The Bloak Decorative Ladders marry the classic silhouette of a ladder with distinctive details. Available in three sizes, each ladder is made of strong oak wood that is ideal for hanging bath towels, linens, or scarves. The bottom of each ladder features a black oxidized finish, giving the ladders additional visual appeal.

In the living room Daphne the dog keeps company with a Case Study Day Bed from Modernica, a LCM chair by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller, and a painting by the Brooklyn artist Joyce Kim.

In the cheerily outfitted office, a Herman Miller Embody chair lets Shino stay comfortable on business calls that can last for hours.

Open shelving between the living room and dining area maximizes light and air flow and showcases eclectic objects, which include old printing blocks found at a garage sale and bowls Tyler’s mother bought in South Africa.

The vacation complex is designed to promote an easy flow between the two families' spaces, which include guest cabins and a shared porch for hanging out and eating.

Soren and Annika share a lofted bedroom and a pair of bunks. In Barker and Inzunza's house, this space is used as an office and music room.

Kitchen

Laundry & Powderroom

Not only do these colorful bottles make for humble accent pieces, they're also a reminder of the house's past: Whitlock discovered them while building the home, which stands on what was once a Chinese apothecary.

This wooden ladder by SmithMatthias isn't just a ladder––attach its accessories and it becomes a glove box or tray, without them it can be used as a coat hanger or towel rack.

The Nomad Shelf System from Skagerak is part of an innovative storage system that has a thin, space-saving profile. Designed to resemble a ladder, the Nomad rests on the wall, and can be set in a variety of interiors, or even outside. The ladder comes with four hooks, which make it easy to hang small personal accessories like keys or totes. The rungs of the ladder can be draped with towels when used in a bathroom, or can be used to display scarves or other textiles in a bedroom or living space. The Nomad Ladder can be used with the Nomad Shelves to create more surface area for storing other items.

The guest room cleverly shoehorns four bunks into a small footprint.

A custom steel and red oak ship ladder in the main living area is another space-saving solution. The door is Douglas fir and the shelving is mesquite wood; an Eames lounge chair can be seen in the master bedroom.

A former closet was transformed into a double-height library, complete with a reading nook and a rolling ladder from Spiral Stairs of America. “That’s my favorite part of the house,” says Dan. “When I see Stella reaching for a book, there’s nothing better.”

The rooftop tent can be accessed from the interior via a wooden ladder or—for the more athletic—via a series of wall-mounted climbing holds, made by Vock and carved from persimmon-tinted hardwood.

Resting atop an oak table by Miralles, amidst a collection of tchotchkes, is the “B” trophy awarded to the pair for their work on the Santa Caterina Market rehabilitation project. A Louis Poulsen lamp hangs just above.

Nix and Novak-Zemplinski, founders of the design firm BioLINIA, in their 1,000-square-foot apartment’s open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space. They had the decorative cabinets and ceiling panels CNC-milled by a Polish subsidiary of the Finnish company Koskisen. Photo by Andreas Meichsner.

The kitchen cabinets with cutouts for handles were designed by a local woodworker. The stairs lead to a loft office where Joanna works, perched beside a quilt made by her great-grandmother.

The Charred Ladder Leg cabinet was built from blackened Charleston loblolly pine with a dramatic texture.

Idiosyncratic touches—including a recessed fireplace and a tall, ladder-like series of towel rungs—also mark the adjacent bathroom, outfitted with a fireplace near the tub.

A ladder leads to a guest room in the attic. The striking-blue bedroom dresser was part of a modular storage system installed by the previous owner.

Walking down the stairs will lead you to the master bedroom which features floor to ceiling custom cabinets at the bed wall, deep drawers below the platform wall, and custom closet with sliding doors. Access to all of the cabinets was a must, even at the tippy top, so we designed a library ladder that could be used on the closet or bed side, with a central resting place between the windows when not in use. The overall aesthetic is warm, clean and minimal, with white cabinets, stained European white oak floors, and matte black hardware. An accent wall of Cavern Home wallpaper adds interest and ties the finishes of the room together.

Cubbies tucked into the frame offer additional storage. One of the details Didaskalou likes most about the design is "the flow of the ladder from the top twin bed to the bottom full bed." Click here to discover more stories about modern bunk beds.

Susanna's skill as a stylist is evident in the apartment's many eye-catching arrangements of objects: here, a paper bird, a origami bowl, and a jar of striped paper straws.

Italian brand Slow Design employs the skills of Tuscan artisans to transform old glass bottles into new decorative vessels with lids turned from local ash and olive wood.

There are many avenues from which one can descend the Douglas House, including staircases and ladders.

Shakers are well known for their ladder-back chairs, and this understated, seemingly ageless design is the classic Shaker piece. Its restrained simplicity embodies the discipline of the Shakers themselves—its straight back encouraging good posture, orderliness, and control. Photo courtesy of Skinner, Inc.

Last but not least, we loved British designer Matt Pugh’s decorative wooden Owls, handmade at his studio in Bath.

At left, steps lead up to a sleeping loft. In the bathroom, Schaer installed a salvaged clawfoot bath and toilet and marmoleum click floorboards. Wainscoting on the walls adds a delicate touch.

Sullivan explored anthropomorphism with his nickel-plated steel masks. "I am fond of saying that, 'there is no such thing as a human,'" he explains. "'Human' is literally just a word—a placeholder for whatever we actually are."

The coolest finds, Kevin says, are vintage McIntosh amplifiers. The stock changes frequently—"We get new furniture from Ellen every week or so," he says—so it's worth regular visits to for an ever-evolving walkthrough.

Since Marble Basics creates small decorative items, they maintain an accessible price point despite an expensive material.

New Meets Old

Light + Ladder Hanging Planter Designed by Farrah Sit | Light + Ladder