None.

The second floor holds three bedrooms and a living area for the girls. Here, Paula, 11, and Sofia, 9, hang out near an IKEA PS 2012 sofa by Nike Karlsson. The slatted wall at left allows a view to the downstairs.

The outdoor room is backed by a gabion wall made of stone. Rainwater runs off the roofs into a channel before being funneled through pipes concealed within it to an underground concrete tank.

A 1960s midcentury home in Austin was renovated by local practice Webber + Studio, with a second story added while preserving the home’s original character.

A double-height corridor runs the length of the house, and a slatted wall on the second floor overlooks the space.

The patio at the front of the house offers a view of the balcony that connects the second-floor bedrooms.

In the second floor lounge, a Flex sleeper sofa in Gravel from CB2 sits opposite an antique Chinese coffee table Flanders inherited from her grandmother.

The bedroom takes up the small second floor of the house.

Mike's second-floor office features locally-sourced cabinetry. Photo credit: Dale Christopher Lang PhD AIAP

An existing home in San Francisco was renovated by architect George Bradley as his home with Eddie Baba, an attorney. The house was reconfigured to accommodate the entrance on the second floor, but the couple retained the in-law unit as a rental but shrunk it from two floors to one, creating space in which to carve out an office and a guest bedroom on the bottom floor of the main house.

As per the owner's request, the second floor’s open landing receives ample sunlight. The space is used as a study and the home's two bedrooms are situated to the right, their doors just outside the frame.

Second Floor Hallway with Open Loft Area

Mixing neutrals with brights is fresh and modern.

Sally challenges Gibson to a game of backgammon in their second-floor living area.

The Blue Sky prototype house leads a second life as desert getaway for David McAdam and his partner Scott Smith.

The lounge at the back of the entrance level exhibits the wide plank flooring common throughout the house. The view through the windows is made more compelling by the strip of green roofing extending the treetop canopy and the glass curtain wall that climbs just high enough to draw a sightline to the patio.

From the second level of the house, Griffin climbs the stairs his own way.

Maple flooring was used on the second level.

To create a sense of luxury on a budget, the architect ran a thin concrete border along either side of the fireplace flue and flanked it with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. The second story has two lofts joined by a steel bridge.

On the second-floor landing, just outside Liv’s bedroom, is the family’s “mushroom wall,” comprised of a blend of cypress and hemlock repurposed from the bedding bins of a mushroom-growing facility. During the mushroom growth cycle, enzymes digest and erode the soft wood grain, producing an organic, sculpted effect. ECOS chalkboard paint—zero VOC and non-toxic, natch—appears under the stairs.

On the second floor lies a timber wood sauna with two-level seating. “The sauna box itself was custom and pre-fabricated,” says Kampshoff.

Second floor of the New Design Museum, showing the Permanent Exhibition. By John Pawson Ltd.

"Second Nature" (2008) is a chair "grown" from crystals in a transparent tank.

Flowers aren't necessary with this vegetable arrangement.

A second-story balcony overlooks a small yard.

The dramatic curving glass of the second floor addition quickly recalls the original first floor's rounded edge; streamlined curves such as these are a defining characteristic of Art Moderne architecture. PPG IdeaScapes supplied the curved glass itself.

Cedar louvers increase privacy and shade on the second-floor deck, where Carole and Duane relax with granddaughters Natalie and Allison and their friend Katherine.

A nearly 360 degree view of trees outside contribute to the treehouse feel of the second floor.

A view of the second floor from the top of the staircase. Open shelving open to the stairs further contribute to the open and airy feeling of the space.

Claire picked out the furnishings for the second unit, making sure none were chemically treated. A spiral staircase leads up to the bonus loft space.

The Second Floor Plan A: Roof Garden B: Bedroom

Windows in the roof monitor let in natural light and ventilation.

A new product in 2014, the BN-171 Watch from Braun is an innovative addition to Braun’s fleet of watches and clocks. Prior to its launch, a fully ceramic watch only existed as a concept product. Through careful design and engineering, the BN-171 Watch is completely comprised of ceramic, including the bracelet-style band. The result is a timepiece with a luxurious look and feel, complete with a weighty presence and a smooth finish.

The fun continues upstairs; here's a view of the second floor.

In the second-floor hallway, Bernier skipped typical hardwood flooring in favor of thin strips of birch boards spaced a distance apart to allow light to filter between the two levels.

The clients insisted that none of the trees on the property be disturbed, so Kevin Alter and his team at Alterstudio Architecture built a deck and an overhang around two of them.