Laura Haskell, Laird Stoneman and Andrew Stoneman stand under a Japanese maple at the front of their 1960 house. The couple created an elegantly spare courtyard in front of the 1,500 square-foot home using patterned cinder blocks. “I liked the motif,” Haskell says of the blocks, though she adds that there aren’t as many options as one might think. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Since buying their Midcentury house six years ago, Andrew Stoneman and Laura Haskell have been refining its outdoor spaces, creating privacy in front and a series of functional outdoor rooms in back for relaxing, playing, working or dining. Here’s a peek at their work in progress. Full text.
The couple designed the front courtyard together, adding a concrete patio and decomposed granite. A concrete planter surrounding an enormous olive tree (foreground, at left) provides extra seating and serves as a table in a pinch. “I wanted to create something minimal and peaceful and calming,” Haskell says. The gray table and chairs were $50 on Craigslist. The two chaises and side table in the background are from the couple’s Haskell Collection. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The bougainvillea and other plants in front came with the house. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Papyrus plants, also remnants of the old landscape, line the walkway to the front door. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Inside the front door, the family’s living room leads to the backyard. To create the triptych on the wall, Haskell enlarged photographs from a trip to Italy. “While napping in a park in Rome, I took a photo of the trees above me,” says Haskell, a vintage textile consultant for Marc Jacobs, Stussy, Paul Smith and other firms. “ I am always looking for calm and serenity. The triptych makes me feel like I am lying underneath those trees again.” (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Haskell, whose vintage clothing finds serve as inspiration for designers, works from home. She covered the bulletin board in her office with an Eastern Indian printed dress. On her right is a selection of vintage textiles for the Gypseye Vintage Home collection of pillows that she sells on Etsy. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The couple created a delightful wall graphic in son Laird’s room by sketching the tree on the wall, taping the outline and then painting the tree and leaves with acrylic paint. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The backyard is a series of spaces where the family can live, work, play, dine or simply relax. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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Succulents and lava rocks, found on site. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
