2008 Nationals: Urban Meets Suburban

Icon at Playa Vista's Plan 3 might have a narrow lot, but it has an open feel. The second floor is the main living area. Photos: Eric Figge

Looks can be deceiving: Icon at Playa Vista's well-appointed homes are on a narrow lot, but gold-wining Plan 3 is bright and flexible.

"It's still technically a single-family detached home," says Pete Carmichael, director of sales and marketing at Laing Luxury Homes, "but it isn't like a lot of our big, expansive single-family detached homes in the more suburban areas.

"The main living area is on the second floor," he adds. "It's got two bedrooms up [on the second level] and one bedroom down that can double as an office. So it's a really versatile house where you could have a live/work office downstairs, or the downstairs could live separately for a parent or a boomerang kid after college."

"Plan 3 has been one that has spoken to a lot of our buyers," says Erika Wolter, marketing coordinator for Laing Luxury Homes. "They really like how it lives. The first floor has the office space, and you could even get a second bedroom. It has that great room and dining area, separate from the kitchen, on the second floor. Then you go up [to the third floor] and you have the separation where the master suites are."