Hanging Around the House: 5 Fun Built-In Hammocks

Stephanie Rogers — Mon, 15 May 2017 21:00:19 +0000

Have you ever considered installing a hammock inside of your home or at least fantasized about stretching netting across your stairwells and high ceilings? If not, these comfortable indoor lounging areas are sure to make you think again. We’ve put together a list of five hammock-friendly homes that take advantage of unused vertical space without cluttering it, blocking sight lines, or interfering with the transmission of natural daylight. Plus, these spots are highly conducive to naps and lazy days with good books. How would you design your suspended net refuge?

Flat 227 by OODA — Porto, Portugal

Portuguese design firm OODA created a spacious atmosphere in this two-story apartment by incorporating floor-to-ceiling windows, using lots of white paint, and installing a newly enlarged full-height stairwell—complete with a net stretched across part of it to form a built-in hammock. The net is located next to a window with incredible views of the sea and proves that comfortable lounging areas can fit into surprisingly small spaces.

Tadeo 4909 by Proyecto Cafeína — Puebla, Mexico

The architects at Proyecto Cafeína created two-story lofts with lots of character for a new 8-unit condominium in Puebla, Mexico. The design features a sharp contrast between exposed materials, like brick and concrete, and a clean glass exterior. One of the building’s most interesting features is its net lounge area, which has been tucked away in a quiet, sunny corner.

Maison NW by Nathalie Wolberg — Saint-Ouen, France

Just outside of Paris in the town of Saint-Ouen, architect Nathalie Wolberg has converted the former headquarters of a printing house into the workshops and living spaces of nine artists, including herself. Maison NW was created as a laboratory for testing out new designs, environments, and furniture arrangements. The experimental structure contains all kinds of cool rooms and features, including a built-in hammock. According to Wolberg, the large net “allows the individual to extract himself from the surrounding environment, and makes the body become gravity-conscious.”

Micro House by Ruetemple — Moscow, Russia

The Russian firm Ruetemple was charged with the difficult task of designing a 300-square-foot apartment that would be comfortable, spacious, fun, and practical for both adults and children. They tackled this challenge by utilizing as much vertical space as possible and integrating several built-in storage elements. The architects removed the floor of the area above the living room and, leaving only the support beams in place, replaced it with a built-in hammock that would allow a family to see and talk to each other from both levels of the home. Before having its floor removed, this upper room felt claustrophobic and was not even tall enough to fit furniture in.

Baan Moom Residence by Integrated Field — Bangkok, Thailand

Integrated Field managed to pack enough space for gardening, dreaming, creating, resting and enjoying nature into just three stacked stories for a Bangkok family of five. The home was designed around a series of openings that promote daylight transmission, ventilation, and visual connections. Naturally, the team chose to install a net lounge over one of them.