Stair of the Week: Clayton St House by Mork-Ulnes Design
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 11.14.08
A former hippie haven in Haight-Ashbury is renovated by Casper Mork-Ulnes, designer of the prefab Modern Cabana line.
The New York Times writes:
"Salvaged lumber was glued together to form the butcher-block treads of the parlor staircase; chips and nail holes were left exposed. The railing is made of shower-door glass and industrial hardware."
photo: Sara Remington
More Stairs in TreeHugger:
Stair of the Week: The Prefabs at Home Delivery
Stair of the Week: Made From Skateboard Decks
Stair of the Week: Folded Stair by Kevin Low
Architecture Can Make Us Fit
Alternating Tread Stairs: A Roundup
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I like the bench.
Very attractive. It's incredible how much life one can bring into their apartment in a relatively cheap and green way. As well, it makes the piece more unique. I believe the reason why many do not attempt these kind of projects is because it really takes some out of the box thinking. I can see a great business opportunity for companies that can introduce green ideas like this into homes, with an affordable price tag.
It really makes me sad that a Victorian in San Francisco would be converted into this uninspired, sterile design. "Victorians are a dime a dozen in San Francisco"? Hardly. Hundreds of Victorian homes were torn down during the 70's, and modern structures put up in their place. This home looks exactly like every page in the cookie-cutter Pottery Barn catalogs (no surprise that he designs for them). Someday the pendulum will swing back and this aesthetic will fall out of style again. Hopefully not too many homeowners will gut their Victorian homes in the meantime-- they are the iconic and unique structures that San Francisco special.