A bespoke wardrobe in the attic: sloping doors and large bookcases

A bespoke wardrobe in the attic: sloping doors and large bookcases

To make the most of the sloping ceiling of this attic, a large custom-made wardrobe is mixed between a functional element and a large bookcase. A hybrid furniture, usable internally for the seasonable wardrobe change, but linear in aesthetics to create a suggestive and small reading hall for our little client Francesco.

bespoke wardrobe attic sloping ceiling bookcase in front of sloping doors

Equip an attic with sloped ceiling with a custom-made wardrobe

The attic is the project environment with great aesthetic potential but with strong architectural design constraints.
The presence of a sloping roof creates different usability areas imposed by the different internal heights of the room.
In this case, the architectural conformation of the attic, with a narrow and long plan with access to the center of the ridge, ideally divides the room into two different environments.
In one of these two the large custom-made wardrobe stands, able to exploit even the lowest corner of the attic with a bookcase in the niche.

To ensure that the sloping cut doors are not obstructed in the opening direction by the attic ceiling, it is necessary to provide single doors with fastening on the longer side. This also allows an internal division with shelves marked by single and not double modules as in a traditional wardrobe.
The backs of the bookcase are shaped in the same way in order to respect the inclination of the ceiling and optimize the overall dimensions.

To explore the theme of rooms with sloping ceilings, here are these two attics: one in a contemporary style with antique elements and the other in a modern style. To these is also added this mezzanine equipped with wardrobe and bookcase for a functional study area.

bespoke wardrobe attic sloping ceiling front bookcase
detail handles white aluminum profile wardrobe
interior hanger wardrobe custom attic season change
inside wardrobe change of house linen season
bespoke wardrobe attic sloping ceiling side bookcase
internal shelves bilaminate wardrobe made to measure attic change of season

A reading corner for our most demanding small customers

Francesco is our little client with very clear needs. If mom Laura is kindly allowed to use the inside wardrobe for the seasonable wardrobe change and household linen, the niche-bookcase must be able to accommodate books and dinosaurs divided by specific themes and colors.
The shaped shoulders accommodate fixed shelves at different heights, creating a lively but elegant visual rhythm.

Even the fresh and elegant tone of the white bilaminate creates a luminous reading area in which a delicate Scandinavian design coffee table finds space.
To take advantage of the depth of the wardrobe, a second bookcase is grafted onto the side shoulder, also visually closing the furniture with a characterizing detail. The same solution was also adapted in this cerulean blue kitchen in modern style.
In this case, the shelves are positioned at a greater height so that they can also accommodate more bulky folders and books.
The reading corner is thus embraced by the multifunctional furniture that from a simple wardrobe serving an attic it also becomes a custom-made bookcase.

reading corner bookcase in niche shelves fixed height
bookcase detail with fixed door and white bilaminate shelves
detail of white bilaminate bookcase shelves
attic bookcase with fixed shelves
bookcase detail in front of the wardrobe
detail handles white aluminum profile cabinet front

Optimizing spaces with functional furniture: a studio apartment in Milan

Optimizing spaces with functional furniture: a studio apartment in Milan

A studio apartment in the suburbs of Milan able to optimize the available space with functional furniture. The choice of materials expresses simplicity and naturalness, to make the bespoke interiors of this welcoming apartment contemporary.

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A cozy looking studio apartment in Milan

We have already addressed the issue of living in small spaces with this minimal style apartment in the heart of Milan. After a few years, the need to optimize spaces has not lost interest but has instead increased the demand for functional furniture. The example of this studio apartment in the suburbs of Milan best expresses the concept of practicality combined with a natural aesthetic line.

Starting from the original structure of the apartment, the renovation project began primarily with the spatial organization of the rooms. The entrance, working as a filter, acts as a pivot for the management of internal flows. From the front opens the view of the kitchen, essential but well equipped, which visually communicates with the loft living area where a large bed is located.

On the left of the entrance is the anteroom, equipped as a closet with service wardrobes. From here, direct access to the bathroom with a large glass shower and sink area with service cabinet.

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Furniture designed to optimize space

To make the most of the available space, the furniture of this studio apartment has been custom designed by obtaining service rooms from structural voids and architectural constraints. The best example is certainly the creation of the under-stairs compartment with doors and push-pull trays useful for arranging objects of various sizes. In fact, starting from the modularity of the risers and treads of the access ladder to the mezzanine, doors are created with a vertical reading whose opening takes place via push pull. Depending on the need, each internal compartment takes up the space of two or more steps, equipping itself with additional extractable volumes where necessary. From this perspective, the dining table can also be in a resting position, attached to the equipped wall of the TV area and used as a desk, or moved to the center of the room to accommodate other diners.

