed it down to me.” (Chair cushions covered in Robert Allen fabric, wallpaper from Sterling Interiors/Design)
When the filmmaker Cameron Crowe needed a stadium to look like it was from the 1970s for his 2000 movie Almost Famous, he turned to his hometown. He filmed the scene in which protagonist William Miller meets the rock band Stillwater for the first time at Sports Arena Stadium (now called Pechanga Arena).
Twenty-five years after the release of Almost Famous, the 1966 stadium still looks much the same—but maybe not for long. Now the site is slated for a massive revamp dubbed “Midway Rising.” The plan is to replace the original Pechanga Arena (which currently seats about 14,000) with a new 16,000-seat stadium, along with 2,000 affordable apartments, 2,250 market-rate apartments, 130,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, and 14.5 acres of parks and public space.
Courtesy of Pechanga Arena
The team behind the project includes Chelsea Investment Corporation, sports venue developer Legends, and market-rate housing developer Zephyr. It’s funded by real estate investment firm The Kroenke Group.
“I think it’s the opportunity to bring a world-class, modernized entertainment center to the city,” says Zephyr CEO Brad Termini. “Having a new arena at the Midway has been a goal of the city for as long as I’ve lived here, and it feels like we’re really close to delivering that vision, a facility that could attract the globe’s best talent and shows for San Diego.”
The redevelopment began in September 2022, when the San Diego City Council formally selected the Midway Rising team to take on the project. This spring, the draft environmental impact report (EIR) for the project was released, and the team is holding a series of meetings to collect community feedback. The goal is for it to go to the City Council this fall for approval.
Rendering Courtesy of Safdie Rbaines Architects
The Kroenke Group are the majority funders of the project, but Termini says they aren’t ready to state publicly how much it will cost. “It’s evolving. With the crazy construction markets we find ourselves in today, it’s very difficult to peg that, so we’re not releasing any public budget numbers at this time,” he adds.
However, those figures have the potential to be massive. According to the City of San Diego, the project’s affordable housing developer, Chelsea Investment Corporation, led 65 projects in San Diego County and more than 120 throughout Southern California at a total cost of over $3 billion. Meanwhile, Zephyr has headed more than $1 billion in mixed-use developments.
Whatever the final investment, Pechanga Arena will be completely transformed. Termini tells us that the current iteration is too old and outdated to attract big-name concerts. Its loading dock, lighting, and sound aren’t up to current standards.
Courtesy of Pechanga Arena
“It’s kind of like a dive bar—when the lights are low and it’s full, it can still be a fun place,” he says. “But when the lights go up, you really see what’s there. It’s really lacking.”
That rings true for local sports fan Zack Tembi, who regularly attends San Diego Seals lacrosse games at the old stadium. “It’s just stale,” he says. “San Diego isn’t known for being a sports city, right? So, if we have something that can attract good events and talent, I’m all about that.”
Ideally, Tembi adds, the vision would expand beyond the stadium.
“I think they should make more of a community center, like what you see with most of the modern stadiums,” he continues. “Things that are accessible around the stadium—whether it’s parks or shops or restaurants—that bring people in even when there’s no event. I’d also love to see things around the stadium that you can go to without needing a ticket. Stuff that’s fun, like a restaurant with golf simulators or interactive experiences. Just more ways people in the community can use the space all the time, not just when there’s a concert or a game.”
Courtesy of Pechanga Arena
While there’s no promise of golf simulators just yet, developers do intend to include lots of retail and restaurant space, along with public parks. Termini says his team predicts it will have a massive economic impact—perhaps equivalent to the three largest events the San Diego Convention Center hosts every year, including Comic-Con.
Christina Bibler, director of economic development for the City of San Diego, is excited about the project’s potential effects. “Just the sheer magnitude and size of a 48-acre parcel that is going to [have a ton of housing units and create many] jobs—it will be legacy-leaving for Midway,” she says. “[We’re looking at] more amenities, increased revenue, and the revitalization of a site that hasn’t really been revitalized since the mid-1960s.”
The project is a major priority for her team, she explains, because of the affordable housing it will bring and because it will help make better use of the land owned by the city. “Its [value depreciates] when you don’t reinvest,” she says. “This is about revitalizing and catalyzing the Midway area in a way that will have a lasting impact for future generations.”
