Laura Morton Creates a Magical Outdoor Space

The owners of a 1934 Spanish Colonial Revival home in West Hollywood hired professional landscape designer Laura Morton to recreate their property incorporating sustainable practices and the California spirit. Inspired by original architectural details, Morton cleverly integrated an outdoor kitchen and dining area as part of the plan where a seldom-used driveway runs down the side of the house.

Lighting creates a magical environment. Amber minilights were woven along the existing but newly espaliered bougainvillea, and subtle uplighting of the two olive standards added a silvery glow.

BEFORE. The equipment was an eyesore, especially because the house windows alongside the driveway looked out onto this area. The bougainvillea and neighbor's trees were eating up the sky space.

AFTER: Laura Morton designed a multifunctional structure that “floats” around the pool equipment with shape and volume to soften the boxiness of it. Finished, it is completely open on the backside with two front doors. A special “turban” was built by the carpenter to lift off the filter and an old wrought-iron grill was used to “cage” the heater. A new gate at the top of the driveway extends the view and blue painted oak barrels balance the blue fence. The steps with cut corners repeats the bay window design and extend wider than the doorway that leads to the house kitchen, so there is plenty of room for pots. Trees and bougainvillea were laced out to allow in more light for the fruit trees and other edibles.

Plantings soften the design while providing the width necessary for code and function. Looking down the drive, the paving feels original to the house with the scoring, stain and texture softening the expanse. The pool equipment is disguised, with the paneled garage doors becoming the focal point between the two silvery olive trees, which are non-fruiting for no mess.

The garage doors are paneled with a base of rusty sheet metal; quatrefoil cutouts and moldings add dimension and a sense of age. They were inspired by the often photographed garage doors of Patio del Moro in West Hollywood, a fine example of the Moorish influence on Spanish revival-style Architecture. Glass cups for battery-operated votives are mounted by rings and add a touch of romance at night. The deep blue paint adds its own drama and vibrancy to an old fence and adds visual coolness to what is essentially just a paved driveway.

Taken during construction, this photo shows the interior of the storage provided—a grill and prep counter will cover the filter systems and pumps for the pool.

The sink and counters were poured in place with colored concrete that coordinates with the new driveway paving. The color gives the space a warm artisanal feeling, which helps integrate the large surface area into a usable, attractive feature.

The kitchen's main features are a grill with ample counter space and a deep sink to double as an ice chest or a place to arrange cut flowers. Since the space is adjacent to the home's kitchen, there was no need for outdoor refrigeration. The tower behind the grill is for tomatoes and other climbing edibles like beans and sweet peas.

The purple bougainvillea is laced with amber mini lights that subtly illuminate the wall for parties.

The rest of the driveway was turned into a kitchen garden with moveable planters containing edibles and fruit trees that line the driveway. The blue pots balance the blue fence and the colored concrete paving was scored by hand and antiqued to add an artisanal feel.

Looking at the pool from the dining terrace with new panelled garage doors on which votive candles, when lit, add a romantic ambience. The warm, gold-colored walls around the pool complement the brown and blue in the dining terrace. A vintage Hammam pail holds a flowering succulent and a Moroccan lantern hangs high, throwing patterned light on the walls.

BEFORE: Looking towards the garage/studio and the driveway through the trees on the right.

AFTER: Looking across the pool towards the garage/studio and the new dining terrace with blue fence through the trees on the right. New plantings were designed to appear to naturally come up through the paving and a pomegranate is espaliered on the wall of the house. Overall there is a sense of casual formality suited to the ongoing maintenance and lifestyle of the family. Click here to read Garden Design's Q&A with Laura Morton.