bookshelf

They used a deep-black hue for the room’s cabinetry and built-in desk.

An existing, tall Douglas fir stands sentinel at the left corner of the property outside the concrete wall. Pattison planted Colorado blue spruces in front of the Corten steel infills.

An IKEA desk and SKI wooden provide working accommodations in the study, overlooking the main living space.

Yumi (left) and Maya (right) cheese around on the steps leading into the front door. Inside, there is ample space for removing and leaving one's shoes, another Japanese element.

"Most of the carpentry built-ins were done out of plywood with birch veneer, chosen for its very raw finish and inexpensiveness," says Amanda. "For more structural items like the adaptable bed platform, we used Baltic birch instead for its superior structure and planarity."

Sometimes all it takes is a little luck. For a young married couple, it came in the form of this rare find: a 19th-century, three-story, single-family home in the heart of Paris. The building was a charmer with good bones, but was in need of some serious care. In a vibrant retrofit by architect Pierre-Louis Gerlier that includes structural reinforcements, the reimagined design is set off with a new floor plan. The lower level now serves as a space for the couple’s children, with the public areas—including an open-plan living/dining room and kitchen—on the floor above. Upstairs, the attic has been transformed into a very large primary bedroom with a green-and-white bathroom suite. The living room (pictured) showcases the firm’s bespoke carpentry work with a beautiful, mossy-green built-in bookcase that frames a new fireplace, and a staircase surrounded by arched doorways that hold hidden storage. “We created visual breakthroughs in order to connect the different spaces,” says Gerlier. “The rounded arches are there to help magnify these moments.”

Berube's starting point was the continuous wall of black millwork clad in a solid matte surface by Fenix. "We decided on a dark palette to work with the exterior,

The master suite features a sitting area and timber built-ins. “Our team of trim carpenters practically lived in the house for a year,” says architect Nicholas Fiore. “The value of built-ins is multifaceted, and it runs from the ephemeral to the most pragmatic.”

The parlor features a white oak window seat that receives eastern morning light.

The formal entry space features a built-in bench and is defined by a timber detail that runs up the walls and across the ceiling. “Built-ins are an excellent way to bring a human scale to a project,” says architect Nicholas Fiore. “People seek an intimacy—a coziness—in their homes, and we think that niches, window seats, benches, nooks, and other ‘hand-scale’ details can satisfy that human need.”

Cedar Grove House by HUNTERoffice bunk room

The bunk room boasts a floor-to-ceiling magnetic wall.

The floor and the wall merge into one as concrete, wood, and subtle, warm tones create an integrated look. Customized furniture and built-in pieces throughout add to the minimalist vibe.

Now, built-in sofas line the perimeter of the room and utilize the room’s shape better.

"We designed bespoke, modular furniture for the space that can be reconfigured and moved from the inside to the outside," King says. "As the room is mostly glass, it was important that the furniture look good from all angles."

The double-height wall of windows in the living room looks out on the property and was a big draw on their first walk-through.

The living room looks out onto the “Queen's Necklace,” a stretch of the L.A. coastline connecting the Palisades to Palos Verdes.

PHOTO: Shade Degges; DESIGN: Heather Heron