Do you have to sacrifice comfort and luxury for energy efficiency? It’s a common misconception that building an energy-efficient home means dim lights, lukewarm water, hot air in the summer,…

Choosing the right team is important in beach volleyball. It’s even more important when building your dream house. You’re ready to build the beach house you’ve always wanted. You’ve picked…

Considering custom-building? You’re probably thinking about air filtration in a serious way. We’re having a record-breaking California fire season, in the middle of a pandemic. You want your home to…

If you’re dreaming of the ocean but not sure where in the South Bay to build, this post is for you. When we hear “Los Angeles County,” most of us…

Billiards and ping-pong tables are nice, but your basement can be more exciting. Think home bouldering walls, indoor lap pools, interactive exercise mirrors...If you’re interested in transforming your basement into…

All houses need maintenance, but beach houses require extra TLC. Here’s how to do it in Southern California. Photo by Paul Jonason Between the sun, the salty air, and the…

Open interiors have become extremely popular, but don’t underestimate the advantages to distinct rooms, with real walls. My husband and I just purchased a home, which we’re now remodeling. We…

Natural light plays a powerful role in good design. Ignoring natural light is a tragic—and rookie—mistake for Southern California beach homes. We live in Southern California. Obviously we love the…

The way that we work has changed in recent weeks, but this change has been coming long before most offices closed. According to the Federal Reserve, the remote-worker labor force…

We’re at home a lot these days, and we’re asking a lot of our spaces. We need our domestic environments to be safe, comforting, and functional—places we can live, work,…

We all want our custom home to be built fast and on-budget, with the finest finishes and furnishings. But custom-building is a year-long journey, and almost everyone will have to…

Hermosa Beach is like Manhattan Beach’s spunky younger sister—just as stunning, but a little more boho, more into nightlife, a tad more funky. Although in reality, Hermosa Beach was founded…

You know you want to build in the South Bay. You know what zoning regulations your Manhattan Beach lot falls under. You know you want to build a home that’s…

When you’re custom-building your home, you need to make a lot of decisions. You may find yourself thinking about things, such as materials and building products, that you’ve never considered…

Many people think if you want a kid or pet-friendly home, you have to sacrifice style. But practicality isn’t about overriding beauty. Often in the design world, the most beautiful…