DESIGN TREND: At Home in the Community

Features inspired by residential designs continue to offer comfort and informal areas to relax and connect.

1. A ceiling-to-floor bookcase, complete with rolling ladder, anchors the lecture hall in the Re-Imagined Community Library, Ketchum ID, as requested by community members. Rich lodge-like timbers frame the interior and exterior. CREDITS: RATIO, architect; Gibeon Photography, photo

2. At the Lake Villa District Library, Lindernhurst, IL, the exterior stone cladding is brought into the library through the walls and a freestanding fireplace. Tones of soft cream, warm gray, and beiges reinforce the natural palette in the carpet panels and furniture treatments. CREDITS: StudioGC architecture + interiors, architect; Michael Lipman Photography, photo

3. A residential frame nestles the Lyons Community Library, CO, into its neighborhood, with a pitched roof and freestanding chimney anchored by a porch-like overhang framed in warm wood and stone cladding. CREDITS: RATIO, architect; Paul Brokering, photo