The wooden box is as functional as it is finely crafted, with room for clothes up top. Each niche holds treasures from travels, family keepsakes, books, and more.

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.

Architect Joaquin Castillo blends inexpensive materials, the odd splurge, and a refined modernist sensibility to create an affordable weekend house for brothers Alfredo and Guillermo Oropeza. The facade is a juxtaposition of rough-hewn local stone, smooth concrete, glass, and steel—the material palette used throughout the structure.

Momaboxes are jeweltone plastic boxes in a variety of shapes and sizes. (For a quicker fix, the Container Store sells similar compartments fromAmac.)

Crisis Chair in nude plywood, stacked.

The couple's daughter reads in the cozy nook just inside the front door painted in a vibrant blue from Benjamin Moore. Of the storage area below, Fredrik says, "In Sweden, there's always a place to sit and take off your shoes. This is a version of that."

The wall beneath the stairs holds hidden storage, including an Enomatic wine dispenser and Sub-Zero refrigerated drawers.

Componibili by Anna Castelli Ferrieri for Kartell, $110–$220 The versatile storage classic is modular, lightweight, stackable, and sturdy, and can work in any room of the house.

The Walnut and Marble Storage Cube from 2131 takes the simplicity of a box and elevates it with rich walnut wood and luxe marble. The cube includes one interior surface that has been inlaid with Italian Calacatta Gold marble, which frames the storage cube’s contents. Available in small and large sizes, the Walnut and Marble Cubes can be stacked or structured to create a distinctive storage display, or they can be used individually as a striking accent.

The couple stockpiles wood under the deck.

Close down the accordion-like Honeycomb lamp and you're left with a small stack of QuaDror connectors. Lift it up again and the cube comes back to life.

Exploratory demolition revealed enough space in the kitchen for an Asko washer-dryer and a full-size refrigerator.

She was even able to squeeze in a compact stacked washer and a vented dryer.

A glass slider and a stackable LG washer and dryer maximize space in the laundry area, which includes a small utility closet.

Hynam built additional storage along one angled wall of the bedroom loft and beneath the skylight.

Made of stainless steel and TEKA hardwood, a Curzon dining table by Modloft is surrounded by a quartet of Victoria Ghost dining chairs by Philippe Starck for Kartell. A striped Missy pendant light by Filipe Lisboa hangs overhead. Four Chill White media consoles from CB2 line the western wall.

Chandelier in nude plywood

Another double-duty item, the ObjectBox Large Wooden Storage Box acts as both storage and display unit. Each European wood oak box's sliding translucent lid reveals its contents through a colored haze. The The ObjectBoxes comes from designer Maya Bille for Applicata.

The Box Kitchen contains two burners, a ventilation hood, a sink, a dishwasher, and a microwave. A fold-down laminated countertop creates a prep surface.

The mud room in the shipping container offers plenty of space for the family to remove shoes and store sports equipment.

Usually reserved for making model aircrafts, untreated balsa wood has been used by Nomess Copenhagen to make a modern version of the classic vanity table called Balsabox. The box is incredibly lightweight and consists of a series of sliding trays with small storage compartments. The back of the lid doubles as an adjustable mirror.

In its closed position, the piece looks like a storage unit. A door on wheels slides open to reveal a kitchen inside.

The 3-in-1 Tray Box from Nomess Copenhagen is a simple design with multiple positions and functions. Comprised of three sections, the Tray Box includes a base with the largest capacity for storing items, a middle layer that can be used to store pens, pencils, and small items, and a top lid. The lid, as well as the middle layer, can be removed from the box and used as individual trays. The Tray Box is a versatile desk accessory that can be used both to conceal and display items. In addition to being used at a desk, the Tray Box can be used on a dresser for storing jewelry, in an entryway for storing essentials like keys, or for storage on a bookshelf. Made of cardboard and paper, the Tray Box has a soft touch and visual texture.

Laundry room, pink cabinets.

The 3-in-1 Tray Box from Nomess Copenhagen is a simple design with multiple positions and functions. Comprised of three sections, the Tray Box includes a base with the largest capacity for storing items, a middle layer that can be used to store pens, pencils, and small items, and a top lid. The lid, as well as the middle layer, can be removed from the box and used as individual trays. This box adds color to a desk or shelf.

If sleek storage is what you're looking for, consider a long and low platform bed. At a New York apartment that's just over 500 square feet, the wood platform bed features storage panels under the mattress.

The laundry is tucked away beside the kitchen. A skylight floods the small space with natural light, and cat doors provide the resident feline with easy access to the litter box kept here.

By the door, shoes get organized on a built-in by JKK Woodcraft.

Balsabox is one of those containers: So simple, yet so perfect, and equipped with a gee-whiz factor (in this case a lid that can be completely removed, rotated, and put back in place as a vertical mirror). The bright pink interior spices up the wabi-sabi-esque balsa wood shell. US buyers can purchase in person or online at A+R.

Clothing can play a vital part in post-disaster comfort and survival. Be prepared with lightweight, versatile items that are appropriate for the highs and lows of your region—bonus points for bright colors like neon yellow or orange that might help emergency workers spot you. Make sure you have clean underwear, layers (including a light jacket), and a hat that would protect you from the sun. Extra blankets, shoes, boots, socks, and bug spray might be necessary depending on where you live.

Bishop is an avid record collector—Rolling Stones albums are a sought-after favorite—and he keeps his vinyl in the shelving unit ”1.1,” a reproduction of Arbel’s first completed work. The kids can often be found playing video games at the desk in the great room.

"Custom cabinetry really made all the difference in this project," says Cheng.

Scandinavian architecture firm C.F. Møller designed a serene, zinc-clad home in Aarhus, Denmark. On the interior, a large, three-sided fireplace incorporated into a floating wall helps connect two spaces and warm up the home, and the wall also incorporates a purpose-designed niche filled with firewood for easy re-stoking.