Ship-Inspired Storage

The steel ladder is painted a primer red, while the catwalk steel was left raw. "We wanted to see the variation in color and have it look a bit industrial," Wilson says. "We wanted it to ding and change over time." Campbell can lock off the upper half of the storage unit by pulling down a hinged door, perfect for when he's filming on location. “I can lock it shut and rent the place out without a second thought," he says. "I couldn’t have been more pleased. Yet to fill it up, it’ll take a while."

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A hook catches a panel when the Murphy beds are pulled down to bring out a built-in headboard. The hardware is the same that's used on the U.S. president's private airplane, Air Force One.

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Campbell custom designed the davit, a hand-pulley system on a swivel common on sailboats for unloading cargo. A steel arm swings out from the wall so he can transport items up and down the unit (Wilson and his wife demonstrate here). A thick nautical rope hangs nearby to complete the aesthetic.

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“When he started talking about building a 25-foot-tall piece of millwork, I thought he was crazy,” says architect Rick Wilson. Nevertheless, he worked with Campbell to design the simple and clean painted maple unit, with a steel gangplank and enough space to store Campbell's clothing, plus an audiovisual console, bookshelves, hanging closets and two Murphy beds.

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