Nooks

The space below the stairs in this revamped Brooklyn brownstone was turned into a cheerful play area for the clients' two boys. "We built an egg shaped 'nook' underneath the staircase, and filled it with soft ‘pebble’ pillows," adds architect Frederick Tang.

Visiting a Manhattan apartment designed by Tim Seggerman is like sitting inside one of Nakashima’s cabinets, a metaphor realized most fully in an ingenious "library"—really a glorified cubby with a banded maple ceiling, conjured from a free space adjacent to the loft bed.

Schiller Projects designed and built many of the Chilmark House's freestanding furniture pieces. In the living area, the family dog reclines on an upholstered bench.

Oak Woodland

A reading nook in front of the "cabin" workspace at the top of the stairs.

The white plaster inside the home signals a continuation of the outdoor facade. The cave-like nook was inspired by the fireplace in Swedish architect Erik Gunnar Asplund's summer house.

The master bedroom has access to the netted play nook through a whimsical door that punches through the upper part of a wall. A repurposed street lamp from Copenhagen is suspended from the ceiling.

A uniquely shaped, well-lit nook under the stairs of the Peas in a Pod residence provides an imaginative space for play. CplusC Architectural Workshop designed much of the space around the clients four children's needs.

The living room is furnished with pieces by some of the greatest names in vintage design, such as Hans Wegner, Eero Saarinen and Charlotte Perriand, and also more recent pieces from the 1900s by Philippe Starck, among others.

Thanks to a spacious bookshelf and plenty of seating, this vibrant area is an inviting spot to read and relax.

The playroom is outfitted with Bubble armchairs by Sacha Lakic from Roche Bobois and a custom fire pole that descends from the floor above. The wallpaper is FP502001 Shaman from Pierre Frey.

In the kitchen, Fougeron and her team designed a nook backed with sliding panels and lined in green felt from FilzFelt. Solo Wide Dining Chairs by Neri & Hu for De la Espada surround a Dizzie table by Lievore Altherr Molina from Arper.

Hess filled the niche with upholstered seating, a green onyx table with a custom powder-coated base, and tiered millwork at the ceiling. The hand-knotted, silk-blend carpet pillows are from Christiane Millinger, and light fixture is a blush-colored Gae Aulenti.

A wall on the second level features a built-in bookcase with a reading nook.

Inspired by Greek diners, the nook gets the best views of the San Rafael hillside.

The bedroom’s new height allows for a loft space above the walk-in closet; Diego uses the area for his instruments. The main bathroom is to the back left.

In a spare bedroom/playroom located in another section of the house, Berg played with juxtapositions of shapes, installing an oak-wrapped, triangular reading nook inset with a circular window.