RJ Smith Construction

Describe the project. 

Our client, alongside the talented LaneyLA team, envisioned a home that would take full advantage of the surrounding elements. Natural lighting, the South Bay beach air and unlimited sunsets are welcome throughout every level. 

What unexpected features do you like to add to bathrooms? 

Doors are incredibly underrated and underutilized inside a master bathroom. A lot of our homeowners have early-morning meetings and/or drives. Usually these mornings begin by stepping into their master bathroom. Although the master bath usually has a wall or something that separates their sleeping area, noise will still travel and run the risk of waking their significant other. Adding something as simple as a door benefits all parties in the room. Who doesn’t love starting the day in a good mood? 

What sets your firm apart?

Our process. We are with our clients from concept to land acquisition, design and completion, as well as ongoing maintenance for years to come. No one in our area is doing anything like this. 

What keeps you motivated? 

Easy: our clients. Every client has a different vision of their dream home. We love bringing that to life for them. We pride ourselves on having a close relationship with our clients, and that means having open communication at all times. My favorite process is picking our partners who get to work with our clients: the designer, architect and consultants. This process shapes the style of the home along with any fun details we want to include. 

Tell us about your team. 

I proudly stand by our team. They have a balanced combination of talent and creativity. Something that often surprises people is that 80% of our team is female. I handpick our team—from project manager to social media/creative. I believe that a mix of hard work and ambition goes a long way. You can be yellow/blue, male/female, even cat/dog—I will always look at your work ethic over everything else.

What considerations do you make for your clients’ pets? 

Pets are important; pets are family. Many of our team members have pets at home. I have a pup named Bruce. Understanding that our pets need to be taken into consideration is very important. Keeping a home pet-friendly is almost the same as kiddy-proofing. We custom cut and install doggy doors to our homeowners’ liking. Plus we offer alternatives, such as air-sealed entries or doggy smart doors. Our beautiful beach house in Hermosa, pictured here, is very dog-friendly. The owners specifically requested custom doggy gates on each floor to allow their furry ones to comfortably settle in. 

Photographed by Shane O’Donnell (headshot) & Eric Staudenmaier (project)