Somewhere inside filmmaker Gregory Caruso’s weekend retreat in Laguna Beach, California, is an empty wall recess that once housed a vintage can of Coke and a set of teeth. To clarify, the teeth weren’t real, but they were intact—up until the day they were excavated during a remodel last year, along with the complete dental supply kit belonging to the the traveling salesman who once lived there. For design duo Scott Jarrell and Kristan Cunningham—the husband-and-wife team behind Los Angeles–based multidisciplinary studio Hammer and Spear—the find was more amusing than surprising. After all the home—a 727-square-foot Craftsman cottage—was a registered historical structure preserved in conjunction with the Mills Act, and had belonged to a string of creatives since its construction in 1917.
Jarrell and Cunningham were familiar with Caruso’s sensibilities, having previously designed a flex space for his production company and worked on one of his homes. “Gregory was spending most of his time in New York during this process, so after the initial concept presentation, we were very lucky to have carte blanche for the buildout after several projects together,” recalls Jarrell.
That said, the filmmaker did offer one big design reference: Big Sur’s Esalen Institute, as projected through the lens of the Mad Men series finale (in which the protagonist of the period drama, Don Draper, is seen doing yoga at the picturesque California retreat). “While a literal version of this last initiative ultimately got toned way down—no tapestries, tie-dye, or fiber art—we compensated for all the cut-backs with an overdose of saturated color,” shares Cunningham.
The goal was to replenish the home’s skin and bones while rooting the dwelling in the region’s artistic culture. One period reference led to another (and then another), until designer and client landed on a touchstone they all agreed to let guide them: the warm and woody California abode of late prominent sculptor J.B. Blunk. “Gregory loved it, and we were excited to emulate the concept,” says Jarrell. He and Cunningham channeled Blunk’s Japanese-inspired ethos in simple ways: a vintage Noguchi lantern was hung above the sofa, a tatami mat was laid out in the sleeping nook, and antique Japanese wood boxes were placed throughout. Above all, a spirit of zen was summoned all around.
In a bid to maintain original features and salvage what they could, Jarrell and Cunningham followed an exercise in tactful restraint: They refashioned the swing doors in the hallway into pocket doors and restored the 105-year-old redwood walls. Then they had the original Douglas fir flooring sanded, stained, and sealed until it looked like it did when new. “The redwood really drives the visual narrative, and we didn’t want too many other materials to detract from it,” notes Jarrell.
By the same token, new finishes were sprinkled in—but sparingly. The countertops, kitchen sink and backsplash, and bathroom countertop and tub deck were reconceived in copper and hand-patinated by Jarrell and Cunningham’s long-time collaborator, Derek Albeck of DDA Projects. Meanwhile, the fireplace was framed underfoot in teal handmade tiles inspired by a puffed-edge Batchelder design.