Is a tidy home a happy home? Certainly, keeping clutter hidden and your favourite items displayed in style can be the key to unlocking new levels of calm. Here, we share the bespoke projects and latest products to inspire a more organised you
A place for everything…
Designed by Studiomama, this Swiss Army Knife of an apartment shows small homes don’t need to compromise on storage
Nina Tolstrup and Jack Mama, the partnership behind Studiomama, have developed a reputation as creative problem solvers. Specifically, they have a knack for compact spaces. ‘You can’t make them work if you don’t pack everything in,’ states Tolstrup with a smile.
That’s what the duo did in this 54-square-metre lower-ground floor apartment in London: pack things in. Here, the two were inspired by a trip to the Rietveld Schröder House in Utrecht, translating its use of sliding doors into a smaller home to create a layout that maximises the sense of space and light while still allowing privacy. It’s a smart move, but not the only one in this project. Most notable is the monolithic pink joinery that houses two separate bedrooms (or pods) and a wealth of wardrobe space – it’s what greets people when they enter the home. Tolstrup and Mama designed the piece, taking advantage of every centimetre, and admit they were ‘stretching their carpenters’ skills’.
Key to its success is Studiomama’s dedication to multifunctionality. The area at the top of the coat closet (too high to reach), for instance, has been used as a glass-encased shelf for the bedroom, which is raised up above the capacious drawers. Similarly, a bookshelf between the second sleep pod and an adjoining study alternates its orientation – one shelf facing inwards, one outwards in succession. Materials were carefully chosen, with rigidity being important, as this mammoth work of joinery could not be screwed to the floor (due to underfloor heating) or the walls (because of the tanking required). They settled on sapele, a sturdy African hardwood, for the frame, with the doors crafted in Marmoleum, a type of linoleum from Forbo that doesn’t contain synthetics.
It’s not just about the look from the outside, though. Every cupboard and drawer in this project hides apop of either bright yellow or vivid blue. ‘It’s a bit like the blazer of a Paul Smith suit with a surprise lining,’ says Tolstrup. ‘When you create something bespoke like this you want it to scream out that it is special, different, not off-the-shelf. It’s supposed to make you smile.’ studiomama.com
Most notable is the monolithic pink joinery that houses two separate bedrooms (or pods) and a wealth of wardrobe space
