One of the hallmarks of a well-designed custom home is the intersection of beautiful form with prosaic function. In the hands of a deft designer or clever craftsman a basic safety feature—like a guard rail—becomes eye-catching storage, as in the projects shown here. Each was highly tailored to individual homeowners’ needs while solving an everyday challenge: where to put all those books without giving up valuable window or wall space.
On the Bench
Architect Mark Winford tries to choose one or two places in the homes he designs for a high-end piece of detailed craftsmanship. For this Austin, Texas, house one such detail is in the second-story hallway. Across from the playroom, a three-tiered bookshelf intersects with a long bench to create a multipurpose guard rail. Reclaimed longleaf pine boards make up the bench and the angled slats along its back, with painted wood shelves as counterpoint. Architect and clients envisioned a parent/child reading spot enhanced by sunlight and views from a strategically located window across the stairwell. Builder: Pilgrim Building Co., Austin, Texas
Architect: Flying Fish Architects, Austin
Photographer: Thomas McConnell
Master Plan
Architect Stephen Weeks minimized interior walls in order to give this suburban Portland, Ore., house an urban loft-like feeling. But that meant he had to get creative when it came to storage. For example, the mezzanine master bedroom has balcony overlooks on both sides. A solid curved railing on one side lends privacy from below while providing a place for the couple’s law books. The guardrail-cum-bookshelf also connects a flip-out desk near the bed to a larger home office on the opposite side of the floor, “so they both have a place to work,” says Weeks. Builder: WBS Construction, Portland, Ore.
Architect/Interior designer: BOORA Architects, Portland
Photographer: Timothy Hursley
Triple Threat
The built-in bookshelves along this upstairs hallway solved three design dilemmas for architect Tom Carrubba. “We wanted to minimize the view from below into upstairs bedrooms,” he explains, “but we didn’t want it to be just a wall … and the owners had asked for a lot of built-in bookshelves.” In addition, Carrubba was looking for a way to emphasize custom steel and wood trusses supporting the peaked roof. Vertical grain fir boxes backed with alder panels float between floor and handrail thanks to steel brackets. The space between keeps the shelves looking light, though the 2-inch-thick boards easily withstand the weighty loads. Builder: Hunner Associates General Contractors, Portola Valley, Calif.
Architect: square three design studios, Palo Alto, Calif.
Photographer: Cherie Cordellos
