Dan Lontkowski and Jack Avery had lived in their Lowertown loft for just a couple months when they realized they needed more storage. Conveniently, they had a blank wall, 25 feet long by 14 feet high, just crying out to be used. But if they put up an off-the-shelf bookcase, they’d waste all that height; if they built something custom, they’d never be able to reach the upper shelves. What’s a homeowner to do? These smart homeowners called Ben Awes, principle of the small architecture firm CityDeskStudio, who solved the problem with an elegant bookcase that fills the entire space. He showed METRO the details of how it works:

The steel uprights were left exposed, just sealed with a waxed clear coat, which is a nod to the industrial character of the loft.

Because he didn't want the unit to overpower the space visually, Awes designed very thin shelves of steel, then powder coated them white so that the objects and books, not the shelves, remain the focal point.

Since the homeowners had to be able to access the upper shelves, Awes first explored the idea of a traditional library ladder, but rejected that in favor of a clever staircase built in two sections that move independently of one another: Lontkowski and Avery can slide just the lower section into place, or connect the two sections together to access the highest shelves (as seen here).

The entire stair unit, powder coated in cobalt blue, glides along steel rails on the front of the shelves, not along the floor (which was uneven). Now the homeowners can lay carpet or rugs without worrying about obstructing the stair’s movement.

“Before the stair was built I was worried it would make the room look smaller, but it’s the opposite,” says Lontkowski. “It makes the space look very grand. And Ben was great to work with—he really listened to us, and understood what we wanted.”

According to Awes, the so-called BookStairCase project, while customized to this space, is an idea that could translate to any flat wall space. “It’s not inexpensive because it is custom steel fabrication,” he says, “but on the other hand… we know how to do it now!”—B.K.

Ben Awes 612.872.2398