Houzz Tour: Genius Storage Ideas Maximise Space in a New York Apartment
A bookcase on tracks, a pull-out coat rack and a foldaway bed make this live/work space flexible and fun
Creative storage is an art form that takes a calculated approach to hiding things and still having them be accessible. Architectural designers at Raad Studio struck the right balance with custom storage solutions in this New York City home for a comedy writer and her boyfriend.
For example, a full-height bookcase on tracks saves space in the living room by sliding out of the way when not in use. Meanwhile, clever custom units cover unsightly radiators and make a large vinyl record collection accessible, and space below the stairs becomes a makeshift cloakroom with slide-out coat and shoe racks.
Houzz at a Glance
Location New York City
Designer Raad Studio
Size 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
For example, a full-height bookcase on tracks saves space in the living room by sliding out of the way when not in use. Meanwhile, clever custom units cover unsightly radiators and make a large vinyl record collection accessible, and space below the stairs becomes a makeshift cloakroom with slide-out coat and shoe racks.
Houzz at a Glance
Location New York City
Designer Raad Studio
Size 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
The storage area links the kitchen to the other living spaces.
The homeowner can access books and records from a floor-to-ceiling bookcase by pulling out a nearby ladder. When it’s not in use, she can slide the entire bookcase out of the way over the staircase on the left.
Without the big bookcase in the living room, the space feels more open. ‘She really wanted full-height storage to display collectables and thought it would be great to put it over the stairway, but we said, “Yeah, but how would you access it?’’’ says House. ‘So we devised this sliding bookcase that lives over the stairs 90% of the time.’
A foyer on the first floor leads to the master bedroom and bathroom. Raad turned leftover space below the stairs into coat and shoe storage with integrated LED strip lighting. Three nearby hooks transform the corner into a cloakroom of sorts.
The second bedroom on the second floor became an office for the work-from-home writer.
A Murphy bed folds down to accommodate guests.
Because space was tight, Raad developed three desk panels on hinges that fold out of the way when the bed’s out. When the panels lie flat, they give the homeowner more writing surface.
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Raad deepened the windowsill in the master bedroom, too, and designed custom storage to cover the steam radiator.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. If you would like your home to be featured, please send information and photos to ukeditor@houzz.com.
Photography by Allan Zepeda