MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Neighbors in Manhattan Beach are upset over a duplex in the El Porto neighborhood that was painted bright pink, adorned with two huge, goofy emojis with long eyelashes. <\/p>\n
Homeowner Kathryn Kidd calls it the “Happy House,” but not all her neighbors are happy. Some are concerned about a potential decrease in property values, Fox 11 reported.<\/p>\n
One neighbor, Susan Wieland, thinks it’s a personal attack — Wieland reported Kidd to the city after Kidd started using the duplex for short-term rentals, according to The Easy Reader. She was fined $4,000, because short-term rentals are illegal in Manhattan Beach, Fox 11 reported.<\/p>\n
“My heart sank,” Wieland said. “What has this come to?”<\/p>\n
Before Wieland left for a work trip, she got eyelash extensions. The emojis have large eyelashes, so she thinks the message was aimed specifically for her, the newspaper reported. One of the emojis has a zipper for a mouth, seemingly sending the message for Wieland to be quiet.<\/p>\n
Kidd has denied all allegations and says the paint job was intended to make people smile, Fox 11 reported.<\/p>\n
“I feel like I’ve been directly attacked with my eyelash extensions,” Wieland told The Easy Reader. “It’s definitely directed. I had them done here in Manhattan Beach, and they did them way too big. Now it’s painted on the house.”<\/p>\n
The artist, known as ZtheArt on Instagram, posted a photo of the house and fittingly named it the Emoji House. He told Patch he answered a non-descriptive advertisement requesting emojis to be painted, but Kidd didn’t mention any purpose for the art — she just had a few references she wanted him to “clash together,” he said.<\/p>\n
ZtheArt designs and paints large-scale murals, but his artwork is on a wide range of advertisements, merchandise and marketing materials, he told Patch. The emoji mural was spray painted in about three hours.<\/p>\n
Neighbors have asked the City of Manhattan Beach to get involved, but the assistant city attorney said she can’t do anything about it, according to Fox 11. <\/p>\n