Saving Space

Why add another bedroom to an already packed program when it’s only going to be used a few days per year? That’s the reasoning architect Mark Hutker used with the owners of this new house on Martha’s Vineyard. In lieu of that extra bedroom, the stair landing was deepened and outfitted with a multitasking built-in: a window seat/guest bed. It features a sloping headboard that Hutker says makes the spot comfortable for all uses. The headboard connects the seat to a small desk with file storage. Hutker credits his general contractor and lead carpenter, Leo DeSorcy, for making the complicated design look simple. Every measurement had to be exact to make the space functional for varied activities in less than 100 square feet. Even the fact that the owners are right-handed factored into the plan. The carefully detailed design is rendered in lively yet warm cypress, while slabs of contrasting mahogany top off the desk and the seat’s headboard/armrest. Materials were chosen to ensure they age gracefully when exposed to sea air. “The V-grooves in the cypress planks let the wood expand and contract over seasons,” Hutker says, “and solid bronze hardware will reflect its use over time.”