FRENCH ACCENT WRITTEN BY JAKE TOWNSEND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JERI KOEGEL NESTLED ON A HIDDEN TREASURE OF A STREET HIGH IN THE HILLS ABOVE CHARMING LAGUNA VILLAGE, LOCAL DESIGNER KIMBERLY NORTON CREATED A HOME THAT EPITOMIZES BEACH LIFESTYLE BUT HAS A DECIDEDLY PARISIAN FLAIR. The designer makes a living finding these architectural diamonds in the rough. She often strips the houses down to the studs and rebuilds them in a style that is unique to each project, and she has a knack for elevating architecture to an art form that creates an immediate emotional response, she says. Her latest creation indeed attests to that fact. The original mountainside home, perched just above the storied Hotel Laguna, was a dilapidated 1940s aerie with crumbling asphalt decks and no discernible architectural viewpoint. It was the ugly duckling of the neighborhood, laughs Norton. Along with architect David Frith and builder Robert Gardner, she gutted the home. Amid all the chaos, Norton saw an unlikely design scheme emerge: Parisian pied-à-terre meets beach chic. It might not have readily made sense on paper, but in execution, upon entering the light-flooded home, it seems perfectly suited. ARCHITECT David Frith HOME BUILDER Robert Gardner INTERIOR DESIGNER Kimberly Norton BEDROOMS 3 BATHROOMS 3 SQUARE FEET 2,800 150 LUXE
FRENCH ACCENT LAGUNA BEACH
FRENCH ACCENT LAGUNA BEACH STYLE SELECTION Inspired by a French Art Moderne piece, this hand-forged iron table with an antiqued mirror top is ideal as a side table. Alamota Side Table, $4,980; dessinfournir.com CONTINUED FROM PAGE 150 The house had bones that reminded me of French Provençal and I knew that I wanted something Parisian yet beachy, says Norton, who took advantage of the neoclassical lines of the basic structure. She literally had her crew take the home completely apart, being careful to salvage the pieces that made sense. I didn t want something so period it looked out of place. Although the original footprint generally remains the same, Norton and company added a poured-in-place garage at street level and a gorgeous sunroom off the living and dining rooms. They replaced the ramshackle guest apartment with a master suite that would fit in any luxurious European boutique hotel. I spend a lot of time in Paris, she says. The French style and sensibility just speak to me. 152 LUXE
FRENCH COOKING My favorite room in this house is the kitchen, says previous owner and interior designer Kimberly Norton. The custom countertops are walnut and soapstone.
FRENCH ACCENT LAGUNA BEACH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 152 Inside the home, Norton wanted to give energy and life to each room. The white-and-black color scheme is injected with striking tones of red and green, and is emboldened with whimsical prints and patterns. WELCOMING SITE The living room was transformed from a very dark space to this light-drenched gem with the addition of a sunroom. We turned a casual beachside living room into a grand salon, Norton says. The unusual layout of the house was intentional: master bedroom and media room on the ground floor, and public areas and guest suites on the second. Norton wanted to save the best panoramic ocean views for the public areas. She says that s where everyone spends the most time. The master suite, one of the most spectacular rooms in the home, looks out onto a charming private garden. The master bath, designed entirely out LUXE 155
FRENCH ACCENT LAGUNA BEACH SLEEP TO DREAM Located downstairs, the master suite was built from the ground up. The striking hooded 1950s Baker chair was found in an antiques store. The steel canopy bed was custom made by the same artist who created the outside railings.
PRETTY PERCH This outdoor space is located just off the master suite. The whimsical black-and-white furniture was custom made by local designer Barclay Butera. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 155 of Carrara marble, functions as a steam room. I visited a number of spas and saw some incredible wet rooms, and decided to install my own. The second floor contains the dining room, living room, kitchen and two quaint en suite guest rooms, each with jewel-box-like bathrooms that give them the feel of a wonderful Left Bank apartment. The living room features furnishings both custom-made and store-bought, including a striking yellow couch. The fabric has the vibrancy of the sun but the lines and gracefulness of a beautiful French settee, notes Norton. A zebra-skin rug and dainty side table, along with other key design elements, were found at various flea markets and consignments shops that Norton haunts on a regular basis. LUXE 157
HERE COMES THE SUN The sunroom was added to the living room to create a bright and flowing space for entertaining with sweeping views of the ocean. The armoire is antique chinoiserie; the plaster cheetah is vintage Italian.
FRENCH ACCENT LAGUNA BEACH MIRROR, MIRROR The master bath was built into a subterranean space, so light was at a premium. The oculus windows had to be placed high on the wall to maximize efficacy. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 157 The formal kitchen, hidden from view, is among the loveliest rooms in the house. I designed it around the La Cornue stove, says Norton, who wrangled with the architect to keep the kitchen cut off from the living and dining spaces. I wanted to retain a formal, European feel. The living room flows into the sunroom, which opens up to a dramatic garden and an ocean vista. The floors were designed to appear as if there is no separation between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Though Norton admits that this home was a labor of love for her, she recently sold it contents and all to a newlywed couple who immediately fell in love with it. L LUXE 159