Rendering Courtesy of Safdie Rbaines Architects
But the surrounding community has concerns. The biggest one for the Peninsula Community Planning Board, which advises the city on developments in that area, is the traffic a bigger stadium will bring.
“Rosecrans Street is already congested, and this project doesn’t fully mitigate that,” says Javier Saunders, head of the group’s long-range planning committee. “We just feel we’re going to be saddled with additional traffic that’s not going to be addressed properly.”
According to Saunders, the project’s current suggested traffic alleviation techniques are laughable. “What they’re proposing is a shuttle bus—one shuttle bus,” he notes. “And then they’re giving their employees public transit passes for the entertainment center as mitigation. I think it’s a slap in the face to the city.”
Courtesy of Pechanga Arena
Saunders says his group would like to see more—particularly a street extension on Greenwood Street and a pedestrian and bike overcrossing at Camino del Rio West—to help manage traffic. The Greenwood Street extension was in the community plan, he says, but it was removed to make more room for development.
The influx of new residences in the area may also increase traffic, but developers are exempt from having to explain how they intend to mitigate those concerns in the impact report because they plan to include affordable housing.
“The next step is to go to the City Council and present our issues,” he adds. “The council can say the benefits outweigh the impacts and approve it as is, or it can say, ‘We’re not going to approve this now. We want you to go back and address some issues.’ [The latter is] what we’re hoping for.”
Rendering Courtesy of Safdie Rbaines Architects
Others in the community bring apprehensions, too, including Clifford Weiler, an attorney who filed a letter in response to the project’s environmental impact report. He says the ground in the area is sinking. In 50 years, he believes, people will move into Midway apartments “and [be unable to] shut their doors. The foundations [will be] cracked or the water pipes [will be] cracked. Even though I’m going to be dead—and you can print that—I want it to be done right so nobody gets stuck with a catastrophe that might happen and the expense of trying to correct it decades from now.”
Jim Royle, the environmental review committee chair for the San Diego County Archaeological Society, also feels the project has not done enough to check for and protect potential archaeological relics, including Native American artifacts, where construction will happen. “The bottom line is that there would have been an expectation for archaeological monitoring for the excavations in the area of the site. And [the developers] don’t even call for monitoring,” he says. “I was surprised, given that they basically acknowledged in the EIR that they don’t know what’s there—because no prior evaluation has been conducted.”
Courtesy of Wikipedia
Zephyr CEO Termini, however, argues that those worries will be addressed in time. “Before we can build anything, there’s a tremendous amount of onsite and off-site infrastructure we need to invest in,” he adds. “That infrastructure won’t just benefit the project—it will benefit the entire Midway community, with traffic improvements, bike lanes, public spaces, and more.”
Plus, he says, the project will be the largest affordable housing project in the history of California, “and those units will be intermixed with market-rate, luxury units, all in a walkable, environmentally friendly community. We plan on delivering housing for all—San Diegans from all walks of life and income levels.”
The success of that goal remains to be seen. After all, the Midway Rising team is still holding public meetings with the goal of getting full approval by the City Council. According to Termini, the soonest we’ll see them break ground is the end of 2026—so Almost Famous fans have a little more time to check out the set where it all began.
Claire Trageser has been writing for San Diego Magazine for 10 years. She also is a reporter at KPBS and writes for The New York Times, National Geographic, Marie Claire, Elle and Runner's World.
A new spin on an old idea has emerged as a possible answer to San Diego’s affordable housing issues: building more accessory dwelling units. Also called granny flats, casitas, or companion units, ADUs are a second small home or apartment on an existing single-family lot separate from the main house. Nationally, ADUs have been touted as a fast and affordable way to increase the housing stock in cities, but for many years it wasn’t easy to build one in San Diego. New state and local laws enacted in 2016 radically changed this, and in 2018, the city of San Diego rolled out permit-ready blueprint guidelines for homeowners to build an ADU on their property, and drastically reduced the fees to do so.
“Depending on the size and type of construction, and permitting and inspection costs, recovery fees can be as low as $2,000 per application. Previously, the cost was between $20,000 and $30,000,” says Gary Geiler, deputy director of San Diego’s Development Services Department.
