SMARTER SPACE NOW
Our homes are having to work harder than ever before. Make your space a multitasking success with our ingenious ideas, storage hacks and expert tips on how to utilise every inch
Work anywhere Still trying to conduct Zoom calls from your sofa or sharing a dining table with homeschooled kids? Here are some unique ideas for carving out your own dedicated workspace, whatever size your home
1 CABINET OFFICE
No extra room for a dedicated study, but still want to be able to lock the door on work at the end of the day? Interior designer and collector Oliver Gustav’s answer is an upcycled Danish cabinet. Found in a zoological museum, it’s been transformed – by removing a few shelves to make room for a chair – into a dedicated desk (olivergustav.com).
2 FIRST STEP
When space is at a premium, you sometimes have to think outside of the box. By raising the sleeping nook in this room onto a mezzanine and wrapping the staircase around, Paris-based interior designer Marianne Evennou has created a miniature desk space. Just be sure to tidy everything away before climbing up to bed (marianne-evennou.com).
3 BEDROOM ENTREPRENEUR
For many of us, working from the bedroom is the only option. American interior designer Jamie Bush has made it an attractive choice in this New York apartment, with a statement red lacquer floating desk that keeps the floor space free – preserving a feeling of spaciousness ( jamiebush.com).
4 STUDY THE CORNERS
Tucked to one side of a green-marble fireplace, this simple shelf of a desk is a minimal but functional option. The brainchild of Milanese design studio Concepta, it ensures the decorative details in this room – photographs by Simone Schiesari and a rug by Faye Toogood for CC-Tapis – shine (concepta.it).
Sneaky storage
The more we ask our homes to do, the more stuff we accumulate. In order to retain control, we need to become more inventive in how we hide it. Our solutions range from seamless storage to shelving in unexpected places
1 USE YOUR HEAD(BOARD)
Built-in storage above the bed went out of fashion years ago, but thanks to attractive bespoke cabinetry like this stylish example in a Sydney home by Killing Matt Woods, it’s enjoying a renaissance. An inset shelf also eliminates the need for bedside tables (killingmattwoods.com).
2 MASTER OF DISGUISE
In this Hong Kong apartment – named the ‘Imperfect Residence’ by its wabi-sabi-loving creator, architect Nelson Chow of NCDA – everything, from the TV to the cupboards and even an internal door, is concealed behind a wall of perfectly spaced panels (ncda.biz).
3 RISING TALENT
Under the stairs is a prime spot for storage in most homes, but few of us turn it into an opportunity to display items as well as conceal them. With its array of houseplants, the stepped shelving alongside the stairway in this Sicilian home by LYGA Studio does just that (lyga.it).
4 HUG THE CURVES
‘Concealing the untidiness of everyday life,’ was the aim for London-based Jonathan Tuckey Design when creating the seamless, custom-made storage for this historic Marylebone apartment. Elegant brass detailing and a pistachio-green colourway keep the look artful rather than utilitarian ( jonathantuckey.com).
5 SLIM FIT
Awkward areas are often the most satisfying to find a use for. These shelves, smartly slotted into the ends of partition walls, are especially pleasing. Located in the bedroom of fashion designer and artist Daniela
Gerini, they are the work of Milan-based design studio DWA (dw-a.it).
Divide to conquer
Open-plan living has become more challenging in the past year. Busier homes can sometimes leave us craving privacy or a moment of peace and quiet. Putting up walls isn’t always the answer, though – these projects show new and innovative alternatives
1 CLOSED KITCHEN Cooking can be a nuisance in open-plan homes, with unwanted odours often lingering. But by placing the hardworking elements of your kitchen – such as the cooker and sink – behind doors, like in this Paris apartment by Necchi Architecture, you can keep the joy of a communal space without the noise, mess and smells (necchiarchitecture.com).
2 CURTAIN CALL The simplest way to split up space is with drapes. Quick and affordable to install, they can still add serious wow factor – go for chic but understated plain linen, such as in this Paris home designed by Batiik Studio, or take the opportunity to add a powerful print (batiik.fr).
3 THE ART OF SPIN Rotating doors are a dramatic way to create a pause point between spaces. These oak and rattan examples, created by the craftspeople at Atelier Saint-Jacques for a project by French interior designer and architect Fleur Delesalle, have a wonderfully tactile quality (fleurdelesalle.com).
4 SMOKED SCREEN
Glass is ideal for when you want to create a sense of division without losing natural light. In this loft bedroom owned by Copenhagenbased artist Morten Angelo, with its fantastic skylight, a smoked finish adds a sophisticated and snug quality to this classic solution (mortenangelo.com).
5 SEPARATION GAME
Made of brass and glass, a bespoke divider by architecture firm Marcante Testa creates dedicated spaces without breaking the flow of this Milan apartment. Even the floor has been utilised, with different colours of marble creating distinct zones (marcante-testa.it).