One design challenge Schultz faced early on was blocking street noise from a southeast-facing intersection. However, a row of angled stone plinths and a concrete courtyard do double duty for aesthetics and sound dissipation. “The ultimate effect is theatrical in its approach. From the exterior one gets a sort of peek-a-boo into the residence, always just shy of a true glimpse inside, while from the residence the fountain reflects the sky above, with the plinths creating a type of stop frame movie of the traffic just beyond. In turn, the fountain helps to further fill the home with light and sound.” Schultz says. The standing seam copper facade is recycled from the old house’s roof.
Jeff and Tamara Deckey love a good dinner party. So when the couple found their Laguna Beach home, they renovated the house into an expansive and versatile space for entertaining. Designed by Laidlaw Schultz Architects, the couple sought to incorporate aspects of the old house. “Architecturally we were able to simplify the home’s form–creating an archetypal gable, clad in the same copper as the roofing for the primary wing of the residence. This gesture at once captures the essence of the cascading hillside, and homes beyond, while drawing our attention to the picturesque valley in the distance.” Craig Schultz of Laidlaw Schultz says.
