Before & After: Copious Cabinetry Makes a Compact Flat Work for a Family of Four
Sugarhouse Design & Architecture sought to "pack in storage at every opportunity" as they revised this 1,171-square-foot Manhattan apartment.
Sugarhouse Design & Architecture sought to "pack in storage at every opportunity" as they revised this 1,171-square-foot Manhattan apartment.
When a couple bought this 1,171-square-foot Upper West Side apartment in 2012 and moved in with their two toddlers, they weren’t in love with its looks. "It wasn’t beautiful, but the layout was pretty perfect for us at the time," one homeowner says—and they were particularly fond of one amenity. "We had had laundry in the basement before, and now we have a full-size laundry room. It seems like a silly thing, but I thought that was amazing."
The family lived there for a decade before considering a remodel. In the interim, small things started adding up, quite literally. The kids’ (now teenagers) sports equipment was spilling out of closets, the parents’ papers teetered in stacks on the office floor, and the living room’s built-in media cabinet could only fit a tiny TV, which put a damper on family movie nights. "We really moved away from watching things together on that TV," says the owner.
In 2022, they hired Sugarhouse Design & Architecture to double the storage, bring in more light, and weave in finishes that they liked better. First up for designers Jess and Jonathan Nahon was addressing the elephant in the layout: the laundry room.
Before: Entry
Before: There simply wasn’t enough storage in this Upper West Side apartment for the family of four living there. The long and narrow entry hall was dark, even on sunny days.
Courtesy of Sugarhouse Design & Architecture
After: Entry
Sugarhouse Design & Architecture lightened up the entry hall with fluted glass panels, white oak floors, and custom oak closets that reach to the ceiling. The bench was custom-designed by Sugarhouse and fabricated by Elwood Design Co in Orange, CA, and the ceiling light is by Modern Forms.
Jacob Snavely
The designers realized that the laundry room was so nice because it had a full-sized window on the facade of the building that got the best light. Jonathan had a suggestion: "We could make that room part of the actual living space, where it could be accessed and used by everybody." The owners were game.
Before: Entry
Before: "The storage was not attractive and not that practical, and there just was not enough of it," says the owner.
Courtesy of Sugarhouse Design & Architecture
See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: Copious Cabinetry Makes a Compact Flat Work for a Family of Four
Related stories:
