Alex designed the entire home based on a 24-inch grid. "I was in New York and Josh [Howell, the contractor] was up here in Maine, so I tried to make it very easy; you could always tell what size everything was going to be."
Alex designed the entire home based on a 24-inch grid. "I was in New York and Josh [Howell, the contractor] was up here in Maine, so I tried to make it very easy; you could always tell what size everything was going to be."
The living room is five steps down from the kitchen and office space and features textured black slate tile from Olympia Tile, Voyage Immobile sofas with Farniente collection upholstery (a wedding present from Flanders’s mother) by Roche Bobois, and a rug from Turkmenistan the couple picked up in Jerusalem. The sliding glass doors are by Loewen and the glazing above is by Inline Fiberglass. Sawatzky relied on Wayne Arsenault for the custom millwork and carpentry.
The living room is five steps down from the kitchen and office space and features textured black slate tile from Olympia Tile, Voyage Immobile sofas with Farniente collection upholstery (a wedding present from Flanders’s mother) by Roche Bobois, and a rug from Turkmenistan the couple picked up in Jerusalem. The sliding glass doors are by Loewen and the glazing above is by Inline Fiberglass. Sawatzky relied on Wayne Arsenault for the custom millwork and carpentry.
Freestanding shelving by Miralles holds yet more tomes from the family’s prodigious collection. Irregularly placed tilework on the floor follows the trajectory of the sun’s rays as it travels across the room.
Freestanding shelving by Miralles holds yet more tomes from the family’s prodigious collection. Irregularly placed tilework on the floor follows the trajectory of the sun’s rays as it travels across the room.
The staircase’s steel guardrail and the custom black bookshelf create a link between the kitchen, the living space, and the entryway.
The staircase’s steel guardrail and the custom black bookshelf create a link between the kitchen, the living space, and the entryway.
To add to the feeling of spaciousness, bookcases are set back on the upstairs landing.
To add to the feeling of spaciousness, bookcases are set back on the upstairs landing.
“Gatherings here can be a very rich experience, a dis-cussion around art history, music, food, and fashion.”—Kenneth Montague
“Gatherings here can be a very rich experience, a dis-cussion around art history, music, food, and fashion.”—Kenneth Montague
Cubic bookshelves do double duty as a dividing wall and as a sliding door.
Cubic bookshelves do double duty as a dividing wall and as a sliding door.
DeMarie used these images to determine the best way to update the recessed lighting and recreate the original shade of stain applied on the plywood walls. The photos are currently housed in Shulman’s archives at the Getty Research Institute.

Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our  FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!
DeMarie used these images to determine the best way to update the recessed lighting and recreate the original shade of stain applied on the plywood walls. The photos are currently housed in Shulman’s archives at the Getty Research Institute. Don't miss a word of Dwell! Download our FREE app from iTunes, friend us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter!
Clerestory windows in Tyler's design studio provide plenty of light, while built-in bookshelves and flat files offer ample storage.
Clerestory windows in Tyler's design studio provide plenty of light, while built-in bookshelves and flat files offer ample storage.
More treasured pieces, including a clear glass bud vase by William Gudenrath from the Corning Museum of Glass and a bronze palm from De Vera in San Francisco, occupy the living room bookshelves.
More treasured pieces, including a clear glass bud vase by William Gudenrath from the Corning Museum of Glass and a bronze palm from De Vera in San Francisco, occupy the living room bookshelves.
Ran and her brother, Gen, read on one of the structure’s 44 continuous steps.
Ran and her brother, Gen, read on one of the structure’s 44 continuous steps.
A movable feast: In designers Nix and Novak-Zemplinski's 1,000-square-foot apartment’s open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space, almost everything is convertible. Cookbooks are kept in low "nesting" shelving, keeping the countertops free.  Photo by Andreas Meichsner.
A movable feast: In designers Nix and Novak-Zemplinski's 1,000-square-foot apartment’s open-plan kitchen, dining, and living space, almost everything is convertible. Cookbooks are kept in low "nesting" shelving, keeping the countertops free. Photo by Andreas Meichsner.
Heywood lives in Oakland with his wife, two small children, and lots of books. The young boys provide the abstract paintings that grace the walls.
Heywood lives in Oakland with his wife, two small children, and lots of books. The young boys provide the abstract paintings that grace the walls.
Cubic bookshelves do double duty as a dividing wall and as a sliding door opening up to a hidden bath.
Cubic bookshelves do double duty as a dividing wall and as a sliding door opening up to a hidden bath.
Tagliabue made sense of the soaring volume in the library by installing double-height custom bookcases that can be accessed via a catwalk.
Tagliabue made sense of the soaring volume in the library by installing double-height custom bookcases that can be accessed via a catwalk.
Sawatzky designed the bookshelves along the living room wall out of Ikea components: one-inch Lagan butcher block countertops and inexpensive Ekby Lerberg brackets. She also used pieces of the strong and attractive countertops for built-in shelves in the upstairs lounge as well as for trim in the kitchen.
Sawatzky designed the bookshelves along the living room wall out of Ikea components: one-inch Lagan butcher block countertops and inexpensive Ekby Lerberg brackets. She also used pieces of the strong and attractive countertops for built-in shelves in the upstairs lounge as well as for trim in the kitchen.
