Having grown up in Minnesota, both Tim and Carol Hager were used to homes with a great deal of outdoor space. Minnesota’s nickname is “The Land of 10,000 Lakes,” and it’s not unusual for a homeowner to have a ship and pier on the property. When they moved into Southern California, the Hagers needed their kids, ages 11 to 16, to delight in the exact same sense of exploration and freedom inside the safe confines of their particular land.
They don’t miss the snowy long winters of Minneapolis-St. Paul, however, the Hagers’ desire for more space and penchant for athletic activities prompted them to look for a home in a hilly horse ranch area nearby south Orange County. Their 1-acre Mediterranean-style land on a quiet cul-de-sac “felt like ours the day we moved in,” says Carol. “The owners did a very good job picking details like flooring, lighting and different rock used throughout the home.”
at a Glance
Who lives here: Tim and Carol Hager, daughters Kelsey and Micaela, son Jacob and puppy Cleo
Location: Laguna Hills, California
Size: About 5,500 square feet; 6 bedrooms, 6 baths
That’s interesting: Throughout the 2005 remodel, family and friends of the previous homeowners wrote Bible verses on the wooden studs of their home as a blessing.
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Looking up at the home shows a gorgeous view of native grasses and wildflowers, such as mustard (Brassica rapa). All are native to Mediterranean regions.
Lisa Hallett Taylor
The welcoming entry comes with a four-walled atrium using a a low, round fountain, grapevine-covered walls and seating choices around an outdoor fireplace. While a personal space, the courtyard isn’t fortressed from the road. Usually left open, a gatelike carved-wood double doorway is connected to both tumbled-stone, mortared-joint pillars using a wood arbor that trains bougainvillea, an olive tree as well as other drought-tolerant plants.
The entry door is a thick, Tuscan-style, carved-wood doorway with a black grill over a peep window.
Lisa Hallett Taylor
The entryway opens into a formal living room. The space includes a carved white marble mantel, built in wood bookshelves along with a wrought iron chandelier. Simple beige vinyl floors and sleek white walls assist highlight the elegant wall sconces and stylish symmetry of replicated arches across your home.
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Ornamental mirrors are placed strategically throughout to reflect fixtures and details.
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Each room is connected via a succession of arches. On the opposing side of a narrow glass and wood door behind the round dining table is a tall walk-in custom-built wine cellar.
Table: TS Berry, Scottsdale, Canyon complete
Lisa Hallett Taylor
This air-cooled cedar wine cellar was an attractive move-in attribute for Tim and Carol. Added wine storage is also found in a blind half-arch beneath the staircase.
Lisa Hallett Taylor
The warm glow of hanging fittings along with natural light flows through the arched hallways, connecting the first floor rooms. The couple put a fresh coat of white paint the majority of the interior walls since, Carol says, they “didn’t want to divert from the arches and structure of the home.”
Lisa Hallett Taylor
The kitchen includes Mediterranean touches of rough, exposed wood beams; stained, hot wood cabinetry; dark hardwood flooring; granite countertops and a tile backsplash. The previous homeowners had three climbing teenagers and remodeled the kitchen with almost two of each appliance, including two dishwashers and two dishwashers.
Refrigerators: Sub-Zero; oven and microwave: Dacor; faucets: Grohe; pot filler Newport Brass; pub stools: Pottery Barn, sea grass honey weave
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Among the primary changes the Hagers made when they moved in their home (in June 2011) would be to bring a metal handrail into the staircase wall. With kids running up and down the wooden stairs, they were concerned about safety.
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Tim and Carol’s master bathroom suite is a series of small rooms connected by a long hallway, warmly illuminated by a set of swirling metal chandeliers. White walls and polished stone floors give the space visual depth. The suite includes his-and-hers private baths, showers, countertops and sinks, walk-in closets, a Jacuzzi tub and a makeup nook.
Vanity blossom: Sandra, Frontgate, lotion
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Hockey-loving son Jacob, 11, plays an award-winning regional group and shares a passion for the sport with his dad. The walls come to life with baseball players mounted on foam core, positioned and over wainscoting.
