I'm so excited to be sharing a wonderful place with you that I got to see while visiting family in my hometown of Pittsburgh. I've been wanting to experience this place for quite a while.
I'm not even sure how I discovered it in the first place — probably in some article I read somewhere online. But as SOON as I saw a photo of this whimsical wonderland I just knew I had to go!
This place is so unique & colorful I could not wait to share it with you.
Shall we????!!
So what IS this place I've hopefully gotten you all excited about?
It's a wonderland just bursting with color, whatnots & whirligigs called Randyland.
And yes, from the moment I walked in, I truly felt like it was channeling Pittsburgh native Andy Warhol's creative energy all over the friggin' place.
Your next question might be — "What IS Randyland?"
Well first of all, it's owner's Randy Gilson's home & art studio.
There are actually 3 houses altogether, located on a corner in Pittsburgh's Northside (across the Allegheny river from downtown). They've long been part of the Northside landscape, and were originally built as single family homes — most likely in the late 1800's.
If they still had their original brick color, they would look very similar to many of the other homes in the area. A style which I absolutely love by the way!
My Mom grew up in one very similar just a few blocks away. So yeah, I'm a little partial :)
Since the 3 houses are on the corner, they all share a common space between them — a courtyard of sorts. Which is where most of the magical, colorful stuff happens!
Randy G. bought the first house (pictured above) on a credit card in 1995. Needless to say, it was a dilapidated mess.
[Side note: The Northside has been thru it. When my Mom was growing up there in the 40's she told stories of how vibrant all the interconnected working class neighborhoods were. But alas, a decade or so after my grandparents moved their family from the area, the "powers that be" bisected those same neighborhoods with an interstate in the name of progress ... and slowly but surely it fell into decline. That being said, thanks to the hardworking & tenacious blood that's embedded in the heart of Pittsburgh, the area is on the upswing once again!]
Every day after waiting tables & filled with that same tenacious Pittsburgh heart, Randy came home to paint & bring happiness to his neighborhood. Now people travel from all over the world to visit this colorful & vibrant playground he calls home.
What are the secret ingredients of Randyland you ask?
The magical, secret ingredients of Randyland are:
People's unwanted "trash" + An extraordinary imagination + Lots & lots of colorful paint = The land of, you guessed it — Randy!!!
These photos are just a taste of the joy & color & whimsy that resonates on the corner of Randyland. There's mystical, magical & colorful "junk" everywhere.
Every nook & cranny is by Randy & his colorful heart. You cannot turn around or look again without spotting something new & different to enjoy.
Take a few minutes to watch the video below.
It's a colorful kaleidescope of photos I took that magical day. You even get to see me & the hubster all smiley face a couple of times in front of the wall of mirrors ;-)
I promise you'll feel lighter, creatively inspired & infused with joy while you watch it!
Peace out everyone — now go splash color & joy on the world ☮☮☮
Comments below are always welcome ... I’ll be sure to reply!