Here PDA has carried out a full interior re-design of the upper floor (containing major living spaces and a guest bedroom/home office area) for a young married couple. The original house was a handsome but - aside from ocean views from that top floor - unremarkable contemporary spec house in Manhattan Beach. The newly-married pair were interested in a warm, integrated modern feeling for the adjoining living room, kitchen, and dining area. Existing fixtures, finishes, and cabinets were dated and in need of replacement. In the new design, PDA emphasizes clean, flowing lines, and a limited palette of warm natural materials, as well as sweeping planes of white, which highlight the views of sky and water. A new masonry chimney with cantilevered stone-slab hearth offers a sense of permanence and gravity as a focal point for the living room seating. And the kitchen is tucked against adjoining walls in an "L" shape, creating a clearly defined central zone in which the dining table becomes a natural focal point.