The best storage furniture can help to keep things in order – while also being attractive to the eye. We selected six functional pieces of storage furniture that suit a variety of spaces.
1. Keep in mind the dimensions
The dimensions are crucial when looking for suitable storage furniture. Ariake's slim Column chest of drawers only takes a little space (width 35 cm, height 91.3 cm). It's not only extremely functional but also an impressive piece of furniture in any room that needs a practical eye-catching element. Thanks to its dimensions, Column can also make the space appear higher than it really is. When all the drawers are closed, the handles form an architectural column in the front. The chest is raised off the floor with high legs for easier access of the bottom drawers.
• Ariake’s Column chest of drawers >
2. Add a bit of personality
Eye-catching storage furniture gives your home not only their basic function but also a bit of life and spark. The Gabin sideboard by the French design brand Hartô plays with the contrast of an oak-veneered frame and metallic sliding doors that resemble rattan. You can also combine impressive furniture by having a sideboard in one room and a cabinet in another. Your interior decoration will suddenly have a theme when you pick out more than one piece of furniture of the same series.
3. Leave beautifully visible
It's not necessary for all storage furniture to hide things away. You can just as well use a piece of furniture to have beautiful and useful items on display. The String shelving system is extremely versatile. Designed in 1949, the classic can be extended from a small shelf to cover the width of an entire wall, if you like. String can be combined with a variety of parts, such a storage or display cabinets, sets of drawers, magazine shelves and work desks, and it can be fitted in a living room, bedroom, bathroom or utility room. In the hall, String enables you to keep visible the season's clothes, shoes and accessories and change them with the seasons. Your style will always be spot-on.
It's not necessary for all storage furniture to hide things away. You can just as well use a piece of furniture to have beautiful and useful items on display.
4. Give some space for paintings
Sometimes a low storage system is the best alternative visually. A low horizontal level emphasises the width and height and leaves space on the walls for large paintings or groups of smaller paintings. Lundia's Scandinavian, timeless Fuuga sideboard is an excellent choice for such places. Placed under a window, it does not block the view or draw too much attention to itself. The minimalistic drawers are surprisingly capacious, and Fuuga also doubles as a TV unit.
5. Arrange freely
Furniture is often required to function in varying conditions, that is, to respond to changing needs and even different purposes. Muuto's Stacked series, based on modules, is an example of furniture that can be fitted on a wall, or left on the floor as storage space, worktop or even a seat. As the style of the Stacked series is casual, parts of it can just as well be placed in the living room or a child's room. The modules are available in various sizes, enabling free placement, so the end result may be something resembling a work of art.
As the style of the Stacked series is casual, parts of it can just as well be placed in the living room or a child's room.
6. Easily out of sight
Children often need plenty of storage space in their rooms. There's also a demand for storage furniture into which you can easily place toys off the floor and which can be easily moved around. Select furniture that is light and easy to move around or that that your child likes to use. The furniture must also be safe so that children don't hurt themselves with them. These include baskets and cloth bags that can be hung up on a hook and make room for playing. Ferm Living's Apple basket is braided rattan and also excellent as a laundry basket.
• Ferm Living’s Apple basket >
See also
Text: Kari-Otso Nevaluoma (Avotakka) Photos: Manufacturers