Even the equipped wall, to gain additional service space, is made up of three distinct modules, the sides of which are slightly inclined. The shaping of the different elements allows an optimal management of the architectural corners, also creating a greater sense of welcome.

The architectural void then becomes the new design theme, equipping cavities and niches with shelves and open compartments. This is the case, for example, of the main pillar, incorporated in the dividing structure between the kitchen and the living area. The lower part houses internal shelves accessible through a door with push opening, while the upper part consists of exposed shelves in the niche.

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Functional but also conceptual steps

Another focal point is the anteroom, which from an environment required by law also becomes a useful space for the storage of cleaning products and service cabinets. Drawers and doors with height-adjustable internal shelves are used for the products storage of different sizes.

Even in the bathroom, the design of the furnishings in order to make them functional gives life to a large and bright environment. The change of flooring marks the transition not only physical but also conceptual and visual to a more intimate and reserved environment. The front view on the window offers ample natural lighting, diffused throughout the room thanks to the choice of materials. The glass closure of the shower minimizes the aluminum details, while the large mirror attached to the service cabinet expands the perception of space.

Optimizing the space in the bathroom means taking advantage of all the service cavities: an example is the open oak cabinet under the window. The service shelves for toilet paper and small personal hygiene products in wooden finish in fact obtain their space on the side of the radiator, without however being oppressive. Small accessories such as the pull-out towel holder enrich the functionality of an aesthetically simple and clean bathroom cabinet. Simple and authentic forms are thus valued.

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Natural colors and materials for a contemporary studio apartment

The practicality of the furnishings is not only found in their composition and spatial arrangement, but also in the choice of materials that characterize them. For horizontal surfaces, the choice fell on oak, a natural wood par excellence with great resistance and workability characteristics. Its aesthetic line with warm veins makes it welcoming and transmits spontaneity and tradition. From the parquet floor to the kitchen top and shelves of the open compartments, its presence becomes the touch of authenticity of the stylistic line adopted. For the vertical surfaces, on the other hand, the canvas bilaminate was chosen, whose warm but neutral tones make it delicate but incisive at the same time. Among the major advantages of this material, it certainly has high resistance combined with a very affordable price. Its finish also makes it soft to the aesthetic impact and textured to the touch, expressing attention to detail.

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The renovation of this studio in Milan involved all levels of reading of the project. From the planimetric distribution of the rooms to the choice of materials and finishes. The choice of functional furniture allows you to optimize spaces by providing environments that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also practical and easily livable.

Architectural voids and structural elements hide great potential, just look at them with creative eyes!

To see other examples of small rooms optimized in spaces with functional furnishings, you can take a peek at this minimal style studio apartment or at this shabby chic style creation

How to equip a bathroom with laundry corner

How to equip a bathroom with laundry corner

A functional and aesthetic analysis of the laundry corner. An environment that in contemporary reality is forced to give up its autonomous room to blend in a small bathroom or equipped corridor. The aim is giving space to the services that define our daily life, making them aesthetically interesting.

laundry corner

Laundry corner with showed washing machine, basin and compartments furniture

equipped corridor

Optimize spaces equipping corridors with serviced wardrobes View the project

Space to services

Speaking of interior design, we are used to imagine elegant living rooms and modern kitchens, contemporary bedrooms and essential-style dining rooms. Over the past few years , the interior design has increasingly taken on the aesthetic meaning of architecture. Let’s remember, however, that design was born as the perfect combination between aesthetics and functionality. The morphology of furniture is nothing else than the natural result of perfect efficiency. It is exactly with this spirit that we want to highlight those “corners of the house” that we usually tend to hide because they are not “beautiful” even though they are basics in the functionality of our domestic spaces. The project layout of each house gets us used to dividing rooms between “living area” and “bedrooms”. The first includes all those rooms that are used to welcoming guests, designed with the aim of return the best public images of the owners. In the “sleeping area”, the most intimate and personal rooms of the owners come to life. However, in this typological distinction are missing all the rooms which, whether private or public, carry out a real function. Among these, just think of the laundry room, which over the years has changed its conformation adapting to the needs of the time.

washing machine recess

A laundry niche uses the available passage corner to house the washing machine and shelves View the project