The building trend is catching on. In 2016, the city received only 19 applications from homeowners wanting to build an ADU. In 2019, nearly 600 came in. Geiler says this boom has been happening citywide, and they anticipate issuing 400 to 500 more permits this year.
On the right stands Stephanie and Don’s original house with Tatiana and Steven’s recently constructed ADU to the left.
Photo Credit: Madison Parker
The Starks family in Point Loma took advantage of the new laws and is now a model for how the ADU living situation can work. Steven and his wife, Tatiana, and their three-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, live in a small two-story home that was built on Steven’s parents’ lot.
Steven and Tatiana met when they both lived in Guangzhou, China, working in the Chimelong Circus—he as a springboard diver, she as an aerial gymnast. They got married, and when Elizabeth was about a year old, they moved in with Steven’s parents, Don and Stephanie.
As the couple searched the county for a home to buy, they had found a townhouse in La Mesa that was within their budget. But Steven says when he looked into getting a loan and started crunching the numbers, the townhouse would’ve been costly in other ways: a long commute, childcare, taxes, HOA fees. And since the Starks are a literal family circus, they had a unique requirement for their new home: a backyard that could accommodate a 13-foot-tall aerial rig that Tatiana uses to practice (without a safety net) when she’s not coaching at the San Diego Circus Center. “You know how HOAs are; they’re not going to let anyone have that in their backyard!” Stephanie jokes.
Photo Credit: Madison Parker
Steven says the inspiration to build an ADU happened during a moment of frustration, when he thought, I’ll just live in the garage. He started doing research and found news articles about the city eliminating the development fees to build an ADU. When he fell down that rabbit hole, he discovered that demolishing the garage in his parents’ backyard and building a self-sufficient, two-story home in its place would cost just 30 percent as much as purchasing the La Mesa townhouse.
It required a construction and remodel loan—significantly less than a loan for a $400,000 home. “At first, I didn’t want it to make sense, and I didn’t want to do it,” Steven admits. “But this was the best option to avoid being house poor in San Diego.”
Photo Credit: Madison Parker
Gregg Cantor of Murray Lampert, a design-build firm that specializes in building ADUs from the ground up, demoed the garage and designed a 956-square-foot home for the young family. “There’s no shared kitchen and no shared laundry. We already did that for two years,” Stephanie laughs. The home has its own entrance, and there’s a gate dividing Steven and Tatiana’s front door from their parents’ patio. “Sometimes I won’t see them for a few days at a time,” Stephanie says. And since they built up, there’s still plenty of room in the backyard for the aerial rig.
After more than six months of construction, Steven and Tatiana moved into their new home in September 2019. He says he’s happy with his decision and thinks it was the right one. “I guess I just had to go big, to go home.”
How a minimalist couple put the modern back into their midcentury Point Loma home, built by Lloyd Ruocco
From the front yard, there are views of the bay, North Island, and beyond Zuñiga Point, the Pacific Ocean.
By Sarah Pfledderer | Photography by Robert Benson
The Glass House on Point Loma
Laila Knight and George Khouli with their dogs, Syria and Rico, styled by Gabriel Feitosa.
It’s four o’clock on a Monday and George Khouli and Laila Knight are right in their happy place: behind the bar.
“What do you want? Open that tequila. We’re having tequila,” Khouli instructs his better half. “Cheers!” Slamming a shot glass on the bar, he declares, “In our house, it’s always happy hour, because it’s a happy home.” It’s also a Lloyd Ruocco home, Knight clarifies. Like Khouli, she’s a bit of an architecture buff. Both immigrants—she from Puerto Rico and he from Syria—the homeowners met over a quarter century ago in San Diego and now own Payless Car Rental together.
Considering the now-open layout and contemporary design, it’s almost inconceivable that their Point Loma stunner was in fact built in 1948 by Ruocco, renowned as one of San Diego’s pioneers of modern architecture. “It gives me chills to think about the mentality of Ruocco back then,” Knight says. “He went way out of the mainstream versus what other architects were doing in San Diego.”
