Boutique Design - December 2019 - 30

2 0 19 G O L D K E Y AWA R D S

BEST GUESTROOM UPSCALE
WINNER

HOTEL JOAQUIN

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA
THE DESIGN FIRM: Studio Robert McKinley,

New York
THE MUSE: Let's play-with styles, genres,
art, culture and more. The property was
gutted and reborn as one of Auric Road's
"petite resorts," toying with inspiration from
St. Barth's and the French Riviera, but mostly
surfing the waves of 1950s SoCal beach
culture. No ornamentation in excess here as
a super clean palette and minimalist lines
emphasize authentic materials and handcraftsmanship. Art adds a pretty groovy pop
with vintage pieces from Paris mixed with
original commissioned works from the likes of
LA-based Sage Vaughn and multimedia artist
Sean Spellman, just to name a couple.
"We were guided by the brand ethos of 'soul
is our style,'" explains Robert McKinley, principal, Studio Robert McKinley. So each of the
22 guestrooms is uniquely named for its own
private story. Here, too, vintage and modern
comingle in seating and lighting. Raw brass
fixtures dominate throughout, but they get to
true standout status when they're up against
the winding veining in marble-clad bathrooms
with bathtubs, showers, separate toilet rooms
and custom slab sinks. The former dropped
ceilings were pulled back to expose vaulted
ones and joists of the original.

THE MAVERICK MOVE: Celebrating a more
analogue life. Rooms are free of televisions but
feature a turntable, sound system and a collection of vintage records. Audiophiles everywhere, rejoice.
THE MESSAGE: Less is more. Such a clean
palette of materials and colors helped the
views to nature not just inspire the design, but
become a part of it.

30

boutiquedesign.com DECEMBER 2019

SOURCES
OWNER/OPERATOR: Auric Road, Laguna Beach, California; DESIGN FIRM: Studio Robert McKinley, New York: Robert McKinley,
principal; Paula Rodriguez, design director; Amanda Fucello, director of design operations; Nazy Karimi, designer; ARCHITECT:
Enter-Arc, Orange County, California: Lance Brown, president; PURCHASING COMPANY: Auric Road, Laguna Beach, California;
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Northstar Construction, Rancho Cucamonga, California; DESIGN CONSULTANTS: Digital Interiors,
Lake Balboa, California (sound engineer); Craig Stanger and Rick Stanger, Orange County, California (engineering); Trimark,
Mansfield, Massachusetts (kitchen); Whitin Giroux Works, Laguna Beach, California (landscape); Workshop Collective, Miami
(graphics); Toal Engineering, San Clemente, California (civil engineer); ARCHITECTURAL MATERIALS: California Faucets;
Country Floors; Emtek; Forbes & Lomax; MC Tile & Stone; Reback's Plumbing; ART & ACCESSORIES: Aelfie; Blaanks; Curby
& Company; AUDIO/VISUAL & ELECTRONICS: Marantz; BATH & SPA: California Faucets; Reback's Plumbing; FABRICS:
KnollTextiles; Loro Piana; Valley Forge Fabrics; FLOORCOVERINGS: Karen Flitterman; FURNITURE: Mater; Tronk; Woodworld
Custom Design; LIGHTING: Gubi; Incalmi; Sapphire & Vintage; SIGNAGE: Inland Signs; SURFACING MATERIALS: MC Tile &
Stone; WINDOW TREATMENTS: Valley Forge Fabrics; OTHER: Anichini (bed linens)

R O G E R DAV I E S P H O T O G R A P H Y

THE MAGIC: Renovating a bungalow-style
former motor lodge into a luxury respite in
just over 12 months. The locale took the lead,
with a constant spotlight on connections to
the mountain and/or ocean views, enjoyed by
either giant picture windows or Juliet terraces
with French doors.
http://www.boutiquedesign.com
Boutique Design - December 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Boutique Design - December 2019
