i+D - March/April 2018 - 48

Everything in Its Place - By Paul Makovsky

Thinking Outside the Norm
Homeowners, more than ever, are looking to maximize and optimize
the space they have, explains Erin Hardy, California Closets national design
manager. "This noticeable trend is encouraging consumers to rethink
the typical "closet" and consider a dressing room/vanity/office/closet, all
in one," she says, pointing to a trend where spare bedrooms, for example,
are being transformed into multifunctional spaces that become a bedroom/
yoga studio/office and make the most of real estate to accommodate the
changing needs of growing families. "Consumers are excited to see just how
much space they gain by collaborating on a smart, thoughtful, and beautiful
custom, storage solution," she notes.
"From young professionals and family members to recent retirees and
design experts, everyone is looking for smarter ways to maximize their time
and their space," adds Samantha Hochman, content strategist at transFORM
Home, a company that designs, manufactures, and installs custom storage
solutions. "Homeowners crave a system that not only fits into their routine,
but also enhances their day-to-day life." Once considered a luxury or an
afterthought, people now view custom storage solutions as an indispensable
part of maximizing space. Homeowners are no longer interested in the
standard, one-size-fits-all system. "Instead, they are inspired by cutting-edge
designs and products from around the world," she says. "It's all about how
the unit looks, feels, and functions in their everyday setting."

To attain a home that is a clean, uncluttered environment, New York-based
interior designer Robin Baron favors an approach to build storage into
everything that she can. That way, it eliminates a lot of furniture with
storage throughout the room or home. "Of course, there will be some,"
she acknowledges. "But, it's about building storage solutions in so that you
can have a cleaner, more minimal-looking environment. This means knowing
and figuring out what it is that you're going to be putting where, so that
the pieces you do find, make, or build are pieces that will house what you
need." Baron very much favors collaboration, so she often works with closet
companies and professional organizers when she is designing a home.
"I will design closets in tandem with a closet company because I'm all about
the accoutrements and accessories," she explains, pointing to the need
for well-designed jewelry drawers as an example. "What's worse than having
a jewelry box, or not having a place for your jewelry? I use plexi dividers,
instead of the melamine or wood for my jewelry drawers...That way, you
open the drawer and see all of your jewelry and decide what to wear,"
she says. In short, everything has a home. Baron brings a professional
organizer to a client to help edit, purge, and really figure out their needs-
what to let go and how to organize what is kept. She believes the less you
have to think about what you have to organize (because it is organized),
the easier your life is.

Timing Is Everything
For Baron, the role of storage comes into play very early in the design
process. When she starts to think about designing a furniture plan, she
already has talked and listened to the client to understand how they live and
what they need. "I do a lot of construction in my work, so storage plays a
very big deal in how I space plan...I'm always trying to fit more storage and
finding ways for people to organize their stuff," she says.
When people find their closets and other areas cramped and cluttered, they
are quick to blame it on their tight living quarters. "What they fail to realize is
that there's a huge difference between not enough space and an ineffective
use of space," states Hochman. "Everyone dreams of a spacious walk-in
closet, but, at the end of the day, you have to work with what you have.
An amazing design shouldn't be measured in square footage, but, rather, in
quality." With the right materials, finishes, features, and accessories, you
easily can transform a smaller closet space into a successful design suited to
a client's needs and the way they live.

Ancillary spaces, such as
garages, have become
extensions of living areas-
complete with organized
work and storage solutions.
(Image: transFORM Home)

48

And, while storage is an important part of any interior design plan, what
storage looks like is just as important-even when it is hidden behind closed
doors. "When you open the closet door, that should reflect the room around
it," Baron says. "I always do closet interiors that have finishes that marry
with the rest of the room [or nearby area]." If a closet is big enough to look
into, she'll add beautiful light fixtures, which are not necessarily expensive,
but make the closet feel like a room. "When you walk into a closet, it's part
of your whole experience of being home, so you should feel as good about it
as the rest of the house," she explains.

i+D - March/April 2018
i+D - March/April 2018

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