Walnut accent walls, clean lines, and a narrow layout all harken to the era when Ruocco built the 4,500-square-foot home. But it was his choice to wrap the house in glass—every single exterior wall is clear from floor to ceiling—that went against the grain, all in the interest of the real selling point: the view. Khouli stands in the kitchen and gestures out. “No matter how you look, the sun won’t hit you. This is my downtown view here, my ocean view here, my bridge view here. I see cruise ships and I wave.”
Point Loma glass house
Symmetric as can be, the living room is anchored by two Axel leather sofas from Montis, PK22 wicker chairs from Fritz Hansen, and a Circulos Wool Rug by Gandia Blasco.
By the time he stumbled on the three bedroom, four bath in 2015, the view was about the only thing to its credit. “This house was like a diamond in the rough,” he says, noting it was merely a rental property at the time. “I saw the potential, the way the lot was situated, the architecture, that indoor-outdoor feel. It had the bones.”
The Glass House on Point Loma
In the backyard, Khouli pulls back a few shades, installed originally to tone down glare from the white tiling.
He and Knight interviewed what seemed like countless architects throughout Southern California until they landed on their dream team in Jesper Pedersen, a Danish architect and founder of DNA Design Group, and Richard Risner, principal landscape architect at Grounded Modern Landscape Architecture. Over three years, they put the modern back into the midcentury home while maintaining the integrity of Ruocco’s original structure.
The Glass House on Point Loma
Powder-blue egg chairs in the kitchen offer another spot to soak up the view.
Pederson used such a subtly diverse palette that he coined the project “50 Shades of White” and focused on simplicity in the details and accents. That attention can be seen in elements like recessed lighting, a 3D accent wall, dotted tiling in the guest bathroom, and even a TV that pops up from the floor in the living room.
Structurally, opening the layout was his first order of business. He started in the kitchen, ripping out an unassuming cooking area. He replaced it with a 22-foot-long island and installed sleek cabinetry and appliances behind it.
The Glass House on Point Loma
The kitchen’s open layout, including a stark white island and cabinetry balanced out by black bar stools and a dining table and chairs, all by Bonaldo.
On the opposite wing of the house—”This place keeps us young, because we’re in shape from running from one room to the next,” Knight jokes—and through a living room that bridges the backyard and front yard, the master bedroom also got an open-layout overhaul. What was once a “dinky room,” as Knight puts it, now has sliding glass doors instead of walls, and a mere partition separating the bedroom and the master bathroom. The bathroom too has clear exterior walls, and blackout curtains for privacy.
The Glass House on Point Loma
Panoramic views continue in the master bedroom, where three Blu Dot Bumper Ottomans from Hold It lend a pop of color to the space.
“Don’t get me wrong, you can feel like a fishbowl on display,” Knight admits. “In reality, we have a lot of privacy.” That’s thanks to the property’s location 30 feet above street level—further supporting that gorgeous view—and a perimeter of bamboo Risner installed for additional seclusion.
The Glass House on Point Loma
The master bathroom teems with textured tiles.
From the start, he and Pederson worked hand-in-hand to ensure the interior and exterior were as identical and modern as possible. They replaced several of those glass walls with sliding glass doors for an open flow, and they used the exact same Pietro Bianco tile inside and out. There’s a more textured version for safety around the infinity-edge pool, which runs right up to clear fencing for an uninterrupted view.
Risner also ensured the outdoor areas were an extension of the indoors by adding a barbecue off of the kitchen, a terrace and fire pit near the dining area, and seating aplenty in the backyard right by the family room where the bar is. “It’s basically creating a house on the outside of your house,” he explains.
Point Loma glass house
The homeowners enjoy a game of fetch with their pups on the artificial front lawn.
As for the interior design, the homeowners trusted only themselves with seeing through their minimalist-meets-modern aesthetic, which meant that one element would be stripped entirely—artwork. There’s not a lick of it in the house. “When you have this kind of gift,” Khouli says, “you want to minimize the interior as much as possible, because you don’t want it to take away from the outside elements.”
Paraphrasing Ruocco’s own philosophy, Knight adds, “This is your artwork: your landscape, your view.”
Point Loma glass house
An exterior view of the master bedroom.
The Glass House on Point Loma
From the front yard, there are views of the bay, North Island, and beyond Zuñiga Point, the Pacific Ocean.
