In-step Storage
There is more than meets the eye to this Madrid micro apartment, featured in our book Never Too Small: Reimagining Small Space Living. Named Yojigen Poketto — meaning 4D pocket — the apartment by elii is defined by its custom, multipurpose joinery that integrates all functional elements into a unified piece that includes a platform for the bed. This sleeping area is accessed by stadium stairs that also serve as a flexible seating area and double as a set of drawers.
When you’re living on the water, where things can get a little wavy, the importance of enclosed (read: secured) storage takes on new meaning. That need was matched by the minimalist design vision of 31/44 Architects for this one-bedroom modern houseboat. Built into the rise of each stair leading to the deck of the boat features a push-to-open drawer that offers some added room for storage of shoes or miscellaneous items.
In this open-concept London loft, designers Armando Elias and Hugo D’Enjoy of Craft Design created a striking custom unit that doubles as a staircase and an open bookshelf. The system cleverly tricks the eye by disguising the stairs to make them appear as nothing more than a shelf like any other, filled with books or colourful trinkets.
Stairs+
David Sun, who lives in thisuniquely shaped Tokyo home with his family, originally wanted a rope ladder up to his second-story bedroom. Architect Motoki Yasuhara of Salhaus thought otherwise, tucking a small, steep staircase into the corner. The room under the stairs allowed for a discreet toilet room and a built-in wardrobe, while the rises of the stairs were left open to give them even more space for the storage of small everyday items.
Cushla McFadden, a director at Tom Mark Henry, had a light, bright, and minimalist vision for the converted garage studio at her Coledale home. To maximise the 40sqm/431sqft floor plan, an enclosed mezzanine sleeping area was added, which means, you guessed it, stairs. McFadden used the space beneath the stairs for storage, adding a tall cupboard, huge pull-out drawers, and a niche for the TV that even has a hidden shelf behind it for the remote or any other items they want to tuck away.
Designer Jeff Weng of 2 Books Design describes the aesthetic of this Taipei City home as “delicate, relaxed, minimal and chaste”. And it’s true, the home is distraction-free, clutter-free, and calm. Weng created this atmosphere by making the most of awkward spaces like the one under the stairs, where he added lockers for storage and not-so-sexy items like the cats’ litter boxes.
Watch now: This 57sqm/613sqft Tokyo home features an open-air courtyard as its living room.
