During the Arts & Crafts movement, built-ins and nooks served the purpose of adding extra space to small homes, and they satisfied an early 20th century quest for hygiene: It was believed that bugs, dust, and microbes couldn't hide under or behind the legless pieces built into the walls.
What most likely grew out of the old inglenook concept (a small area with bookcases or shelving covered by glass surrounding a hearth), nooks can be created in “unused” spaces such as those at the top or bottom of a stairwell or under attic eaves.
Originally a small bedroom with attic stairs going to unfinished space, Bowers Design Build took down the wall to the left of the stairs and created a master suite. To the right is a hidden laundry area. The nook is an entryway to those spaces as well as a cozy retreat in its' own right.
Photo Credit: Hadley Photography Services
In her book The Not So Big House, architect and author Sarah Susanka talks about favoring “the quality of space over the quantity.” A nook can be a sheltered, private retreat that has space enough for one. Susanka likens it to the grown-up version of a large cardboard box in which a child delights in setting up a “home.”
“We like to introduce details that most homeowners are craving, things that they don't have in newer homes,” says Bruce Bowers of Bowers Design Build, in McLean, Va.
Built as part of a whole-house remodel, Bowers designed this space (top photo) as a library, gathering place, seatin
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