Secret to flowing homes is storage
There are few aspects of home improvement where style can be boosted so easily and with such functionality as that of customised storage.
Systems designed specifically for all the makeup, shoes, books, gadgets and other daily essentials not only ease access to items but, crucially, make tidying up later just as simple.
Beyond Storage owner Monty McKeefry says the bedroom is usually the first area to benefit, with an upgraded wardrobe. But from there it can be hard to stop.
Floor-to-ceiling entertainment units in living rooms, extra bench space and room for chemicals in laundries, and made-to-fit shelving in garages can add up to a sweeping change in the way people interact with their home as order replaces mess.
‘‘It all just flows,’’ McKeefry says.
There is also that enviable air of luxury that comes with the slab-like shelving, gliding drawers and 360-degree viewing mirrors people can choose as extras, of course.
For McKeefry, the revolution in wardrobe and shelf space now being spearheaded by Beyond Storage began prior to the Christchurch earthquakes. However, it was the wave of rebuild work that prompted many people to explore the possibilities, he says.
Experience has shown that the most successful projects are usually those that considered storage early in planning.
McKeefry says doing so allows that coveted shoe rack, home office or matching set of ‘‘him’’ and ‘‘her’’ wardrobes can be positioned without compromising other design elements in a home. It also means storage can be included in wider financing, such as a mortgage, rather than having to be raised separately.
‘‘There’s nothing worse for people than walking into a new home, looking at the joinery and going, ‘Oh, I wish we’d done the wardrobes’,’’ he says.
‘‘In these situations, we can be a lot of help by bridging the gap between what a builder does and those who just install storage. So if a wall needs to come out, we can do that – whatever it takes.
‘‘That gives people options whether their home is new or not. We’re going beyond that basic sort of storage and doing what people really want.’’
A skilled joiner and in-house designer at Beyond Storage help make even the most complex projects come to life, with designs able to be developed over a chat with clients or by working off an existing blueprint.
While the company specialises in high-end joinery and custom storage, entry-level ‘‘standard plans’’ are also supplied for the DIY enthusiast or people wanting a more basic solution.
A broad range of options can be viewed at the Beyond Storage display in the Home Ideas centre in Riccarton.
McKeefry says recently more schools and businesses have been getting in on custom storage, in particular with offices.
‘‘If you go to the furniture shop, the desk you want might be a bit big but the size down leaves a lot of wasted space,’’ he says. ‘‘We do it so it all fits perfectly. You end up with more room and it looks so neat.’’