Timeless Jewel

A gorgeous family home in Southern California’s emerald bay is meticulously designed to stand the test of time.

- J. Michael Welton

If ever there was an ocean home that has tamed the rugged California coast, surely this is it.

Unlike the water from the arroyo that once tumbled down its hillside site, this 9,000-square-foot residence on Emerald Bay – located at the northern end of exclusive Laguna Beach – now cascades gracefully from street side to beach front. 

The home is five stories tall – one floor below grade, one above street level and three in between – and has been designed to create a feeling of permanence.

Crafted from poured-in-place concrete, with split face Nevada Gold limestone walls, rich mahogany for windows and doors, reclaimed Italian roof tile and bronze and copper for gutters and fenestration, this delightful home is here to stay.

“First and foremost, we wanted to create something timeless – a multi-generational home that, if a great tsunami ever hit, would be the only home still standing,” says Grant Kirkpatrick, partner at KAA Design based in Los Angeles, and one of Ocean Home’s Top 50 Coastal Architects of 2016.

KAA won the commission in a competition that engaged three architectural firms across California. “We did a preliminary design – we don’t usually do design competitions – but the clients were willing to pay the three firms for the initial work,” he says.

The firm is known for its custom residential architecture set in lush landscapes, and Kirkpatrick has been in business since 1988, two years after he graduated from USC’s School of Architecture.

“We approach design in a unique way; we tell a story up front,” he says. “We helped formulate a story of the clients’ lifestyle on that property, and we developed some unique answers for them.”