After hiring designer Susan Caruso for the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel, the Mandarin Oriental San Francisco, and the Muse Hotel in New York, it’s no surprise that Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers brought her back in for their latest project: the renovation of the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point, California.

“With its red-roofed Victorian buildings and awe inspiring view, the resort called for a sophisticated yet playful design, reflecting both the classic architecture and the vital force of its surroundings,” explains Caruso, president of Marina del Rey, California-based Intra-Spec, adding that the owners didn’t want to compete with the 5-Star hotels nearby, but offer a more inclusive property for a variety of guests. “We endeavored to retain and enhance the charm of this iconic setting and the flavor of Dana Point’s rich past while refreshing and modernizing the look and feel of the resort.”

In the lobby, there’s a curved stone and metal water wall, shimmering glass mosaic columns, stone flooring with subtle wave formations, and a recessed chandelier with chrome and crystal accents. The registration pods are done in rich tones of mahogany with mother of pearl insets and are backed by a dramatic stacked stone and metallic reed sculpture. The indoor-outdoor OverVue bar truly takes in its location with curved panels of black-and-white beach shots (in the evening they rotate to reveal bottle displays), heady ocean views, and an outdoor fire-water feature.

Upstairs, “the guestrooms are calming and sophisticated,” Caruso says, with grass cloth-inspired wallpaper, draperies with blue coral patterns on a cream background, and locally inspired paintings and photographs of California surf scenes. Meanwhile, other details like a curved headboard wrapped in blue upholstery, steam trunk-inspired mahogany casegoods with woven insets, caramel geometric carpet, Grecian lamps, and bathroom branch-like sconces further the look.

“The look is casually elegant, Southern California coastal. The central elements to the design are the soothing colors of the sea and the rhythmic water pattern, which flows throughout the property,” she explains, pointing to Axminster carpet with wave formations found in meeting areas and guestroom corridors. “We feel by bringing the outdoors in through these elements, the property feels seamlessly integrated into its surrounding natural beauty.”

Next up for Caruso: three Monacos for Kimpton in Chicago, Denver, and Salt Lake City, and the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, Massachusetts.