Pretty in Plywood

The design team used 3/4-inch PureBond Maple plywood from Columbia Forest Products, featuring formaldehyde-free, soy-based assembly.

A peek into two rental units reveals simple but strong interiors. The architects clad the walls with polyurethane-coated plywood “to provide a durable and attractive finish and provide visual separation between the two levels in the high volume,” says Shelton.

More adult playthings, like this pair of bikes live under the stairs, whose cutouts break up the plane of plywood and double as peepholes for kids at play.

The open-plan area is lined with custom plywood cabinets.

Designed by Cal Poly Pomona students, this factory-built Wedge cabin prototype features plywood interiors for a raw and rustic vibe.

Inside the plywood-lined home of New Zealand architect Davor Popadich. (Photo by Simon Devitt)

Carpenter Matti Salminen, a family friend, built the birch cabinets and island for the kitchen of a new home outside of Helsinki. The architect, Tuomas Siitonen, situated a lofted family room on the mezzanine above.

Ophir by Architects' Creative Ltd

A double-height living area clad in unfinished plywood, in Connecticut. (Photo by Raimund Koch)

Photo by Toshiyuki Yano

In the playroom, built-in casework offers storage for toys. The yellow table was custom-built by the Kristin's father. The clear pendant lights are by Muuto. The "toy zone" is adjacent to the kitchen so that Lowell and Kristin can prepare meals and keep an eye on their yound children, aged three and five. "The residents wanted as little freestanding furniture as possible," Guess says. 'We did a lot of benches, which are made out of plywood so they're fairly inexpensive."

Bornstein and his daughter Velma sit at a table the architect designed himself; the dining chairs were designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen.