SWISS ARMY STAIRCASE
Das Swartzenreader Haus, Winchester, Virginia



This house has a library built into the gable-end walls of the second floor. The library bookshelves are formed by the house's original studs (which were stripped and left exposed), face-mounted horizontal 2 x 2's, and multi-colored wood shelves fastened between the studs. The library shelves are accessed by a built-in, alternating tread staircase, made of oak and maple. The stair attaches to the side of a built-in refrigerator, housed in birch veneer plywood, stained red. The stair treads extend across the width of the stair, becoming display shelves beneath.

PROJECT CREDITS

Builder: John Berry, Woodwise, Winchester, Virginia
Photographer: Hoachlander Davis Photography, Washington, D.C.; Chuck Swartz, AIA, Reader & Swartz Architects, P.C.

For information about Das Swartzenreader Haus,
click here.