The Ocean House
A family home oriented to the Pacific. We kept the palette pale and the silhouettes low so the horizon does the talking — then layered in deep navy, natural oak and hand-thrown ceramics for warmth.
Manhattan Beach
Full-Service Design
Kitchen · Living · Bedrooms · Study
Completed
The approach
Every principal room in this Manhattan Beach home looks toward the water, so the first decision was restraint. Walls, stone and cabinetry sit in a narrow band of warm whites that reflect the coastal light rather than compete with it. Furniture stays low and deep, keeping sightlines open from the kitchen island straight through to the horizon.
Warmth and contrast
Against that calm backdrop we introduced a confident thread of navy — in the swivel lounge chairs, a hand-knotted throw, the art — and balanced it with honey-toned white oak built-ins, a woven coffee table and hand-thrown ceramics. The stacked limestone fireplace anchors the great room and gives the open plan a sense of gravity.
Rooms for real life
The family works, reads and entertains here, so function was designed in from the start: a built-in study nook with brass swing-arm sconces and plenty of drawers, performance fabrics on the most-used seating, and a primary bedroom kept deliberately quiet, with an upholstered headboard and layered linens for rest.
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