Pleasing and Practical

CitiBin owner Liz Picarazzi noticed that piles of trash were making nice homes in her local Brooklyn look, well, like a dump. She devised a smart solution that tastefully conceals its contents.

LIVING ROOM FEATURE WALL: A great living room feature wall using BESTÅ wall units can be arranged to create a striking composition while maximizing storage across the 10-ft high ceilings. More BESTÅ units are installed at the seated height and paired with DIY wood cubbies for the perfect reading bench.

Closet Case To consolidate most appliances and food storage, keep his compact kitchen looking neat, and save money on cabinets, Sherman built a closet into the kitchen wall (“Cabinets are expensive but closets are cheap,” he offers). Inside is a countertop, blackboard surface, toaster oven, garbage cans, magnetic knife rack, and plenty of shelves. When the doors are closed, the unit recedes from view.

Unsure of how to light under the loft, Monica turned to a friend from the gym who works in lighting design. He helped her with the design, the installation, and even gifted her materials.

The Wall of Storage came after the couple moved in.

The residents incorporated speed racks into the cabinets. Typically found in restaurants, the racks offer chefs intermediate storage. In this case, the couple places food behind the cabinet until it’s ready to serve. After the meal is over, they can stow dirty dishes out of sight instead of interrupting the party with cleanup. To ensure trays slide in and out without catching the cabinet, King used hinges that allow the door to rotate 270 degrees.

Kitchen storage is made simple with a handmade grid of shelves.

New storage, multifunctional pegs, and pegboards help a New York City lawyer make the most of his 710-square-foot apartment. In the foyer, StudioKCA turned a closet into a valet area.

Suspended orchid library

An IKEA sofa bed with hidden storage, that fits snugly against the wall.

A simple suspended coat hanger provides additional storage for outdoor and cold weather gear.

The red wall cabinet was designed by August. The floors throughout the home were replaced with wide, salvaged heart pine floorboards with radiant heat.

Net Zero Energy House The goal, a new two-level home that could score as high as reasonable in the "GreenPoint Rated System”. The owners de-constructed their existing home when they realized that any single-story design would completely eliminate their back yard.

This living/dining space is the social center of the apartment. For that reason, the architect designed the cabinet walls as a unifying visual feature that anchors the two rooms and provides practical storage space.

Davor (with his wife, Abbe, and son, August) designed the main living and dining pavilion as a double-height space to increase its perceived volume, and added high cubbies for extra storage.

Shibata wanted more shelf space in her home office, so she added a plywood door with built-in bookshelves that opens into her bedroom to form a reading nook. Glimpsed from the adjacent room, the space looks larger than it actually is, thanks to the bright green walls.

When it’s time to eat or do homework, the adults lower the tabletop, revealing a dozen book cubbies.

A custom coat rack at the entrance maintains the open feel.

Like the bed and built-in nightstand, the door is by Lloyd’s Custom Woodwork. The WGS stool near the vanity is by Gallotti&Radice.

The air conditioning unit is concealed within a closet.