Interior paint: Luna Pier, Dunn Edwards and Tea Time, Behr Ultra; NHL quilt: PB Teen
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Jacob doesn’t have to move far to sharpen his baseball skills: The Hagers assembled a hockey rink at the bottom of their home. Jacob practices there together with his teammates or with Tim.
“Possessing a home with land brings a great deal of maintenance which you might not be prepared for,” says Carol. Currently, Tim is working on outsmarting bites that dig up holes in the lawn, further enlarged by household dog Cleo.
Hockey rink layout and construction: Mudd Industries
Lisa Hallett Taylor
The Hagers turned what was originally a horse barn and motocross garage into a recreation and media space. Carol is in the galley-style kitchen, which comes with a compact refrigerator, a microwave, a dishwasher and two sorts of beer.
Families of their children’s baseball and soccer teams visit frequently, and when they do, they’re not bored. A pool table recovered with red felt, a two-person sport machine with vintage classics like Pac-Man and Frogger, a shuffleboard, arcade two-shot basketball, a ping-pong table, a 1970s slot machine plus a large, comfy armchair sectional provide lots of entertainment choices.
Light fixture over pool table: NHL Montreal Canadiens Hanging Billiard Light; beer dispenser: Beer Meister
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Oldest daughter Kelsey was amazed with a redecorated bedroom after she returned from a weeklong Yosemite camping trip soon after the family moved in. Carol enlisted the help of designer Louise Moody to transform the space into a tropical escape, which includes access to a veranda overlooking the garden and surrounding region.
Moody painted the space, installed roll-up shades and added vintage-inspired tropical furnishings, accessories and wall decor. When Kelsey returned, she was thrilled with her surprise room makeover.
Desk set: Ratana; paint: Dunn Edwards; Island Oasis quilt, prints, accessories and wall decoration: Bamboo and Beyond
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Details like a stacked-starfish metallic lamp, a carved-wood-fish wall hanger and a bold picture turtle cushion give Kelsey’s space a classy tropical vibe.
Kelsey plays soccer teams and also enjoys surfing, boogie boarding and boating.
Starfish table lamp: Uttermost; deillow and table: Bamboo and Beyond
Lisa Hallett Taylor
The room of daughter Micaela (seated) is lively and transitional. It reflects what she enjoys: collections of plush animals and peace symbols, photographs, a strand of holiday lights along with a indoor basketball hoop attached to one of the windows. The bedroom also has a tiny walk-in cupboard, a bath and a balcony, with a view of the front courtyard terrace plus neighborhood.
Paint: Azure Sky, Dunn Edwards; duvet: Pottery Barn Kids (no more available)
Lisa Hallett Taylor
Round mirrors from PB Teen hold Micaela’s necklaces and ice skating awards, using PB Teen’s bubble decals as a backdrop. Bins from Target store her toys and books.
Carol enjoys the location of their new residence since, she says, “it’s sort of like living in the country including all the horses and creatures around, including goats next door, and many beautiful hiking paths. But we’re also only a couple blocks from Target.”
Lisa Hallett Taylor
The Hagers constructed a series of casual bar-height additions into a very low wall. The simple horizontal bar is built of copper and is mounted on the retaining wall, while Pottery Barn bar stools offer an amazing view of the Orange County landscape beneath. Wax LED flameless candles are put on the pub at night.
Tibetan tall bar stools: Pottery Barn, mahogany stain
Lisa Hallett Taylor
This is Carol’s favourite place to sit down and enjoy the view over a cup of coffee with the sun on her back in the morning or even a glass of wine in the day. Her fantasy guests to join her for a buddy? Steven Tyler, Jesus and maybe Andre Agassi. “Anyone fun and interesting who likes to drink wine,” she says.
Lisa Hallett Taylor
1 acre provides lots of space for several outdoor rooms, including patios, balconies, a patio and an infinity-edge swimming pool with built-in spa. Low walls constructed with rectangular and square-cut flagstone delineate the outdoor areas while leaving an open view.
Lisa Hallett Taylor
A couple of ducks glide across the pool, entertaining Micaela (right), friend Chloe and puppy Cleo.