“The stable/garage was built with two intersecting gable roof forms," Schaer says, which didn't match up with the inteiror spaces within. “In order to provide a unified, singular main space, we dropped a flat ceiling at the entrance and linked it up with the main gable visible from the street.”

In Seattle's rapidly developing South Lake Union neighborhood, the Art Stable is a classic example of urban infill. Built on the site of a former horse stable, the seven-story mixed-use building carries its history into the future with highly adaptable live/work units.

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An office nook and library can participate in the open plan or disappear behind pocket doors.

Pricing is not yet available for ENSAMBLE, but a single board of cholguán retails for about $5. By keeping assembly simply and using glue to join the system, the Andes House hopes to make it a cost-effective solution for the office and beyond.

Built on the site of a former horse stable, Art Stable is a mixed-use infill project in Seattle, Washington, that boasts an 80-foot-tall hinge for hand-cranked doors. Photo by: Benjamin Benschneider.

The second-floor office is housed inside a rounded rectangle of concrete that the architect inserted on top of the old farmhouse.

A familiar scene in the Benoit home: Peter paints at the Steelcase desk—"I do all my work here," he says—while Ando sits nearby, waiting for attention.

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By creating a desk out of roof beams, this home office perfectly integrates into an open-plan renovation of a Northern Italian farmhouse.

The office houses the letter “U" as well as cameras.

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The study features floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that bring the outdoors in. Space-saving custom walnut desks are accented by a Pixo Optical LED Table Lamp, an AJ table lamp, and a 1958 Eames Management Chair.

Agustín Hernandez's home office.

The playroom later became Xenia’s office.

The abstract geometry of the exterior allows for unique openings and this sklylight, which provides natural light to the staff throughout the day. "One of my ambitions is to place openings, windows, and roof lights strategically, so you get a sense of the time of day and the weather," says Brooks.

Near the room’s curving wall, a Verner Panton chair joins a K2 B console table by Tecta, topped by a vintage mirror by Robert Welch. The wall light is from Flos. “If I had more space, I’d just fill it with more stuff,” says Pearce.

In most of the loft, the original wood flooring and the herringbone pattern of the vaulted brick ceiling have been carefully preserved.

An installation by Willem Cole hangs in the gallery, which leads to an open stairway to the office and private bedrooms upstairs.

The couple's firm specializes in illustration and photography for the advertising industry. The framed art is by Anthony Burrill and the wall calendar is the work of Crispin Finn. The Ikea office table is ringed by Fritz Hansen Butterfly Chairs and Herman Miller Aeron Chairs. The lighting is by Artemide.

Designed by Jagoda, the door swings open to fit in front of a bookshelf.

Everything from lighting to curtains to video and audio can be controlled from a smartphone, enhancing the loft’s sense of effortless elegance.

Though some might have seen the gritty and desolate Mission block that houses Stable Cafe as an obstacle, Malcolm Davis embraced the transitional backdrop when imagining not only a cafe, but an incubator for local businesses that aims to foster a sense of community. The cafe was once an 1800s carriage house, and was severely neglected over the years before the extensive restoration and revitalization effort by Davis. The light-filled interior boasts soaring ceilings and exposed beams, along with a modern custom steel staircase which leads to the lofted seating area. A spacious communal courtyard provides an urban oasis and gathering area for Stable Collective entrepreneurs and neighborhood patrons alike, while Malcolm Davis Architecture holds its offices in the old hayloft above the cafe. 2128 Folsom Street

The firm designed Art Stable, an urban infill project in Seattle's rapidly developing South Lake Union neighborhood. The seven-story mixed-use building was erected on the site of a former horse stable.

Reeve's partner, Michela Meazza, uses built-in closets for her home office. The imposing gunmetal gray doors can simply be swung shut at the end of a long day's work.

Hachigian and Day in the living room/screening room, which opens onto a terrace above a reconstructed garage. The living-room table with a resin-and-acrylic top was designed by Hachigian’s brother, Garo.

Lawrence Weiner sits at his daylit desk. The bare walls are perfect for tacking up new projects, and the steel ductwork gives the space an industrious feel.

A second bedroom was converted into a home office/dining room. A Dieter Rams 606 Universal Shelving System (below and opposite) lines the wall. The “Ziggy Diamond” wallpaper (behind the surreal Erle Loran painting) comes from Flavor Paper, a New Orleans firm that prints wall coverings to order, and the ingenious folding table is by Swedish designer Bruno Matthson.

“[The clients] wished for a simple and flexible space that could be reconfigured to suit the evolving needs of the family,” principal Thomas Schaer says. “Our goal was pretty simple: don’t overthink it and have fun.” Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal covers the siding, while Segovia Red adds a pop of color to the exterior doors. Two Chair_ONEs by Konstantin Grcic stand on the patio.

The top container contains Wardell's office—and a "napping nook" above that.

In the dining room, a Smoke chair by Marten Baas for Moooi keeps company with a glass-and-ceramic vase by Hella Jongerius and a mirrored steel painting by artist Michelangelo Pistoletto.