Stair

Upstairs, the private spaces comprise four bedrooms and a separate lounge.

A stairwell leads up to the reconfigured living spaces and principal bedroom on the upper floor.

One of the greatest design challenges, according to Franz and Paré-Mayer, was reimagining the dark, unfinished garage space in a way that would “establish [it] as primary, instead of an afterthought to the original floor above.” This was achieved by layering open, linked spaces on the ground floor and sticking to a few carefully selected materials for cohesion and fluidity. There are hardly any hallways in the home; every space serves a function. Polished concrete floors continue throughout the new living level, and a bent metal dining chair with a reclaimed Douglas fir backrest made by Scholz sits in front of an open white oak staircase.

The staircase, which connects the home’s three levels, affords privacy while allowing light to flow through the interior.

The stairs and guard rail are made of Ash. Vertical beams are connected to the white, steel substructure with hex-head screws that have been concealed with putty—a simple technique that makes a strong impact. “There are barely any other decorative elements in the interior space,” explains Sonja. “It is all about the play of forms, plans, surfaces, and the patterns of the different wooden coatings under the light.”

A spiral staircase runs through the center of the house, serving as a chimney that pulls cool air up from the ground floor as hot air exits through windows on the top level.

The wooden staircase is a nod to the original timber cabin.

An English Sycamore partition wall allows light to spread into the shower room tucked behind it.

Stair screen

Stairs

The materials are limited to white millwork and white oak. “When we come home, we want something serene,” Broughton says.

Laboring over every material and line, this project is the result of rigorous design and planning with the clients. With a constant requirement for precision, the joinery and timing of materials throughout the home create clean, harmonic spaces that carry one throughout the home. Celebrating a truth in materials, white walls highlight the wide variety of finishes including clear timber, sandstone, marble, cork, concrete, and steel.

The color of the staircase brings a sense of personality to the space.

The new staircase was installed next to old windows on the east wall, and ascends to a light-filled hall above.

Thompson wanted to create "layered and veiled spaces" inside, which was achieved with multiple places to gather in the main corridor. The corridor is open from the second floor down to the basement, and has a combination of skylights and windows for ample light. Paradis MetalWorks supplied the rail and stair stringers.