In the living room, a warm woodsy palette reigns, with a few blue-gray notes to create a serene mood.
In the living room, a warm woodsy palette reigns, with a few blue-gray notes to create a serene mood.
Due to zoning restrictions, the house's footprint had to be relatively small, so Svensen devised a solution: split levels. The library occupies a landing on the staircase and features shelves built by Atlanta's Dark Horse Woodwork.
Due to zoning restrictions, the house's footprint had to be relatively small, so Svensen devised a solution: split levels. The library occupies a landing on the staircase and features shelves built by Atlanta's Dark Horse Woodwork.
The cavernous living room takes advantage of its height with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
The cavernous living room takes advantage of its height with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves.
There are bookshelves, closets, and cabinets galore in the pared-down, boxy home.
There are bookshelves, closets, and cabinets galore in the pared-down, boxy home.
The room also features built-in bookcases fabricated by Earthbound Industries and a vintage Sesann sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina.
The room also features built-in bookcases fabricated by Earthbound Industries and a vintage Sesann sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina.
Just opposite the reception desk is this wall. Rather an ordinary thing, until...
Just opposite the reception desk is this wall. Rather an ordinary thing, until...
Simpson runs his practice, WireDog Architecture, from his home study, where custom bookshelves line the perimeter of the mezzanine for a storage solution that doubles as railing.
Simpson runs his practice, WireDog Architecture, from his home study, where custom bookshelves line the perimeter of the mezzanine for a storage solution that doubles as railing.
Ornate concrete blocks screen a storage area in the kitchen while letting light through. The effect is “romantic—romantyczny,” says Nix.
Ornate concrete blocks screen a storage area in the kitchen while letting light through. The effect is “romantic—romantyczny,” says Nix.
Yates used the same medium density fiberboard on this bookshelf as she did on the wall in the kitchen.
Yates used the same medium density fiberboard on this bookshelf as she did on the wall in the kitchen.
Faced with the challenge of a diminutive New York apartment in desperate need of a refresh, architect Tim Seggerman went straight to his toolbox to craft a Nakashima-inspired interior. Photo by David Engelhardt.
Faced with the challenge of a diminutive New York apartment in desperate need of a refresh, architect Tim Seggerman went straight to his toolbox to craft a Nakashima-inspired interior. Photo by David Engelhardt.
The adjacent extra-wide stairs provide easily accessible storage space; the custom bookcases, made of the same Douglas fir plywood as the treads, follow the rise of the steps to the bedroom.
The adjacent extra-wide stairs provide easily accessible storage space; the custom bookcases, made of the same Douglas fir plywood as the treads, follow the rise of the steps to the bedroom.
In Sofia, Bulgaria, architect Dimitar Karanikolov and interior designer Veneta Nikolova transformed a top-floor apartment in a new building and furnished it with custom and vintage pieces.
In Sofia, Bulgaria, architect Dimitar Karanikolov and interior designer Veneta Nikolova transformed a top-floor apartment in a new building and furnished it with custom and vintage pieces.
A bed for the shopkeepers built into the design of the bookshelves.
A bed for the shopkeepers built into the design of the bookshelves.
Built-in bookshelves in the living room hold Sanders’s vinyl collection.
Built-in bookshelves in the living room hold Sanders’s vinyl collection.
“Many of my pieces are first-runs from Bocci, so I am the first to figure out if something is wrong [with the design]. In the bedroom, we have an early 28 chandelier; we used glass fading from white to clear for the first time, which gives it an eerie luminescence."
“Many of my pieces are first-runs from Bocci, so I am the first to figure out if something is wrong [with the design]. In the bedroom, we have an early 28 chandelier; we used glass fading from white to clear for the first time, which gives it an eerie luminescence."
The Dwell bookshelves from the March 08 issue.
The Dwell bookshelves from the March 08 issue.
See-through dividers in the form of open bookshelves define the interior public spaces; the fiberboard planks are by Hokushin.
See-through dividers in the form of open bookshelves define the interior public spaces; the fiberboard planks are by Hokushin.
The bookshelves lining the walls of the living room were inherited from family.
The bookshelves lining the walls of the living room were inherited from family.
In the living room, Mass Studio removed the drywall ceiling to expose the wood beams, and then lined the ceiling with pine slats. Built-in walnut shelves help emphasize the room's new, pitched profile. "We replaced the patio doors with floor-to-ceiling custom wood doors with dual-pane glass, which better reflects the overall height of the living room and provide more light and outdoor view," Salek says.
In the living room, Mass Studio removed the drywall ceiling to expose the wood beams, and then lined the ceiling with pine slats. Built-in walnut shelves help emphasize the room's new, pitched profile. "We replaced the patio doors with floor-to-ceiling custom wood doors with dual-pane glass, which better reflects the overall height of the living room and provide more light and outdoor view," Salek says.
The walls in the downstairs den are covered in Deborah Bowness’s Genuine Fake Books wallpaper and a set of String bookshelves. The leather chesterfield sofa is by Natuzzi.
The walls in the downstairs den are covered in Deborah Bowness’s Genuine Fake Books wallpaper and a set of String bookshelves. The leather chesterfield sofa is by Natuzzi.

330 more photos