stairs

Interior clerestory windows above the medicine cabinets allow views to the wood slat wall lining the hallway, and the natural light can now filter into the bathroom.

The living area is anchored by a new stair leading to the second level, which is screened by slats of the same red oak used in the flooring. The side chair was sourced and reupholstered by Seattle-based Madsen Modern.

The staircase in the mudroom is made of raw steel kickplates and treads created from locally harvested sugar maples.

There’s also a powder room tucked behind a discreet door.

“The contractors did an amazing job restoring the old details, removing several layers of paint that was added over time, so they could be repainted in the best way,” says Ménage.

Built-in shelving under the stairs to the mezzanine level provides the resident with extra storage.

“Try to group uses and find solutions that solve multiple problems,” Borowski counsels. As an example, Pozner cites the idea of having the loft stairs double as clothing drawers. Though he eschewed a handrail, preferring a cleaner look, Pozner says that the slipperiness of the stairs “remains a work in progress. We had grooves, but they hurt my feet.” The pair are now looking into heavy-duty felt treads.

The staircase was welded on site and sprayed in situ. “It’s the backbone of the house, so we had to get it right,” Cameron says.

A steel staircase connects the living room to the new second story while acting as a functional sculpture in the space. Cameron repurposed the timber paneling from another building site.

The previous owners had created the duplex by linking two apartments with a spiral staircase. A pendant lamp by Muuto now overlooks the staircase, which has been reinvigorated with a new birch plywood surround. The material is a unifying motif: The shelves and cabinets designed by Delaunay, including those in the kitchen, are made of it.

San Francisco couple Jim and Noriko would be the first to admit they never thought much about architecture—that is, until late 2013, when they took possession of one of the city’s many worn-out Victorians. By hiring acclaimed architect Anne Fougeron, they hoped to compensate for their lack of knowledge and create something extraordinary for themselves and their young daughter. The facade’s historical details were preserved and painted Gunmetal by Benjamin Moore.

The redesign added about 750 square feet and a new ground-floor level to the original two-bedroom structure, built in 1901.

A perforated-metal staircase in Benjamin Moore’s Flame and built-in cabinetry in various shades of blue highlight Fougeron Architecture’s bold reinvention of a narrow row house in Noe Valley for a couple and their daughter.

The unique perforated staircase is steady as a rock.

Perforated steel and a glass guardrail on the stairwell allow the skinny second-floor hallway to feel as open as possible.

The slat wall treatment is continued, with the powder-coated metal railing “creating a different language,” says Gregga. Adds Sean: The railing “has such a good feel in your hand.”

Custom cabinetry creates entry storage, and wasn’t brought up to the ceiling, so as to appear floating and allow more natural light to spread. The custom metal fabrication is by Michael Northrup, including a powder coated railing and entry shelf.