Dear LAist: What's The Deal With The 'Happy Birthday' Building On Glendale Boulevard?

WE'RE ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA THAT KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT. IF YOU HAVE ONE, ASK IT HERE.

You're driving on Glendale, headed downtown, and something catches your eye: big blue letters that read "HAPPY BIRTHDAY."

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

Subscribe

What's it all about? That's what one LAist reader wanted to know.

We did some digging, or rather, some driving, in Echo Park. And there it was, waiting like a surprise party, just around the corner from the famous Bob Baker Marionette Theater -- a red-orange building wishing everyone a happy birthday.

There was nothing else to identify the building. No signage. No street number. No nothing.

So we looked up the neighboring business: a mid-century modern furniture store called Amsterdam Modern.

We asked the owner, Ellen LeComte, whether she knew anything about her conspicuous next-door neighbor.

PLOT TWIST! LeComte is not only the owner of Amsterdam Modern but also the owner of 142 Glendale Boulevard, "the happy birthday building."

LeComte rents the building to interior designer Sally Breer, who founded the ETC.etera design firm with stylist-creative director Jake Rodehuth-Harrison. Their firm specializes in residential and commercial interior design. Their work can be seen at Hotel Covell in Los Feliz, Cafe Birdie in Highland Park, and Hotel Erwin in Venice.

The building on Glendale Boulevard acts as the company's studio space, but they are working on opening a by-appointment showroom in it as well.

OK, that's all great and wonderful. But why does it say "happy birthday"?

Breer said their company was struggling to come up with a way to identify its not-particularly-notable facade.

Her partner, Rodehuth-Harrison, came up with the idea to put the message on the building, and junior designer Adrie Costanza designed a mural that was "the right amount of weird."

Here's what Breer had to say:

"We're so thrilled that people are seeing it," Breer said, "and we hope it makes everyone smile!"

Have more questions about sights unknown in Southern California? Let us know. We're going to do our best to answer them.

You made it! Congrats, you read the entire story, you gorgeous human. This story was made possible by generous people like you. Independent, local journalism costs $$$$$. And now that LAist is part of KPCC, we rely on that support. So if you aren't already, be one of us! Help us help you live your best life in Southern California. Donate now.