Staircases

Berg was pleased when his team could draw more attention to the original spiral staircase, which he describes as fabulous. “And I don’t say that often about a spiral staircase,” he says.

The second-level terrace was designed to take advantage of Austin’s southeast to northeast prevailing winds.

The fireplace was redesigned as a piece of sculpture, in order to be more inviting to sit around. It's accompanied by an Onn Pendant by a-emotional light at the ceiling, and a custom wall-mounted shelving unit designed by O-N Architecture, built by Felix Chmiel, and coated in pigments by Linolie & Pigment.

The design team updated the staircase with a shade of blue that echoes the heirloom cabinet (seen against the wall). The color is "Polaris Blue

Inside the waffle front door, a common feature of Deck Houses, are an Artek Tea Trolley 900 by Alvar Aalto with a ceramic vase by Femme Sole and Home Union.

In the living space, instead of one large expanse of glass, which would have been expensive, Solk used multiple smaller windows from Marvin. To open up the living room, Solk removed a fireplace, which caused drafts and also leaked. “Other families may think that’s bonkers, but it worked for us,” Erika says. “We'll take the floor space over the fireplace.”

A staircase winds up through the center of the house. Its structural spine is made of cross-laminated timber, while the screen that encloses it is made from slats of South African pine. “The timber screen separates the stair from the surrounding space but still allows glimpses through,” says Douglas. “It recalls Japanese screens, especially at night when it lights up like a lantern.”

In a Cape Town suburb known for its views of Table Mountain, architect Liani Douglas transformed a rundown, 80-year-old cottage into a house for her friend, Derek White, that embodies their shared design sensibilities. In the leafy neighborhood, the house announces itself with a pair of arched doorways at the front gate and the entry.

The pendants are by Matter Made.

“These clients really wanted it to be as dead accurate as it could be,” architect Jordan Snittjer says of this Chicago town house’s masonry, which transitions to an overhauled interior and a glassy rear extension.

The house is clad with shou sugi ban-treated cedar siding.

Working with architect Ravi Raj, two siblings crafted a gable-roofed house in Saugerties that’s perfect for gatherings.

SHED rebuilt the deck to have only two support posts, and an integrated planter faced with COR-TEN steel to tie into the front facade.