This remodel and addition, to a ‘good bones’ house from the 1960’s, was for a young family who had squeezed in for a few years but now wanted to settle down. Two generous bedrooms were well positioned at opposite corners of the plan so we fashioned a light filled stair, from an under-appreciated central hall, to access a new lofty main bedroom suite and study above the fray, as if it was a third corner. In the primary bedroom, large west facing glass panels, provide sun protection and privacy, peeling open to an exuberant magnolia. Public spaces at the main level, form an ‘S’ shaped plan, starting with the living room and dining area in front, continuing through the family room and kitchen, and finally to a patio and yard in the back. Originally a set of discreet spaces, the net effect is open and lively. A steel Tonsu-inspired stair and deeply grained wood kitchen cabinets enrich the space with materiality and craft.