Los Angeles is the place where dreams really do come true—in this case, with a touch of design magic from James Doyle Design Associates (JDDA), an award-winning landscape firm based in Greenwich, Connecticut. The dream? To fit a pool, an outdoor fireplace, ample seating, multiple sculpture settings, a place for roses and veg, a balcony, an outdoor shower, a spot for bougainvillea, and even a climbing wall for the grandchildren—all within a compact, sub-quarter-acre plot. “It was a lot to fit into a very small space,” admits James Doyle.
In California, according to Doyle, a strong indoor-outdoor connection is a given. Every view must be considered. Privacy is paramount, even in a densely built L.A. suburb like this one. He admits that at first, “It did take a while for me to get my bearings.” The blank slate he encountered on his first visit would be the smallest plot the firm had ever tackled. The program for living spaces, on the other hand, had all the requirements of any other multigenerational fantasy. As the owner put it: “If we build it, they will come.”
True to the firm’s ethos, JDDA principal designers James Doyle and Justin Quinn collaborated fully with the clients, and with architect Howard Backen, artist/designer Kathy Taslitz and builder Matt Grode, right from the start. That great collaboration, according to Quinn, was fundamental to their success and is something that distinguishes this project, especially as much of the designing was done from afar through Covid. “That’s when we needed to rely on the builder,” says Quinn. JDDA has a long relationship with Grode, whom Quinn characterizes as a master craftsman with a can-do attitude, who gently eased all parts of this puzzle into a comfortable fit.
Indoor and outdoor areas merge poolside. Inside, the custom sofa is from Kathy Taslitz Studio. Outside, teak chaise lounges from Gloster are paired with custom side tables.
Hundreds of polished leaves take the form of Buddha in Kathy Taslitz’s polished stainless steel sculpture Let It Go.
Veils of glass, metal lattice and bougainvillea shroud the indoor tea garden, where a custom marble and steel surfboard shaped table, floating bench and two side benches were designed to maximize available space.
Sliding shutters enclose an upstairs terrace. All furniture on the lower terrace is from Kathy Taslitz Studio.
California pools tend to be a lighter color, due to the intense heat.
The garden sculpture is by Kathy Taslitz.
A single variety of pink Bougainvillea glabra softens the edges of a custom pergola and swing.
Sutherland Furniture sofa and lounge chairs provide seating alongside a custom fire feature by MG Partners.
A sauna beckons at the entrance to the downstairs gym.
Integral to the design were the lyrical sculptures and furnishings of Santa Monica-based artist and designer Kathy Taslitz. Her polished stainless-steel sculpture, Let It Go—described as hundreds of shimmering leaves momentarily forming the image of Buddha—exudes a serene vibe outside a window along the main entry hall. Opposite the hallway entrance, the far end culminates in a glazed grid wall, beyond which a potted tree forms the focal point. The pot appears to be at ground level, but is, in fact, another JDDA sleight of hand. The planter is sitting on a platform over the excavated landing of the lower-level gym. Taslitz’s interior furnishings further reinforce the home’s architectural language, echoing the strong geometry of the blackened-metal grid framing the glass walls, windows and trellis.
Throughout the home, entire walls are glazed, some sliding open to dissolve the boundaries between indoors and out. “A large part of our job was finding creative ways to screen off the neighbors,” explains Doyle. Solutions range from lush vines and towering hedges to rolling shutters on the upper balcony. By the outdoor fireplace, a striking 12-foot-tall hedge ensures privacy without sacrificing openness.
JDDA’s disciplined planting scheme—which is dominated by evergreens—complements the neutral tones of the cedar and poured-form concrete exterior. Blasts of vibrant pink bougainvillea and the shimmering turquoise of the pool add contrast, but otherwise, the palette remains restrained. Greens and silvers intermingle through structured plantings of ligustrum, boxwood and pittosporum, silvery olive trees, herbs and carex grasses. “L.A. has incredible sources for plant material,” says Quinn. On the other hand, Doyle is particularly pleased that they were able to restore existing hedges through rigorous pruning. “No one believed it would work!” he recalls.
“To make the spaces feel better, we broke up areas of paving with floats set within gravel,” Quinn says. This subtle intervention creates an illusion of depth, particularly in smaller areas like the below-grade entry to the gym. Now, five years on, the landscape has matured. The dream has been realized. And, as hoped, the family continues to gather.
