For the Hogans of Corona del Mar, the job of building houses is a family affair
The kids wanted an elevator, Mom wanted efficiency, Dad wanted a see-through garage — contributions that were all taken seriously in building a new luxury home at Cameo Shores in Corona del Mar.
Including his family in the decision-making process bolstered a new enthusiasm for Roger Hogan when he began his profession about seven years ago. “It started when I was building a house for my wife and three daughters,” Hogan said. “I really enjoyed this process so much that I transitioned into residential development as my sole income after working 22 years in the automobile industry.”
“Everything I do, my family is involved, my wife and daughters, brother and his wife and kids,” Hogan said. “My brother and partner, Stephen, and his wife, Jennifer, offer different perspectives in design, finishes and colors that can only help.”
The company is even named MRMP Developers after Hogan’s wife, Marie, and their daughters, Reagan, McKenzie and Palmer.
“I know the area very well and wanted to specialize in new construction in Cameo Shores,” said Hogan, who lives there in a home he’s renovating. “I don’t know of a better neighborhood in the country, I think Cameo Shores is number one.”
The Corona del Mar residential neighborhood that sits on the ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway known as Cameo Shores became a coastal community in 1959. The neighborhood with 170 homesites was designed to be terraced so that the homes maintain an ocean view with the exception of its uppermost streets.
Four private entrances to nearby beaches, 24-hour security patrol, central location and walking distance to conveniences are among the reasons Hogan said he loves where he lives and works. The lot sizes of over a quarter acre with 180-degree ocean views with a restricted maximum height of 14½ feet add to the desirable location.
As a way to increase living space, new homes take advantage of the allowance to dig down, creating a subterranean dual entrance, with an upper or top-side entrance combined with a lower street-level garage entrance. Currently only about 75% are upper top-side entrance homes, including the original 3,000-square-foot homes, none of which are subterranean.
With his third spec home completed after five years of delays due to supply-chain shortages, the nearly 7,500-square-foot residence on Fairfield Drive, listed at $19,888,000, is one of the newer homes with dual entry.
“Many of the newer constructions since 2018 are going to have that lower garage or dual entry,” explained Hogan. “We want to be ahead of the curve — it’s not a safe design, it’s something different. It’s for someone who has a taste for architecture and can look at this and appreciate it for being different than anything else, almost like an art piece.”
Even the kitchen plugs are unique, being aesthetically pleasing. With a press of a button they float up and down beneath a cabinet, a contribution suggested by Marie Hogan. She added, “I try to put myself in there and imagine what works and what doesn’t.”
Architect Geoff Sumich, who operates a boutique design firm in San Juan Capistrano, came on board to design the home.
A trained modernist, Sumich understood the defining aspect of the Hogan build was that of a beach house with shingles similar to those in the Hamptons. “The beach environment can be harsh with the sea air and moisture,” said Sumich. “We used a terra cotta version of a wood shingle, called CoorItalia, which is the first time to be used on the West Coast.”
“This is maintenance free, highly durable, fire resistant, no painting needed and looks like new in a 100 years time,” explained Sumich. “The other aspect is the rain screen application that maintains an air gap around the house, which allows it to breathe, contributing a health benefit to construction of the house.”
In addition, Sumich said the firm created a glassed-off “garage museum.”
“We strategically designed it so that the glass area engages the car museum, leaving a garage area not visible from the house,” Sumich said.
“Nothing is alike, every project is unique and special and not a copy,” said Hogan, about his company’s projects. “More than making money I’d like to leave my mark on the industry, where people say, ‘That looks like an MRMP house.””
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