Drawer Tricks for Small Homes

June 4, 2024

Drawer Tricks for Small Homes

Hidden in plain sight. Sometimes the storage solution you seek is right before your eyes. Carve out a space for that extra stuff with these innovative drawer tricks.

Hidden in plain sight. Sometimes the storage solution you seek is right before your eyes. Whether it be in the stairs, the sofa, or that awkward corner cabinet, carve out some space for your odds and ends with these innovative drawer tricks.

Writing:

Kate Kolberg

Photography:

Storage Solutions

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The husband-and-wife duo behind Studiomama are fascinated with the puzzle presented by small space design, always looking to discover the small changes that will transform it into its most efficient and aesthetically appealing form.

The fully equipped kitchen of this **54sqm/581sqft lower-level flat in London** runs alongside one wall and is halved by a structural column that they had to work around in order to optimise the area.

“We had to find a way to have drawers for knives, forks, and all of that, so we put that in the curved end as that was the only space left! We managed to squeeze it in and make it a feature for the kitchen”.

–Nina Tolstrup, Studiomama

A streamlined appearance is maintained by hidden appliances like a fridge and a freezer as well as plenty of cupboard space for bulkier items. The open shelving helps maintain a feeling of levity.

The top drawer trick in **this apartment**, in our opinion, is found in the curved corner drawers they added to the end for storing cutlery and cooking utensils. No space left underutilised! *Images Billy Bolton.*

For this **calming Brisbane apartment**, architect Brad Swartz located the corning and dining nook along the back wall, near a window-filled corner.

Swartz selected white kitchen cabinetry up top so that it would have the appearance of almost vanishing into the walls, while the lower joinery unit was finished in a light grey with a concrete benchtop.

“The dining nook really becomes a continuation of the kitchen; it’s probably our favourite part of the apartment. It’s just so nice sitting and being hugged by that corner window … We custom built the seat and cushions and included some storage underneath”.

– Brad Swartz, Brad Swartz Architects

The kitchen unit ends with custom built-in bench seating in the same light grey as the lower cabinets.

Neatly nestled into the corner below the windows, the bench features integrated drawers at its base, which are largely concealed from view by the dining table and chair.

Nicholas Gurney describes his clients for this **26sqm/280sqft Sydney apartment** as a young couple who are “unashamedly minimalists”, and they wanted to maintain the 1960s, ’70s sensibility of the original space.

“In the living room, the function wall consists of a built-in sofa, underneath the sofa are some drawers with mirrored fronts, so they look like they almost aren’t there and that the sofa is lighter”.

–Nicholas Gurney, designer

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Gurney used custom furniture with overlapping functions to achieve a really tailored space, best represented by the conjoined sofa, murphy bed, and wardrobe unit.

A blackwood timber trim encircles the base of the sofa where two mirrored drawers can be found. The mirrors were used so as to not obstruct the eye – giving a feeling as if the sofa was floating.

Matteo Fiorini with the help of Giulia Salandini – both partners at CLAB Architettura – optimised Fiorini’s **small studio apartment in Verona** with the addition of an innovative joinery unit.

The bed was placed on raised platform to maximise the vertical height of the space and create a designated sleeping nook. *Images Marco Toté.*

“The designing of small spaces encourages the optimisation of resources, and it also demonstrates how the quality of living does not depend on the size of the space, but on the ability to optimise what already exists”.

–Giulia Salandini, CLAB Architettura

Who needs a closet when you’ve got a platform? A set of drawers and a pull-out compartment (with a rod for hanging clothes) were integrated within the base of the platform, giving Fiorini a practical amount of room to store his clothing.

The entire bedroom area, including the drawers, can be hidden behind a curtain for privacy or appearances.

This **micro apartment in Sydney** comes in at a total of only 19sqm/205sqft and is located within Australia's first co-living space in Stanmore.

“The whole apartment is about flexibility. We wanted to create as big of a free space as possible, where you could work, you could entertain, you could relax, you could dance in your apartment”.

–Ashkan Mostaghim, architect, Mostaghim

Inspired by famous French architect Le Corbusier and his expression that “the house is a machine for living”, Mostaghim was interested in creating a modern, flexible space that could be easily adapted to many needs.

The platform bed has many innovative storage tricks. And one such trick was to convert the rise of each step into a pull-out drawer for tucking away smaller items.

Cristiana Felgueiras – artist, maker, and content creator behind the YouTube channel GET HANDS DIRTY – worked within a low budget to build every element of **her multifunctional Porto studio**.

They broke up the massive birch surface by creating a separation of colour, height, and design with the piano desk, where a black material was applied to create contrast with the brighter woods and whites.

“We wanted to live in a fully equipped and functional space that could fit our musical instruments and many other important objects, while maintaining an airy central space”.

– Cristiana Felgueiras, GET HANDS DIRTY

The desk cleverly stows the couple’s electric piano in a pull-out drawer – plugged in and ready to play at all times.

Bonus drawer tip: Hide your record player in a custom drawer. *Images* *GET HANDS DIRTY.*

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Writing:

Kate Kolberg

Photography:

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