Manhattan Beach residents railed against the makeover during a City Council meeting Tuesday night, citing problems with spectators and asserting that it was done with bad intent.
One speaker called the paint job graffiti and another said it was an attack on neighbors.
The new paint job appeared after neighbors reported the home was being used for short-term rentals and the homeowner was fined $4,000.
"This all got started because a neighbor was trying to help the city enforce the rules," resident Dina Doll told the council.
The home in the city's El Porto neighborhood stands out dramatically on a steep street that descends toward a pleasant beach usually filled with surfers. Both bright yellow emoji are cross-eyed and have distinctly big eyelashes. One has a goofy expression with its tongue hanging out. The other has its mouth zippered shut.
Owner Kathryn Kidd told KABC-TV she didn't realize short-term rentals weren't allowed and she denied the redecoration is retaliation.
"Oh no, no. Never," she told the station, while acknowledging that it may not fit in the neighborhood.
"Some people may like it," she said. "Some people don't like it."