Humble Beauty: 4 Creative Uses of Plywood

As these residences prove, you don't need pricey, high-end materials to craft a high-design home. In the right hands, even humble sheets of plywood take on a luxurious new dimension. Click through the slideshow to see more examples of creative, modern uses of plywood. Slideshow

The exterior of the Popadich residence on Auckland’s North Shore is modeled after boat storage sheds, while the interior is outfitted with industrial concrete and ply. "We decided to line the interior in exposed plywood sheets [to save money]," says Davor Popadich, a director at Pattersons Architects in Auckland, New Zealand. "On paper, plasterboard seemed cheaper, but then we realized it would cost money to plaster and paint it, which pushed the overall cost up. And the builders liked that, because they got to show off their workmanship, which is usually covered up by plaster and paint." Photo by Simon Devitt.