Seattle-area firm SHED Architecture and Design recently used the Axel sliding door hardware system in a unique project in the Bridle Trails neighborhood of Kirkland, Washington. Like many of the surrounding homes, this property had a stables. However, by the time SHED’s clients bought the property, the stables had fallen into disrepair. Not owning horses, they worked with SHED to completely renovated the detached stables into a flexible painting studio and guest bedroom.
Axel, a modern twist on the classic barn door hardware that has been around for more than a century, was key to the design. Not only does the system add flexibility to the space, it alludes nicely to the stable’s past life. The two massive bi-parting doors, run on a continuous track to hide or reveal a studio space, a storage closet and utility sink, a mud room, and a guest room, depending on the configuration.
And Dwell loved it:
Since Bridle Trails State Park neighbors Kirkland, Washington, the community is dotted with stables—especially as populated areas give way to more greenery. One thirty-something couple, a UX designer and the head of a non-profit, had purchased a house on a semi-rural street where a paved road gives way to gravel. They moved from Chicago to raise their two daughters in the Pacific Northwest, and although their land had stables, their only four-legged pet was their golden retriever.
On the outside, the structure looked like a big garage, but inside, it was clear that plenty of horses had called it home. The couple wanted to replace the well-worn dirt floors and wood planks—which were indented with teeth marks—with a multipurpose addition. They partnered with principal Thomas Schaer, project manager Max Mahaffey, and their team at SHED Architecture & Design to meet a myriad of needs: the renovation had to include a workspace, a painter’s studio, and a comfortable quarters for visiting grandparents.
“Our aesthetic imperative was fairly straightforward: avoid precious materials and rely on some strong spatial maneuvers to define the experience,” Schaer says.
As it turns out, one detail that pays homage to the building’s original purpose—sliding barn doors—became paramount to the renovation’s success.
