With the official start of fall last week comes changing leaves and waning daylight — and we have the power of color on our mind. From subtle accents to bold statements, color can honor historic precedent, highlight architectural details, and infuse spaces with energy! In this post, our Principals and Project Managers share how their design choices bring beauty, personality, and timelessness to our work.

KATIE PETERSON-HESKETH, RA
PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT

Color can highlight an architectural feature in many different ways. Our Craftsman Chalet project uses green glazed brick to draw the eye to the fireplace, emphasizing its function as the heart of the home. Founded in historic precedent, the green creates a focal point appropriate for the style of architecture, while complementing the color palette found throughout the home. Photo by Laure Joliet.

Color can also be used as an accent. Referencing historic uses of color in tile, we often introduce accents in our floor designs, creating an aesthetic ranging from unexpected playfulness in a child’s bath to tailored sophistication in the barber shop of the Downtown Los Angeles Jonathan Club. Photos by Laure Joliet (left) and Laura Hull (right).

KELLY BECKER, AIA, NCARB
PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT & DIRECTOR OF DESIGN

This new Greek Revival home in Atherton features colorful moments indoors and out. Color (Daltile’s “Spa”) was a key feature of our custom mosaic floor in this Jack & Jill bathroom shared by two young sisters. The millwork was painted to match and a complementary pink hue peeks from the adjacent bedrooms creating a sweet and joyful space.

Outdoors, adopted a historic tradition of painting the covered porch ceiling light blue to emulate the sky. This holds both a spiritual meaning to ward off evil spirits and a practical use, as it is thought to be a deterrent to nesting birds and wasps. Photos by Laura Hull.

TIM BARBER, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP
FOUNDING PRINCIPAL

We created a vibrant sunroom addition to a 1930s second home in Lake Arrowhead – suffused with earthy colors, like this ginkgo floor stencil we designed. Photos by Karyn Millet.

And at my own home, my garage doors (deep blue) and trim (dark brown) are freshly painted, adjacent to a warm toast stucco and red tile roof. Photo by Tim.

DAVID STONE, AIA, NCARB
PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT & DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

This project transformed an outdated residence into a timeless Contemporary Lodge that now feels at home on its revered Rustic Canyon street. By reimagining the form and details and introducing a warm, earthy palette of colors and materials throughout, we created a home that blends beautifully with the canyon and mountain views beyond. Photos by Joe Schmelzer.

ARI ENGELMAN, AIA, NCARB
PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT

This compact kitchen within a guest quarters offers a “jewel box” moment. Glossy green paint wraps both the cabinetry and the ceiling, while the white, linear backsplash brings balance to the room. Though compact, the kitchen’s vibrance is one of the most memorable features of the addition – proof that even the smallest spaces can make a big design statement. Photo by Ari during a site walkthrough as the project neared completion.

JIM COYLE, AIA, NCARB
INTERIOR SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

In our current renovation of a 1930s Spanish Colonial Revival residence, we were delighted to find two existing bathrooms featuring the brightly colored tile so emblematic of the period – one in teal, the other in lilac – complete with coordinating plumbing fixtures. Rather than discard these details, our team, the homeowners and interior designer, Scribe Studio, embraced salvaging select pieces for use in new bathrooms being added to the home. In the powder room, the lilac pedestal sink, soap dish, and paper holder are reimagined alongside a complementary Zellige tile wainscot in a cream-and-plum checkerboard pattern. And in the new guest bath, an ivory pedestal sink will complement linoleum floors in a green-and-white scheme that nods to its original palette.

KEVIN SACK
PROJECT MANAGER & CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

Hidden color surprises transform the kitchen cabinets of this Mediterranean renovation in Newport Beach. The full-height, cream cabinet doors open to reveal a teal interior. The cabinet doors also pocket away to leave the cheerful interior exposed when desired. Photo by Joe Schmelzer.

MAX RENDON, ASSOC. AIA
PROJECT MANAGER

This West Hollywood renovation and restoration in collaboration with Peter Dunham blends contemporary elements into the existing classical style. In the powder room, Peter’s wallpaper cheerfully plays with traditional moldings; and the “Groucho Room” contrasts a speakeasy bar with warm oak paneling and a bold marble fireplace surround.

KYRA BAUMAN, RA, NCARB
PROJECT MANAGER

I had the privilege of working on our own office renovation a few years ago when we moved to a new location. The new space was a blank canvas for us. While we selected light neutral shades for most of our walls and mouldings, the kitchen embraces coppery hues and gray-blue cabinets with stainless steel appliances and a natural stone countertop. The entry and conference room have a dramatic shade of blue above the white wainscot. If you’ve visited us, did you also know that this blue paint has a specialty finish that allows it to serve as a chalkboard during meetings? Finally, we added color with our plants, art, and library of books.

Whether rooted in architectural tradition, layered into understated features, or expressed in striking statements, color brings character, depth, and delight to our work. This season and always, we continue to explore color as a timeless design tool. Interested in learning more about our process? Explore the phases of design here.