Asian Grace

Traditional Japanese Tansu cabinets inspired stepped storage underpinning the staircase in architect Sandra Vivanco’s remodeled Edwardian home. Vivanco customized the size of each stairwell compartment to accommodate a particular function—the subwoofer hides behind a perforated metal screen on the corner while wine discreetly ages in a perfectly square rack facing the dining room. Flat panel doors keep the look clean. Open treads above offset the heaviness of the built-in white oak and bamboo base cabinet. “As the stair travels upward, the elements get lighter and lighter until all that’s left is a wood trellis at the top landing,” says Vivanco. Thin steel-and-glass railings perpetuate an airy look on the higher steps and allow sunshine from a skylight to trickle down. Vivanco also wanted to highlight structural function, so fine details such as laser-cut support beams beneath the landing reveal exactly where the heaviest gravity loads occur. Builder: Gillispie Construction, Mill Valley, Calif.; Architect: A + D, Architecture + Design, San Francisco; Cabinetmaker: Pokensniff, San Francisco; Metal fabricator: Architectural Metals, San Francisco; Photographer: Mark Luthringer.