La Jolla Shores
This La Jolla home was originally designed in 1960 by renowned architect and artist Russell Forester, a San Diego native known for pioneering steel-and-glass modernism and whose work was recognized in Progressive Architecture and exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in Brazil. Forester believed architecture was problem-solving, approaching each project with a holistic, systems-based philosophy. The renovation transformed the original split-level structure into a two-story home while preserving the house’s exterior envelope and honoring its historical integrity. Guided by Forester’s original drawings, we reconfigured the layout—relocating the kitchen to the upper floor, converting former kitchen space into a bedroom and bathroom, redesigning the downstairs, and moving the primary suite to face the ocean. While materials and layout were modernized—replacing wood paneling with white-painted drywall—we retained defining elements like the red entry door and linear skylight. Restoring and reimagining this Forester-designed home was both a creative challenge and a true privilege.
