A center stair in an open plan calls for something distinguished, but for this Bay area home that something had to be in keeping with its modest bungalow setting. Former Navy architect Bruce Kelley likes to work with wood, so he selected salvaged redwood from old wine casks as his medium to design a stair that would be accessible as well as eye-catching from the three rooms open to it. “I used a geometric sleight of hand,” explains Kelley. “By widening the landing so that the lower treads align with the ceiling beams, it allows you to go in three directions and it keeps the stair in proportion to the other public spaces.” The bottom three treads also wrap around the side of the stair connecting the landing to the foyer to offer easy bench seating just inside the front door. Builder: Ridge Greene, San Francisco; Architect: Kelley + Kelley, Berkeley, Calif.; Wood crafters: Fourth Street Woodworking, Emeryville, Calif.; Photographer: Bruce Kelley.