Renewable energy companies building hundreds of power plants. Biotech startups using artificial intelligence to create personalized medicine for children with rare diseases. Hospitality companies quietly powering thousands of local events. Consumer brands growing from beach-town startups into national businesses. These are the kinds of companies driving San Diego’s economy today, and the businesses recognized at this year’s San Diego Business Impact Awards offer a snapshot of where the region is headed.
Hosted July 23 by San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) and JPMorganChase, the second annual awards event honored four local companies for innovation, growth, and economic impact. More than 100 nominations from San Diego’s middle-market businesses were reviewed by a 10-person judging committee, with winners selected across four categories: startup, early-stage innovator, rising star, and established heavyweight.
Two-time honoree Jimbo Someck, founder of Jimbo’s organic grocery stores, also joined the event for a fireside chat on buying local, supporting emerging brands, and giving back to the community.
“San Diego’s strength comes from its makers and builders—the resilient people who endure great risks and overcome obstacles to build and scale a company,” says Aaron Ryan, San Diego Region Manager and Middle Market Banking at JPMorganChase & Co. “These awards aren’t just recognition; they spotlight the talent, grit, and innovation shaping our region’s future. By celebrating those who create and build, we foster connections and fuel the growth that keeps San Diego thriving.”
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
Building the Infrastructure Behind Clean Energy
Heavyweight honoree SOLV Energy has grown alongside the country’s rapid investment in renewable power. “It’s an exciting time for SOLV Energy as we are experiencing significant growth,” says CEO George Hershman. “The business has doubled over the last year and has almost double-digit growth since its inception.”
The Rancho Bernardo-based company designs, builds, operates, and maintains utility-scale solar and energy storage facilities. Since its founding in 2008, SOLV Energy has built more than 500 power plants.
Growth has translated directly into hiring. About 200 employees work from the company’s local headquarters, including roughly 20 interns. “Our intern program is a big part of the way that we grow our workforce,” Hershman says. “Last year, 43 percent of our interns became full-time employees. We believe San Diego is a great community to build and grow a high-tech infrastructure and technology company because of the incredible workforce—the ability to attract top talent and draw from world-class universities.”
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
Developing Medicine One Patient at a Time
Startup honoree La Jolla Labs is tackling one of medicine’s biggest challenges by developing personalized RNA therapeutics for patients with rare diseases—many of them children with neurological disorders like ALS. Using proprietary artificial intelligence and machine learning tools, the biotech company develops treatments tailored to each patient’s specific genetic mutation.
CEO Tamar Grossman says the recognition reflects how far the company has come despite limited resources. “We’re honored to be recognized for our ability to change and save patients’ lives and turn our lean startup into a clinical company with very minimal resources,” she says.
Grossman credits San Diego’s concentration of research institutions—including UC San Diego, the Salk Institute, and Scripps Research—with creating a pipeline of talent and collaboration. “San Diego is one of the world-leading centers for technology, genomics, and RNA therapeutics,” she says. “We have over 30 RNA therapeutics companies here, and we support each other and help with anything related to drug discovery.”
She says that collaborative spirit extends beyond formal partnerships. “You can walk around Torrey Pines, go into a café, and find colleagues from the industry and have an ad hoc conversation,” Grossman says. “That’s something very unique to San Diego.”
While Snake Oil Venue Company may not be a household name, chances are many San Diegans have attended one of its events. The early-stage innovator honoree has expanded from beverage catering and mixology consulting into venue management, operating Julep Venue in Mission Hills, Bramble Bay Venue in Imperial Beach, Vesper Venue, the Chapel at Liberty Station, and five outdoor venues throughout Liberty Station—more than 500,000 square feet of event space altogether.
“We do a lot of launch parties for corporations and new products,” says CEO Mike Esposito. “I really like working on the entrepreneur side of things, where new businesses are entering the San Diego market and looking to make a splash.”
Snake Oil has executed more than 16,000 events, employed more than 1,000 people, and partnered with more than 900 local vendors, including caterers, florists, photographers, entertainers, and other hospitality businesses. The company also works with many of San Diego’s nonprofits, museums, and cultural institutions. “We get to celebrate people’s most important moments,” Esposito says. “Whether that’s a wedding, celebration of life, or quinceañera, we’re fortunate to be involved in the community in so many different ways.”
