Here are pictures of the 2006 Meliora Award winners, as announced at the LFIA’s General Meeting in May 2007. The LFIA’s Meliora Awards are given annually to recognize outstanding accomplishments of beautifying Los Feliz. Congratulations, again, to our winners! The photos are accompanied by excerpts from remarks of Meliora Master of Ceremonies and LFIA Board Member Patti Ruben.

Two gentlemen came to Los Feliz to return a forlorn building to a portrait of its 1940’s birthright. Where once laid buildings in poor condition, Developers Bill Silverman and Jeff Scapa took glamour to another level, returning us in time – with a color palette of paint, leafy garden paths, new roofs and interiors and placards befitting their legend. – One by one, the entire street has been transformed into a cityscape of Old Hollywood, a setting where integrity and composition connect. With an unmistakable stamp of quality workmanship, Bill and Jeff have delivered the dream to happy tenants and a wishing-well waiting list. The Lyman Village Apartments, 1600 – 1670 Lyman Place is honored tonight for the Best Multi-Unit Renovation for 2006.

Best Multi-Unit Renovation for 2006: Lyman Village Apartments

After nearly twenty years, where four children were born, educated and moved away, empty-nesters became busy bees with a restoration of a hidden dilapidated three tiered terrace crying in front of their home. Turning tired into terrific, Marilyn Goodman and Jay Smith carefully blended the original 1934 stonework with a colorful collaboration of a detailed design, by combining bronze-colored flax plants, silver-gray succulents, lavender, and large beds of blue agapanthus that flank the stone entry. This is a great example of WHY this award was established… It is their gift to neighbors driving home from a busy day so that they can enjoy a golden-lite frontscape of natural beauty and thoughtfulness. We proudly award the Best Front Garden for 2006 to 4031 Cromwell and Jay Smith and Marilyn Goodman.

Best Front Garden for 2006

Built in 1922, with modern sensibilities, the Taggart House is an architectural pedigree. Owned by Joseph Pytka and restored with astonishing accuracy by Eric Lloyd Wright, son of the original builder Lloyd Wright, this home epitomizes the reason we honor Los Feliz monuments. The house was essentially taken down to the bones yet most every detail was carefully removed, restored or recreated including exterior and interior plaster, the horizontal redwood siding and the leaded glass. Fortunately for posterity, the owner was very patient. Extreme attention to the original design was held as most important. It is such an extraordinary honor indeed for the LFIA to welcome and award the Best Restoration for a single family home 2006 to the architect who returned this property to all its glory, Mr. Eric Lloyd Wright.

Best Restoration for a single family home 2006

Somehow, years ago, on our lonely quiet planet, a shining star appeared and the small town of Los Feliz was born. Then suddenly and mysteriously lots of stars came to live in Los Feliz. And the small lovely Village grew and grew with astronomical charm. Legend has it that it was a meteoric rise. Los Feliz is so grateful for many things, but perhaps we owe our cosmic success to the perfect alignment of all the stars — when our beautiful universe was well represented by the honoree tonight. The LFIA is Astronomically appreciative, to honor the very wonderful Griffith Observatory as the Best Public Space of 2006.

Best Public Space of 2006: Griffith Observatory