stairs

The home’s centerpiece spiral staircase connects all three levels. Designed by Tom on Solidworks, the blanks were cut in a friend’s woodshed and later assembled on-site.

Inside, the home has been designed as a fun space to bring the family together—including the installation of a blue slide that connects the two levels of the home.

At just under 14 feet wide, the CH House could have felt cramped. But the architects created empty volumes within the plan to make it feel more spacious and airy. Standing in the double-height library, where there’s enough vertical space for a tree to grow, one can see down into the shared living areas and up into a kid’s bedroom at the fifth floor.

On the outskirts of the Austrian city of Salzburg, architecture studio Smartvoll transformed a warehouse used to repair tanks during wartime into Panzerhalle—an indoor food market with restaurants and event spaces on the first level, a beauty parlor on the second level, and a fantastical multipurpose apartment on the loft’s upper level.

The Perezes created an office area, storage beneath the stairs, and a sliding door that sections the kitchen from the bathroom.

“It’s a really beautiful piece set in that corridor,” says Yoon.

Each floor now benefits from the natural light brought in by the atrium.

The sculptural wall sconces are by Guy Bareff.

The dimmable round sconces climbing up the staircase are from Marset.

The underwater pool window not only adds a touch of whimsy, but helps illuminate the basement.

City House by SMS Arquitectos features a second-floor townhouse extension that explores new possibilities with plywood.

The stairs lead up to the upper loft and rooftop garden with city views.

A small dining room occupies the space just beyond the living room. It’s furnished with vintage folding chairs designed by Danish architect Mogens Koch that are easily stored for more space.