‘Cottage White’ Settles Dispute Over House Color

There were shouting matches at the Design Review Board. Neighbors quarreled with each other. The press showed up, and all because Nick and Denise Karagozian had painted their house “shell white” instead of the “sandstone” color approved by city officials.

But now it looks like the couple, who later painted their house red, white and blue in defiance of the city, will be able to move in by April Fools’ Day. City Manager Kenneth C. Frank announced Tuesday the house will be painted “cottage white.”

What’s the difference between “shell white” and “cottage white?”

Not much, according to Karagozian and Design Review Board Chairwoman Barbara Metzger, who agree the new color is closer to white than to the beige hue originally chosen by the board.

But the key difference is that the new color paints a picture of compromise that the City Council readily accepted Tuesday to avoid complicated lawsuits that were sure to follow.

“I guess you can fight City Hall,” Karagozian said, sounding relieved that the controversy is nearing an end.

Karagozian and his wife wanted to move into their new home late last year, but the city had refused to hook up the utilities until the Karagozians repainted the house in compliance with city design standards.

Metzger said the board had insisted on the sandstone color because a brighter color would make the large home stand out and not fit into the hillside neighborhood.

News of the Karagozians’ dilemma prompted a Los Angeles radio talk show host to sponsor a “paint-in” last month when the house was painted a shocking, if patriotic, red, white and blue.

Frank, Metzger and City Councilwoman Ann Christoph said most of the negative reaction came from outsiders and not Laguna Beach residents, who want to protect the beauty of the small city.

“The Design Review Board is doing what this community wants,” Metzger said, “in terms of preserving neighborhood characteristics and preserving (scenic) views.”

Christoph also said that by changing the color, Karagozian had violated terms he accepted when he won the board’s approval to construct his new home.

“It’s not just a matter of picking somebody out and saying, ‘We want you to paint the house this color,’ ” Christoph said. “He got his whole building approved with the whole board and neighbors relying on the fact that he was going to keep those commitments. It sounds picky, and yet, how else do you address holding someone to their commitments?”

But when it came time to paint the house, Karagozian did not see much difference in the colors. And as the board and council upheld the neighbors’ protests, he swore he would never live in a sandstone-colored home.

“It’s ridiculous,” the homeowner said, “this idea that these people have so much power and you really cannot fight back. I think we proved that you can fight back.”