In the design of this residence in the East Village of Manhattan, we tried to imagine the future home through the eyes of the nine-year old pirate in the family. As he pointed out, remodeling the tiny fifth-floor walk-up for a family of three would be like outfitting a boat for a long voyage. When we looked at it this way, we saw two main challenges: neatly stowing all the owners? cargo and providing excellent accommodations for the crew. We resolved these challenges the way shipwrights do?by building in flexibility. Each part of the vessel is crafted to serve multiple functions: a desk becomes a bed, a wall surface becomes a table, and hatches keep personal items neatly below decks. Everything has its place and the whole is easily cleaned. With everything properly stowed, there?s plenty of natural light and fresh air.