H 2 Oh!

The welcome mat at Christopher Tower’s Laguna Beach home is all wet.

A sleekly modern water sculpture at the entry greets visitors and passersby, the water coursing down a tall sheet of undulating copper and into a semi-circular pool of smooth, black river rocks.

Beyond the mahogany gate, water cascades down a 10-foot limestone wall in a feature that can be seen from inside the house through the floor-to-ceiling glass front doors.

There’s water, water everywhere. And not an ancient mariner in sight.

Water has always been a calming, relaxing element in Southern California landscapes, and today it’s being used more than ever, designers and installers say.

“People love the sound and feel of water . . . it’s very soothing,” said landscape architect Larry Steinle of L.A. Studio in Laguna, who designed Tower’s landscape and one of his water elements.

Steinle sees a trend in putting water out in front, especially in beach areas such as Laguna and Newport, where land is at a premium, homes are built on slopes and front yards are often tiny. Vertical water walls with small pools fit nicely into pocket-sized entry courtyards and make a strong statement as visitors come through the front door, he said.

Bridget Skinner, a Newport Beach-based landscape architect, also has seen a rise in “waterfront” elements, but she attributes it to an increase in the popularity of feng shui among people of all cultures. Feng shui is the Chinese art of arranging homes and workplaces to attract harmonious ch’i, or energy.

“In feng shui, it’s typical and very classic to have water elements in the front. Water draws in energy, and a water feature at a gate or door is a wonderful way to attract ch’i into the home,” she said.

The drawback to such a water feature is that, sometimes, it can draw a little too much attention, Tower said.

“I’ve caught people hopping the fence for a better look,” he said.

On the plus side, a water element usually has such a shallow collecting pool that it is not considered a hazard--as a swimming pool or deep fish pond would be--and doesn’t need to be hidden behind a tall fence.

A water element doesn’t need to be elaborate. It can be something as simple as a birdbath, as Skinner has in front of her office.

Tower said he always wanted a water feature--it’s out front so people can see it. He has a third water feature planned for the backyard, he said.

On the completed project, Tower pared costs by helping to design the large water wall himself--he worked with a Riverside-based stone fabricator who also produced some interior pieces for him. Tower also served as his own general contractor, negotiating with suppliers for materials and bidding out each piece of the job to contractors and professionals.

Despite estimates of up to $15,000 for the water features alone, Tower said, he spent about $7,000 because of his involvement.

Costs also vary dramatically depending on the size of the water feature, the materials and the method of maintenance. Whether a do-it-yourself project or one left entirely to professionals, the best way to install a trouble-free water feature is to set it up like a swimming pool.

That means using a filter, submersible pump, skimmer and a vacuum, said Eric Stodder of Biosphere, a Laguna Beach landscape design company. At the least, every water feature should have a drain, so the pool can be cleaned out and algae removed, he said.

A water element with a filter, pump and lights could cost from $2,000 to $5,000, Steinle estimated. Yet he recently saw a small one in a local restaurant that had been created by running water over a few pieces of slate in a recessed wall. Total cost? About $400, he estimated.

Pre-cast fountains look a lot nicer today than they did just five years ago, Skinner said.

“There’s a revival of classic design in fountains because of the architectural style of new homes. There’s the classic woman pouring water out of an urn, the lion spitting and the three tiered-fountain in all kinds of finishes. Depending on your hardscape, you can marry the two. But no terra-cotta fountains with slate walkways,” she cautioned.

A water wall made of natural materials, often a vertical stone surface that has horizontal ribs cut into the stone, is the trendiest, Steinle said. Water running over the ribs creates an ever-changing pattern.

Water elements can be more exciting at night because of the way electric lights combine with the movement of the water, he said, describing a recent project with two concrete circles as upper and lower pools.

“When the water flows into the lower pool at night, it kind of dances because the concrete wall reflects the light. It’s almost a piece of art.”

It’s hard to say if it’s the sound of water or the sight of it that attracts people more.

Steinle sees Tower’s sculptural copper water element as art yet believes sound is the No. 1 reason people want water features.

Skinner agrees.

“It’s a cooling, relaxing sound. People are very attracted to it. I have flowing water in my backyard, and my neighbors love it,” she said.

Water elements also offer a way to mask neighbor and street noise. In hot, inland areas, they can have a cooling effect, she said.

Tower, who added a Native American sculpture of a woman to the front courtyard, says he likes hearing the water at night but also loves the visual effects.

“When people come and go at night, a spotlight on the underhang shines on the [sculpture] and a spot under the water shines on the stone fountain, and the effect is that of a woman looking at a fountain,” he said.

“It’s kind of spiritual.”