Top of Sunset Plaza: a coastal modern home renovation in Los Angeles

J Matthews Design Studio. Interior designer serving Southwest Florida, 20 years of experience.

Top of Sunset Plaza is a full home renovation I designed in Los Angeles, finished in a coastal modern style with organic, natural touches. I took it from concept through completion in January 2020, and I still point clients to it when they want to see how I handle an entire house rather than a single room.

Read on to learn what the project involved, what coastal modern actually means in practice, and how that same approach shapes the homes I design across Southwest Florida.

What is the Top of Sunset Plaza project?

It is a complete interior renovation of a 5,337 square foot single-family home in Los Angeles. The house has five bedrooms and six bathrooms, plus a lock-out one-bedroom apartment, which is a self-contained unit attached to the main home that can be closed off and used on its own for guests, family, or a rental. The renovation ran on a $1.9 million budget, and the finished home was listed at $5,295,000. I handled the interior from planning through final styling. The home has strong views from nearly every angle, and a good part of the plan was keeping those sightlines open. You can see the full set of rooms on the Top of Sunset Plaza portfolio page.

What does coastal modern with organic influences mean?

Coastal modern pairs the clean lines and open layouts of contemporary design with the light, unforced palette of a home near the water: soft neutrals, natural light, and natural materials used simply. The organic side is about texture and warmth, natural wood, stone, and woven materials that keep a modern room from feeling cold or bare. In a home built around its views, like this one, that quiet palette does deliberate work: it keeps the eye on the setting rather than the surfaces.

How this renovation project shapes the homes I design in Southwest Florida

Los Angeles was the setting for this one, but the way I approached it is the same way I work on the coastal homes I design closer to home, across Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Tampa, and the Lakewood Ranch area. A full renovation is really an exercise in planning a whole house at once: how the rooms connect, where the light falls, and how to keep good views working for you rather than against you.

Coastal modern travels well to the Gulf Coast because it starts from the same idea, a home that feels open to its surroundings. The real difference is the climate. Strong light, humidity, and salt air are constant factors on the Southwest Florida coast, and they affect how finishes and materials hold up over time. That is part of what a full plan is for: choosing pieces that still look right several years in, not just on the first day.

---

Common questions about this project

What style is the Top of Sunset Plaza home?

Coastal modern with organic influences: contemporary lines and open space, a soft natural palette, and warm natural materials like wood and stone for texture. It is the design language I use most often for homes near the water.

What is a lock-out apartment?

It is a self-contained living space, here a one-bedroom, attached to the main home but able to be closed off with its own access. Owners use these for guests, extended family, or a separate rental, without giving up the option to open it back into the main house.

Does J Matthews Design Studio only work in Los Angeles?

No. Top of Sunset Plaza is one of my projects outside my home region. J Matthews Design Studio is based on the Southwest Florida coast and serves Sarasota, Bradenton, Venice, Tampa, and the Lakewood Ranch area.

What is full-service, turnkey interior design?

Turnkey means I take a project from concept through completion, so the home is ready to live in at the end rather than handed back as a plan for someone else to execute. For a full renovation, that covers space planning (deciding how rooms are laid out and how people move through them), materials and finishes, furniture, and final styling, all coordinated so the pieces work together.

How do I start a full-home project with Joseph Matthews?

The best first step is a conversation about the house, your timeline, and how you want to live in the space. You can reach me through the Contact page to set that up.