They Call Her “Badass”
Editor’s Note: Although residential and commercial building is out of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ scope of what constitutes infrastructure, we at MOXY feel that this story will resonate with women in construction, skilled trades, engineering, and architecture.
“I think I was born this way,” responded Julie Laughton when asked about her fierce MOXY and how she gets it.
“To have MOXY, to me, means to have confidence in all my decisions. That confidence is always backed up by my knowledge and experience,” continued the founder of Laguna Beach luxury home builder and remodeling contractor, Julie Laughton Design Build.
“This is why when I meet someone new in my industry they call me a badass — because it boils down to the fact that I know what I am doing. I have both female and male followers who appreciate what I represent and what I do. It’s an honor to be respected in the construction field. The best part is that I love what I do, and I look forward to doing it every day with my amazing team.”
Early Signs of Innovativeness
Julie could draw at a young age. Born in small-town Le Mars, Iowa, she was drafting at the age of 14 and through high school. Raised in a family of strong women, Julie and her sister were exposed to all the things boys do, including golf, baseball, working in the yard, detailing cars, skeet shooting, and archery.
After graduating from Iowa State University, Julie moved to New York City and worked for two architects and the top five developers in Manhattan on such prestigious commercial projects as Bank of America’s 5th Avenue Corporate Offices, David Webb Jewelry on Park Avenue, and The Friars Club. Then, in 1991, there was a sudden stop in new construction.
“I had started doing some residential projects on my own, but overall it was looking bleak,” she recalled.
When Things Look Grey, Find the Sunshine
The drying up of new development opportunities prompted Julie to take a vacation to Southern California and visit one of her college buddies from her landscape architecture classes. After sitting on the beach for two weeks, she decided sunny Southern California would be the perfect place to start fresh. “I already knew I liked working with homeowners direct, but I quickly realized I couldn’t find work because I was overqualified for the jobs that I was used to applying for,” she shared.
It pushed Julie into the only available option at the time, which was a job in a retail showroom on Beverly Boulevard designing custom kitchens. “Through this retail job, I realized I was a natural born salesperson and that career move is what catapulted me into being the successful business owner I am today,” she said.
From Designer to Contractor
After being a designer for approximately 10 years in Southern California, Julie realized that she needed to take the next step and become the contractor to manage the entire process. “The reason I did this was because it was a huge benefit to the homeowner and to this day I don’t know anyone else who works this way. Becoming a licensed contractor automatically changed my world and the client’s world because it became a seamless process from start to finish,” Julie said. “I still don’t understand why more design professionals like myself don’t get their contractors license. It’s one thing to be a designer, but it’s another thing to put ideas on paper that work and then build all of it legally and to code.”
Emergence of an Empire
Enter the founding of Julie Laughton Design Build. The company is unique because it is a one-stop shop design-build service — from conception to completion. “What I found out early on in this business is that the client needs a lot of guidance from a professional to get through the process,” said Julie. It’s daunting for homeowners to work with seven to 10 different professionals (architect, interior designer, kitchen designer, engineers, AV company, landscape architect, etc.) on a remodel or building their home.
“When a client selects me for their project all of these unknowns are eliminated because I oversee every aspect of the project for them with my hand-selected team of experts. I have no turnover and no shortage of labor. It’s all about the process, the team, and the execution,” she said.
Intriguing Projects, Creative Clients
Julie and her team recently worked on an innovative project for Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter. His English Tudor estate was remodeled and the work included two room additions that expanded upon the original historical architecture as well as transforming the backyard to simulate a scene from the Mary Poppins movie complete with moonlight and vintage lamp posts. She also recently completed designs for a house on the sand on the Balboa Peninsula; it features a subterranean pickleball court and a 42-foot stainless swimming pool on the roof.
“What sets me apart from all the other contractors is that I was born with artistic talent and I have professional design training, which includes experience in architecture, space planning, custom kitchen and bath design, landscape architecture, and interior design,” Julie specified. Further, her 30 years of construction experience standing in the dirt working alongside engineers allows her to see the project completed before it even begins.
On Standing Up for Herself
And standing in the dirt has often meant that she has been surrounded mostly by men. “If he doesn’t act appropriately and respectfully, I don’t work with him,” Julie affirmed. “All of my subs and employees have a choice of how they are going to behave. Working with a five-star team is an honor and they are not allowed to be on the team if they don’t understand what it takes. They also have to have the skill level. We strive for excellence and my overall success is based on the fact that everyone is happy. It is a circle that consists of the client, architectural staff, engineers, employees, subcontractors, vendors, and myself. We all have to be equally respected in order for all of us to be happy and for this to work seamlessly.”
Yep. She’s a badass.
