Stairs eat up a lot of space. In this in-law renovation by master builder/designer Alan Jencks of Berkeley, California, some of that wasted space was transformed into a stair-side bookcase. Jencks originally intended to have the bookcases face into the living room, but realized that they would have been blocked by a couch. Placing bookcases along the stairs is the perfect way to remind yourself of that thriller you have been meaning to read or to recall old favorites worth reading again. The shelves are also a nice nook for family photos and tchotkes that you like but don’t want to look at all the time.
This in-law suite was first published in In-laws, Outlaws and Granny Flats: Your Guide to Turning One House into Two Homes (Taunton Press), which was named one of the Top Ten Design Books for 2011. If you are thinking of creating an in-law suite–as many people are doing these days–you may find In-laws, Outlaws and Granny Flats helpful.
Alan Jencks is typical of the master craftspeople who have shared their knowledge with me over the years. My most recent book, Renovation 4th Edition, contains thousand of field-tested tips and techniques, 250+ illustrations and roughly 1,000 of the 40,000 photos I have taken on job sites. I hope you find Renovation 4 useful. –Mike
© Michael Litchfield 2013
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On the other side, a half-wall separates the stairwell from the attic apartment's living room. Had the bookcases faced into the living room, the couch would have blocked them.
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Turning bookcases toward the stair is a perfect way to remind yourself of that book you've been meaning to read.
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In-laws, Outlaws contains attic, garage & basement conversions; bump-outs, carve-outs and backyard cottages. More than 200 crisp color photos, to-scale floor plans, 26 case histories.
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Elsewhere in the attic, part of the roof was re-framed to create a let-in deck. Though the GacoFlex elastomeric coating of the roof deck has never leaked, the owners added an awning after a 2005 storm dumped 6 in. of rain in 90 minutes.
