When it comes to condo design, space is at a premium. That means that designers not only need to create spaces that are aesthetically appealing…they need to be functional as well.
I’ve come across many amazing designs that incorporate functional storage, including this breath-taking headboard wall designed by Jamie Drake:
And this coffee table from Vanguard, which gives you a signature piece and the ability to store books:
Custom Storage with Hone Closet Systems
But perhaps the best kept secret when it comes to small-space design is incorporating custom closets into your home. And that’s when you should call an expert.
I recently spoke with Jeff Faine of Hone Closet Systems; Jeff specializes in semi-custom, built-in closet components. His company provides interior designers/architects/builders with a fresh alternative to the standard offerings from other sources. Here’s what he told me about how Hone Closets works:
Our systems have doors and drawer fronts on all components. There are two reasons for this: the first being aesthetics. We really pride ourselves on helping people create clean, modern spaces. If all of your closet contents are exposed, no matter how organized they are it can still feel very overwhelming and cluttered. The second reason is for protection. Having closed compartments keeps dust/dirt off your nice things. It also protects from the damaging sunlight. If a client does have a nice collection of shoes, bags, etc. and would like to see them we offer glass doors for those compartments.
Designing with our systems is really simple. We offer three unit types: lower, upper, and tall. Within these three unit types there are twelve different types of components (regular hanging, short hanging, dresser drawers, etc). We’ll work with the client to determine their wants/needs/current inventory and tailor the space with our components so everything has a home.
Condo designs often times have even smaller bedrooms than single-family homes. This means floor space is at a premium. Being able to incorporate our “dresser” component into your current 
closet space frees up the floor space a traditional dresser would take up. Because our systems have doors/drawer fronts and everything is closed up, they’re a great solution for studio condos as well.
Compartmentalizing is super effective for staying organized. Our “dresser” component is very effective for this reason. When you have specific drawers for specific items it helps a person stay very organized. There’s never any wondering where something is at or getting frustrated because things are a mess. We recently converted an existing closet with our systems for a client who had some hoarder tendencies. He donated a ton of clothes and started fresh once his system was installed. He wrote us a nice note commenting how much more organized he’s staying because everything now has a home.
One fun thing we’ve incorporated into our systems is a “baby changing station” option. This frees up the floorspace a changing table would occupy and also eliminates the need to purchase a changing table. When the baby grows out of diapers, simply remove the changing pad, put the hanging rod back in, and clip the doors back on. (see photos here:https://www.honeclosets.com/nursery)