Built by principal architect James Cutler for his own use, the outbuilding is located just down a damp, verdant trail from his home, on a tiny plot formerly occupied by an old tool shed. He tore it down himself and commissioned his 12-year-old daughter to help him lay the concrete foundation and build the framing out of rough-sawn Douglas firs from a local sawmill. In the beginning, he envisioned the cabin as a design studio for himself that could double as a bunkhouse for his daughter and her friends.

To this end, the studio is highly adaptable. Though it measures a mere 80 square feet, it enjoys a feeling of spaciousness aided by generous glazing and multiple fold-away surfaces built by a local craftsman. One of the platforms tucked into the rear of the structure functions as a bunk bed. The other is a long, narrow desk that runs along the front windows for tranquil and inspiring views of the woods beyond the glass. A wood stove perches atop built-in storage in one corner.

According to the architects, the bunk beds fold up on traction struts. When both the beds and the desks are folded, the room opens up, becoming a prime spot for Cutler’s poker nights. But one thing the architect didn’t anticipate during the building process was the fact that his whole family would end up using the cabin as a living room, trekking down the 30-foot walkway rain or shine to get there. The fact that they have to pass through the outdoors for access enhances the secluded feel of the building, as well as the family’s connection to the island setting.

Cutler left the interior framing lumber and exterior shiplap framing exposed for a rustic look, and placed “shingles” cut from Corten steel over rigid insulation to sheath it. The amber tones of the steel blend in with the warm, textural trunks of the cedar and madrone trees surrounding the structure.

The tiny cabin even acts as an off-grid getaway during power outages, which aren’t uncommon in this windswept setting outside Seattle. Cutler installed four kilowatts worth of batteries and an inverter behind the rolling file cabinets, which power the lights, television, and a small refrigerator.

For Cutler’s daughter, the ability to have sleepovers with friends in a private space separate from her parents is a preteen dream come true. Who among us wouldn’t want a multipurpose backyard studio like this for reading, napping, creating, and socializing?

The post Waterfront Bunkhouse in Washington Designed for Verdant Preteen Sleepovers first appeared on Dornob.

Most commonly associated with sports, leather furniture, pool tables, and refrigerators dedicated exclusively to beer, man caves are seen as places where men can relax and be themselves. In the popular imagination, these spaces are ugly, gleefully disheveled, and probably smell a little funky. But some proponents of the man cave argue that they can be just as thoughtfully designed as any other interior space — all it takes is the incorporation of a few decidedly “masculine” features and aesthetic sensibilities.

This spacious lounge by Inhouse Brand Architects in Cape Town, South Africa is one example of a refined take on the man cave trope. Measuring just over 2,000 square feet in size, it occupies a previously underutilized segment of a luxurious residence, providing a new “industrial-inspired dream pad” for the family’s teenage son and his friends. The designers tailored the space to his interests, which include skating, surfing, playing pool, and watching television.

In fact, a private indoor skate bowl serves as the crown jewel of this teen lounge, taking up an entire room. Getting it into place was no easy feat — the designers originally envisioned the bowl as a stepped-down recess, but as it turned out, the structure couldn’t support the weight of its framework. Instead, they removed an entire floor of the home and replaced it with timber fins, flexible plywood, and polystyrene supports.

“To embellish this remarkable feature, emerging South African street artist Jack Fox applied his signature illustrations to the walls surrounding the bowl,” say the architects. “The celebrated artist worked without a set design and completed the impromptu artwork in a twelve-hour, nonstop operation.”

“Another striking design feature comes in the form of a grandiose, curved timber wave that cascades from the ceiling down to the floor to create an extraordinary zone for watching movies. This ‘wave’ is crafted out of steel fins that are clad in timber and lit up with three LED strips. It is kitted out with surround sound to produce a genuine movie theater experience.”

A skateboard rack beside the bowl shows off the teenage resident’s most prized possessions and allows them to double as art. The space is primarily black and white and full of stark contrasts, with a concrete ceiling setting off the rugged materiality of the skate bowl area beneath it. It’s a retreat that’s sure to make many a teen boy envious, but let’s be real: plenty of teen girls (and adults of all genders, for that matter) wouldn’t mind having a space like this to call their own.

The post Teen Boy’s Dream: Modern House With a Skate Bowl first appeared on Dornob.

Once our height hits its peak we begin to forget just how many sizes we passed through along the way. This design reminds us, while bringing people of all ages back to the drawing table.

Designed by Tim Durfee & Iris Anna Regn, photographed by Jeremy Eichenbaum, and made of Marine plywood, Douglas fir, glass and rubber, the object is sloped to accommodate kids, teens and adults.

The “Growth Table is one of a series of objects and spaces modified from a variety of familiar types to sponsor specific activities for adults as well as children. It creates an instant and inter-generational community.”

The idea is to foster connections and creative activity (like children naturally engage in when faced with a chair, table and set of artistic tools) across various age groups in private or public settings.

The post All-Age Furniture: Growth Table Slanted to Fit Human Sizes first appeared on Dornob.

The post Lofted Space-Saving Furniture for Bedroom Interiors first appeared on Dornob.

The post Compact & Colorful Kids Room Design Ideas by KIBUC first appeared on Dornob.

Housing more children in the same amount of space can be a recipe for temper tantrums and a whole lot of clutter – but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to move to a bigger house. You just have to get creative with the space you have.

When fitting two or more kids to a bedroom, think vertically. Bunks and lofts are a great way to take advantage of typically underutilized space, and you can buy clever space-saving furniture specially made for this purpose.

These sliding, folding and fixed loft and bunk bedroom ideas from IMA Mobili are interesting products in themselves, but the layouts photographed also provide good inspiration for do-it-yourself interior design options.

“The IMAmobili collection of children’s bedroom compositions is organized with a wide and diversified choice of beds, modular structures of bookcases, shelves, bedside tables and chests of drawers available in different finishes and colors  and different types of handles and knobs.”

“All this is completed by a versatile system of wardrobes capable of living independently or integrating perfectly with the various elements of the bedroom. Kids bedrooms with beds on the ground, versatile bed solutions with bridge wardrobes and practical space-saving ideas  suitable for smaller rooms, are just some of the possible compositions that can be made. It gives more value to the children’s bedroom, faithfully reflecting their lifestyle and offering them an environment where they can grow well.”

Some solutions simply build to the ceiling with a combination of beds and storage spaces, while others deploy strategically at night, taking up floor space after it is used for other purposes during the day.

One of the unusual aspects of these mostly-asymmetrical systems is how they carve out unique corners, cubbies and otherwise-differentiated areas of occupation, giving each child the sense of having their own distinct portion of the shared area.

The post Bedroom Layouts for Multiple Kids first appeared on Dornob.