Downstairs bedroom

White oak paneling lines the sleeping loft.

A splash of dark green paint in the sleeping nook introduces an old world drama to the space. The paint color is Billiard Green from Sherwin Williams. The crochet pendant is from World Market, and the brass bull was an eBay find. The couple's dog Waylon lounges in the pull-out dog bed drawer.

Peter conceived a stepped program for the layout. Placing the rooms at different levels created cavities for storage as well as for furnishings, such as the dining table and benches and the bed in Olia’s studio, which when not in use slide into the space beneath the raised floor in Peter’s office, above. New York, New York Dwell Magazine : November / December 2017

Wood WorksFaced 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, featured in our November Small Spaces issue.

The volume that both incorporates the single closet (accessible from the hallway) and the refrigerator (which opens into the kitchen) and serves as the bedroom floor is, says Kyu Sung Woo, “where everything comes together.”

This four-level penthouse apartment in New York has some quieter moments (to contrast with the multistory reflective slide snaking throughout). Designed by architect David Hotson_Architect with interiors by Ghislaine Viñas, this top-floor bedroom is a minty moment of repose. Set into the dormer at the opposite side of the bedroom, the alcove bed occupies a wedge of space extending up to the attic-level oculus window. Photo: David Hotson.

A sturdy ladder rests gently on the wooden storage wall next to the kitchen, offering access to a small sleeping alcove with a bed for two people.

Gues(s)t Room: The primary purpose of the alcove is to serve as a dining space for the residents. The space is cozy yet bright. Constructed from plywood off cuts, the table and bench quickly convert into a guest bedroom for impromptu visitors!

From the alcove playroom, a ladder leads up to a mezzanine loft with a double bed and two single bed.

To maximize on communal living space, the couple went minimal with bunking space. Their queen-size bed is tucked in an alcove and a pocket door was created to tuck away a crib or twin bunks.

Ryan thought she’d mind a low ceiling in her sleeping area, but it hasn’t posed any issues. Some might prefer the option to stand up straight when waking up in the morning.

The ceiling and cream-colored walls, made from narrow white-pine planks, were coated in a custom hue that Paschke mixed from C2 paints.

The three levels of the house transition from public to private: The ground floor is composed of the kitchen and living-dining area; the bathroom and closet occupy the mezzanine, accessed by a ship’s ladder; and the sleeping loft hovers a couple steps above. The seminal 1970s tome A Pattern Language, written by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein, inspired the layout. “I’m a huge proponent of the [book],” says Azevedo. “I like the ideas of a bed as an alcove, natural light on two sides of a room, varying ceiling heights, and different levels of privacy.”

One of the bedrooms features an original set of bunk-beds, complete with a bespoke ladder.

This small, L-shaped apartment has a bed box with an arched doorway with white walls and plywood finishings.

Of the seven steps in Michael Pozner’s not-quite-500-square-foot aerie in Greenwich Village, five contain drawers. His small set of table and chairs is from CB2.

Small space champion Graham Hill’s 350-square-foot apartment has an office that flips into a sleeping corner with seating cubes that can be arranged to form a bed and a curved Hufcor accordion door.