An ever-present New York City quandary—lack of storage space—became an opportunity for architectural invention in the “600% Storage” apartment, located in a townhouse apartment in the West Village. The owners of the apartment were a newlywed couple looking for a way to fit their individual belongings into their first home together. They needed the equivalent of an extra bedroom without sacrificing valuable floor area. No space was off limits as a source of potential storage: the new design tucked additional compartments into the corridor and kitchen ceilings, and placed custom-designed storage areas throughout the home. This solution allowed for a six-fold increase in the storage area without making use of any additional floor area.
The storage challenge was heightened by the fact that the husband preferred to hide his belongings out of sight while the wife liked to display memorabilia and other items in open cabinetry and shelves. To address both preferences, a saw-tooth-profile wall system surrounding the fireplace provided both hidden storage space and multiple mantel shelves for displaying belongings. Storage doors slid up or down to create a variable landscape of closed and open storage areas. “600% Storage” capitalized on the small spaces inherent to New York City living in a home that would transform daily with the owners’ uses and desires.