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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Visitors climb from level to level via a retractable steel ladder, which begins at the ground-floor plunge pool. The architects used industrial materials like steel and concrete throughout to "keep it raw,” according to Kampshoff.

Rather than a one-off custom piece, Baker designed the daybed as a prototype and worked with Ohio Design on its fabrication.

New Meets Old

In the boys' room, a rolling ladder provides access to the top bunk.

I snapped this photo of Maira in the gallery next to one of her ladders. The woman adores ladders.

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, keeping a small footprint. The ladder comes with four hooks, which make it easy to hang small accessories, and the rungs of the ladder can be draped with towels. The Nomad Ladder can be used with the Nomad shelf to create more surface area for storing other items.

The one-man sauna is created by three architects at modulorbeat, Marc Günnewig, Jan Kampshoff, and Sebastian Gatz. They were inspired by the nature of the former factory site, which reflects the changing state of manufacturing in the region. “When we arrived, looking for a location, [we thought] it was so beautiful how the nature came back to the industrial site,” says Kampshoff. “We transformed it into a space with an urban quality.”

An adjustable ladder, which blends in with the walls in Vipp's signature ebony powder-coated steel, leads up to the sleeping loft.

On the top level of the brownstone, where the couple raised the ceiling to ten feet, architect Mark Dixon takes a ladder up to the roof.

We created a platform at the entry of the bedroom so you could walk into the room at the same level as the rest of the house. Creating this platform allowed easy access to the new home office location and master bathroom. Prior to the remodel you had to walk down the stairs into the bedroom and up more stairs to get into the bathroom. This area is accented by a gorgeous floating pecan desk, open shelving that acts as a decorative railing, and an original brick wall that we discovered during construction.

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.

For now, Kimi, age six, and Darin, age two and a half, happily share a room and bunk bed. Kimi’s clothes are stored on low shelves in the built-in closet, so he can dress himself, and the children’s toys are stored within easy reach in open drawers.

A key request from the client was ample room for books. "Brian had us promise that we would give him room to grow his collection," the firm says. The solution was a large library with walnut shelves that was custom-built by woodworker Tom Clossey.

One bathroom features a ladder that leads up to a yoga studio.