If you live in a small space, you typically have two choices. A: Commit to a lifestyle of radical minimalism. B: Find some clever storage solutions. The start of the year is an ideal time to ask yourself whether you really need everything that you have accumulated in your various cupboards and drawers. But let’s also be realistic. No matter how committed you are to embracing a clutter-free life, you can’t manage without any storage space at all. You’re going to have to find a smart balance.
Built-in wardrobes are no longer an insider tip when it comes to storage solutions and they have become a popular custom solution. However, unlimited design freedom and a bespoke approach can often come with a significant price tag. Skilled carpenters are more in demand than ever, and wood has become more expensive. Instead, this 400-square-foot apartment in Hamburg uses an IKEA hack to show how easy it can be to create made-to-measure cabinets.
To the northwest of central Hamburg, near the bucolic and popular Wohlers Park, an apartment from 1969 is an elegant example of the architecture of that period. It is not only the grid-like facade of the apartment building that gives an indication of the year of its construction, but also its generous windows. Bureau L and real estate developer Fantastic Frank are behind the conversion project. Interior designer Yaroslavna Lange was keen to retain a touch of the ’60s—casually reinterpreted, of course. They started with light, beige-pink terrazzo from Via poured as the floors of the apartment. The addition of underfloor heating opened up more space as radiators were removed. The fact that built-in storage was popular in 1960s Germany (especially in the form of gigantic wall units in living rooms) is a happy coincidence that closes the circle of stylistic eras.
