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Much-Needed Storage Space That Hides in Plain Sight
Designers can tuck storage into the furniture, behind the walls, along hallways and into awkward spaces.
Having convenient, well-organized places to store things can help make life at home feel a little more peaceful. That’s why so many architects and interior designers are almost obsessive about maximizing opportunities to eke out more storage space.
“Creating bespoke, built-in storage is one of my favorite things,” said Linette Dai, an interior designer based in Long Beach, Calif. “It allows you to live without being overwhelmed by clutter.”
Custom, built-in storage elements can be far more functional than ordinary closets, chests and armoires while also bringing more architectural interest to a space. “We’ve always thought about storage as a sort of alibi to create something beautiful,” said Robert Highsmith, a partner at the Brooklyn-based design firm Workstead. A focus on inventive storage solutions, he said, “has been integral to our work since the beginning.”
Here are some of the ways Ms. Dai, Mr. Highsmith and other professional designers do it.
Build It Into Furniture
Furniture takes up a lot of floor area, and in most cases the space beneath a seat is unused. Adding drawers or a hinged seat that provides access to the void below can create a satisfying amount of storage space.
Ms. Dai frequently adds pullout drawers to the bases of built-in banquettes and benches, like window seats with drawers for toys below them or kitchen banquettes with storage for overflow pots and pans.
