Storage makes the difference

Real Estate Weekly, Nov 5, 2003 by Stephen Carter

New homeowners too often determine their storage needs only after they have moved in, when it's either too late or too expensive to modify a space. But a critical component for gracious living is the space allocated exclusively for storage, which is supposed to be planned in a way that does not encumber private or public space. Ideally, it should be regarded with the same consideration as kitchen appliances, bathroom fixtures, lighting, furniture and selection of materials and finishes, etc.

From the very beginning of a project, whether it's a renovation of a co-op or condo apartment or the design of a singlefamily home, I encourage my clients to make lists of everything they could possibly store. From clothing to golf clubs to table linens or bedroom linens, most people have an exhaustive inventory of items and don't realize how extensive their needs are until listed. In New York and Connecticut, I often have to remind clients about seasonal items that require storage. In addition, they need to clearly anticipate the frequency of use of the items to be stored, as well as accessibility.

With the design of a house; there is a great deal more flexibility concerning the allocation of space. But not so with apartmerits and even in new construction there is woefully inadequate storage space. Despite the gracious walk-in closets that seem to be standard features in new luxury construction, there is little else in terms of discretionary space for storing such items as fine glassware, vacuum cleaners, linens, skis, etc.

The solution to the dearth of closet space is obvious--build more! But where to build it in an apartment that has been completely laid out is the challenge. If it's after the fact or part of a renovation, I recommend to clients that we first review the space to determine private and public usage. Then we can address circulation space, which is where we will most likely find the empty zones that may be converted into storage.

It really comes down to viewing the circulation space more efficiently. We look at the layout and ascertain which pathways will be used for traveling between rooms and which will be unused. Within this context, there is generally enough redundant or dead space,--i.e., inactive zones--that the addition of storage space will not close off an area or make it appear smaller.

In most multi-family residences the private areas, such as bedrooms, dens and home offices, feature a portion of storage space for clothing and personal items. In the front entry areas, there are almost always coat closets. But then, there's a great void.

In much of the new construction, I have observed the extension of public space to create more gracious living and dining areas. But that allocation is done at the expense of private rooms, which are decreased in size proportionately, and storage. What is left is an abundance of circulation space in the public areas; grand space that becomes redundant.

And this is where we build storage that does not compromise the design of the unit, but blends in with the decor. A walk-in closet in an unused portion of a living room, designed so that it does not compromise circulation space, provides an efficient solution.

When prewar apartments were designed, the average resident didn't require as much storage space as we do today with our myriad appliances, sports equipment and clothes, CD and DVD cassettes, computers, etc. On the other hand, today's developers are responding to apartment dwellers' demands for larger public space, with big windows and little detail. So removing some of that open space for the purpose of constructing closets may diminish the market value of a unit.

Determining storage allocation is challenging when designing new construction for single-family housing. But it is especially daunting within the context of an apartment renovation, where some of the precious open space will be sacrificed in order to create hidden space. Most of our clients won't realize how essential their storage space is until after the fact. They see a few closets and figure they are accommodated ... until they move in. As designers and contractors, we never want to see our clients disappointed, so it behooves us to help them to see the potential of the space prior to purchase.