Photo Credit: Matt Furman
Growing a Beach-Town Brand into a National Business
Rising star honoree ALOHA Collection is proof that a simple idea can grow into a thriving company. Founded by two roommates who wanted a better way to carry wet swimsuits after a day at the beach, the lifestyle brand has grown into a business while maintaining strong year-over-year growth.
Now headquartered in Carlsbad, ALOHA Collection employs more than 100 people and operates its California flagship store in Encinitas, which is slated for a remodel. With roots in Hawaii, the company is known for its lightweight, splash-proof travel bags that have become a familiar sight on beaches in San Diego and beyond.
“‘Aloha’ is part of our name, but it’s also how we move through the world,” says CEO Lynna Barnard. “It’s how we show up for people, the way we travel, the way we give back.” Since day one, the company has maintained a 5 percent giveback to Hawaii conservation efforts, contributing millions of dollars over the years.
“I think what’s so inspiring about ALOHA Collection, and the founders in particular, is when you dream big, those dreams can come true when you work hard and trust in the universe,” Barnard says. “It’s inspiring to be a role model for other people wanting to start businesses from humble beginnings. Start small and watch it grow.”
Together, businesses like these form a cornerstone of San Diego’s economy—not only through the jobs and revenue they generate—but through the local workers they hire, vendors they support, and investments they make in the region. Their growth doesn’t happen in isolation; it ripples outward, strengthening the broader business community and the people who call San Diego home.
A few photos from our recent home shoot in Mission Hills.
By Gloria Tebelman
For April’s home story, we had the privilege of photographing artist Concetta Antico’s home in Mission Hills. Kimberly Cunningham (Senior Editor), Becca Teal Batista (photographer), Jenny Siegwart (photographer) and myself (Associate Art Director) spent half a day with Concetta and her family at their home, which boasts Craftsman details, a gazebo, antique finds, and other design treasures. Here, a few behind-the-scenes photos from our shoot:
Concetta Antico’s home
Jenny grabs the first shot of the day. The light was working in our favor for this charming outdoor vignette.
Concetta Antico’s home
Concetta’s cats were the most eager models of the day.
Concetta Antico’s home
Even the water was artful. We loved these pretty milk glasses!
Concetta Antico’s home
Becca perfects the styling of the dining table. The final photo of this room is my favorite from the story!
Concetta Antico’s home
We all gushed over this rug. There may or may not have been a few Instagrams.
Concetta Antico’s home
Becca shows Concetta how she’ll be posing for her “lifestyle” shot.
Concetta Antico’s home
Good light is a photo shoot’s best friend, and this one had lots of it! Doesn’t this look like the perfect place to sit on a spring day in San Diego?
Earthly Delights
Want to see Concetta’s artwork in person? Her next show, Earthly Delights, opens Saturday, April 26 in Mission Hills. For more details, check out Concetta’s gallery.
Location: Downtown looking north at Petco Park from the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge
Camera: Nikon D600, shot at focal length 14 with a 14mm wide-angle lens
Evgeny Yorobe, a healthcare IT professional and fine art/wedding photographer from Tierrasanta, was drawn to the movement, lines, and lights of this downtown scene. “I knew I wanted the bridge and Petco Park in a photograph, and all the movement and activity around the bridge made me decide on a nighttime long-exposure shot,” says Yorobe, a devoted Padres fan. The time of the day mandated a tripod, but he realized that a wall blocked the composition. In a pinch, Yorobe shortened the length of one tripod leg to lean it and the camera to the very edge. The result was a view of the city’s after-hours buzz—traffic, twinkling lamps, and light trails from the planes, trains, and automobiles.
Looking north at Petco Park from the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge
It’s estimated that 44% of women in the U.S. have high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, but many don’t know it. The disease often has no symptoms, and when symptoms do present, they can appear similar to many other conditions. High blood pressure increases the risk for heart disease and stroke, so it’s critical that it’s detected and treated early. And for women at risk of developing high blood pressure, prevention is key. Click here for the basics of high blood pressure and how Scripps physicians at Scripps use screenings not just as a diagnostic tool, but as part of routine preventive care.
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