About:Space

Josette Murphy on location at a Redondo Beach project in 2020

The Human Touch

This September we will celebrate 25 years in business, and so much has changed. Years ago, although we used CAD for technical drawings, we relied on line drawings, samples, “inspo” images and rough hand sketches to convey design ideas. At that time, clients had to take a leap of faith and trust our recommendations even when they couldn’t fully visualize the finished product themselves. Now, we always use 3D modeling tools to develop our work. However, each project is still carefully considered from the human perspective, and our work doesn’t stop until the vision is a physical reality. AI is powerful but cannot compete with decades of human experience ensuring that imagined solutions can be built and will last.

Design Principles

The inimitable luxury fabric designer Manuel Canovas said, “There are no ugly colors; there are only unfortunate combinations.” We embrace this philosophy! Fundamentally good design principles are timeless; they serve as a guide no matter the desired vibe or color story. Each new project is an opportunity to develop the singular home that will fit each client, like a well-tailored suit. That is what our clients love most about our services. We are guided by our clients’ needs and preferences and the circumstances of each situation. Each one is unique, each one is custom, because no two people or families are the same.

Local Focus

Initially, we worked in the South Bay as well as outside the area, and we designed offices as well as homes. Then, about 10 years ago, our whole team envisioned our ideal design studio. We realized we didn’t want to design offices anymore and we wanted to attract homeowners only in the South Bay. So we made changes and moved in that direction with the business. This has allowed us to focus on projects we love and to visit local clients and jobsites more easily, providing excellent service with quicker response times.

Dream Team

Shout-out to Christina Chudabala, who has designed with us for over 20 years! I’ve developed our studio team carefully and cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect, support and creative encouragement. My teammates tend to stay long term, and I believe in paying it forward when anyone leaves—helping them advance in their careers.

Southbay Love

It was great fun to dig back into the archives to learn when we first collaborated with the publishing team at Southbay. Our first of many articles was published in 2012, about 14 years ago. Southbay is our preferred partner to showcase our projects because we only design homes in the local area, and no one highlights our beloved community better.

Main image photographed by Fabien & Laura Castro | Throwback image photographed by Kristin Anderson