Most floor plans lack a true space for a library. Here, the home owner makes the most of an awkward space at the base of a staircase. A comfortable chair, small writing table and arch of well-curated books make for a small, but effective home library.

Margaret Griffin and John Enright of the LA-based Griffin Enright Architects designed this modern riff on the traditional wood-paneled library. With its ebony-stained wood ceiling and built-in shelving, the elegant space is visually separated while still open to the rest of the first floor.