Build

A bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows is part of the prefabricated portion of the home.

Graci works from home so she turned a former closet in the living room into an office. “I always get frustrated at how inefficient closets are,” she says, noting how the very top of the space is difficult to access because doors are usually so much lower than the ceilings. Andrew designed and built a custom workstation for her, which takes advantage of the full width and height of the nook and has a surface that can be collapsed into the desk.

Space saving solutions within the 235-square-foot cabins include custom furniture hacks like a fold-away dining table that conceals built-in shelving.

A single staircase connects the home’s three levels. The wood screen separating it from the living area is original. The Eames lounge chair, Eames storage unit, and framed art by Wrong Shop are from Design Within Reach. The vase is Heath Ceramics, the planter is from Flora Grubb Gardens, and the black and white print is by HardRoadStudio.

Set against the warmth of original wood moldings, floral wallpaper sets the tone for the interiors. “You get a taste right there, at the beginning—it’s going to be fun,” says architect Sarah Jacoby. A Filigrana light fixture by Sebastian Wrong hangs overhead.

The architects performed sun studies to find the perfect siting for their office — though with amazing views in every direction of the rolling landscape, there really was no wrong way to go.

Woud’s modular sofa provides a vibrant accent color used elsewhere in the house and ADU. The striped club chair is from Ferm Living; the Eames chair and ottoman were among the only things the couple brought with them from Colorado. The knot cushions are by Design House Stockholm, and the prints are by Cornelia Thomsen.

This 450-square-foot apartment includes an origami-like desktop that unfolds to reveal a perforated-steel divider that allows the passage of computer cables hidden inside the office compartment. This transformer-like cabinet helps maximize limited square footage.

The wooden box is as functional as it is finely crafted, with room for clothes up top. Each niche holds treasures from travels, family keepsakes, books, and more.

Like much of the Italian Riviera, La Spezia on the Ligurian coast has a long maritime history. It was precisely this seafaring legacy that inspired the design of this tiny home, a 377-square-feet apartment that was reconfigured to clearly separate the living and sleeping areas. A cabinetry wall is constructed with marine plywood.

When it’s time to eat or do homework, the adults lower the tabletop, revealing a dozen book cubbies.

When not in use as the headboard, the large redwood slab folds down to become a desk.

Ample storage is provided in the kitchen area and the steps leading up to the bed.

At 193 square feet, this former maid’s quarters in the 18th arrondissement in Paris feels much larger than its postage-stamp size. Lots of sunlight, bold colors, and geometric shapes give it a punch of life, and light oak shelving delineates the bedroom area to create a nook-like feeling.

Hidden storage and flexible living are prioritized in this modern apartment of just 500 square feet in Taipei. Clever space-saving strategies and smart style choices by Taiwanese firm KC Design Studio created a chic, multifunctional home. The pegboard wall makes it easy for client Mr. Xiao to reorganize whenever needed. Anchoring the office is a chic Paulistano lounge chair by Objekto in the corner.