From public washrooms to bathrooms equipped with laundry corners

Over the years, the home laundry has become increasingly important in private houses. Whole rooms were equipped with basins and ironing corners, which gradually witnessed the coming of appliances capable of simplifying manual work and obtaining excellent results. Private rooms that replaced the traditional public lavatories for an increasingly elitist concept of personal care and cleaning. The widespread use of washing machines, and modern dryers, has meant that laundry rooms take up less and less space inside private houses. Furthermore, in the contemporary vision of the house, open spaces have swarmed the architectural panorama more and more, reducing the functional closings to the bare minimum. As a consequence, to optimize space, the laundry room is often eliminated in favor of bathrooms equipped with washing machines, dryers and service cupboards. Making the appliances “invisible” was the next step. Here then come equipped wardrobes able to hold not only washing machines and dryers but also baskets and pull-out compartments for cleaning products.

laundry bathroom detail

A bathroom with contemporary wooden surfaces hide extractable functional elements. View the project

Composition of a laundry-corner

Equipping a bathroom with a laundry corner first of all means providing an insertion point for the washing machine. This can remain visible, favoring the opening of the porthole without interfering with any surrounding doors or being built-in the washbasin cabinet. To better hide the washing machine, however, it is necessary to provide a service cabinet that rests on the ground. It means excluding suspended solutions or light supports, and study a customed solution that allows the opening of the tray and the easily maintenance of the appliance. To this is often added a service cabinet with internal shelves and removable baskets that can contain cleaning products and accessories of different sizes. Often these latter two solutions come together in one, with folding or sliding doors, which act as a closure for the furniture element. Internal accessories such as dividers and hanging elements are additional options that can make the space more functional and optimize the overall dimensions.

bathroom with washing machine in view

The bathroom cabinet with wooden top and finishes houses the washing machine View the project

bathroom cabinet with open drawers

Drawers of different heights are extremely functional elements for organizing personal products View the project

bathroom service closet

A large service cupboard with internal shelves and removable basket for the bulky products View the project

It is the functionality that defines the composition of these equipped corners. Our task is to optimize spaces in the best possible way by creating practical and aesthetically satisfying solutions. Whether they are service points hidden in other rooms or clearly visible and recognizable elements, it is essential to be able to organize them in the best way, using all the available centimeters without however giving shape to narrow solutions.

Organize rooms with a secret library

Organize rooms with a secret library

Organize the room can be a difficult task, especially if this room is small and not very functional, but often the solution is just around the corner: in this case, around a corner library which hosts a secret door. THE PROBLEM ANALYSIS THE PROJECT PROPOSAL COLOURS, SHAPES AND MATERIALS THE ADVICE  

THE PROBLEM ANALYSIS

Living in big cities often means to interacts with the lack of space and environments with small dimensions. In those contexts, the functionality it’s an indispensable design element: It allows us to take the most advantage from each room without sacrificing comfort and aesthetic values, while at the same time it solves important problems. The functionality is not just the added value to our interiors, but first at all a stylistic key. A proof of that is this Milan’s apartment. The entrance overlooks a comfortable and contemporary living room characterized by light colours of walls and furniture which create a contrast with an elegant wooden dark floor with which it harmoniously communicates. The design challenge provide for two mainly solutions: on one hand the lack of a real library, which can easily become a characterized element of the room showing at the same time small design object and souvenir able to describe the personality of its inhabitants. On the other hand, the need of hide the bath entrance which is more intimate and private, whose door faces directly in the living room, in a contact view with the entrance hall.  

THE PROJECT PROPOSAL

The design solution manages to solve both problems in a single functional element: a wall unit able to provide display support for books and small objects and, at the same time, combines the real bathroom’s door. A dynamic bookcase that reflects the intentionally asymmetric layout in both corner elements. Taking advantage from the corner position, in fact, the two different components of the bookcase are organized as autonomous elements whose shelves could easily become the stylistic line enable to give rhythm and harmony.  This, defines the internal recess of the library which allows the management of exposed elements as a costumed setting, a sort of display windows of the inhabitants’ personalities. The entrance to the bathroom takes place with complete discretion, as a sort of a real “secret passage”, activated by pressing. In particular, the door consists of a fixed narrower shutter, even equipped in the bathroom’s ambient, and a main shutter that in its external side has a considerably bigger thickness than the traditional in order to accommodate books and small objects.  

COLOURS, SHAPES AND MATERIALS

The contemporary imprint is visible both in the graphic layout of the library, which combines full and empty space in perfectly harmony as in a typographic composition, but above all for the material and chromatic choice. In particular, a white opaque lacquered MDF was chosen to create the partition wall. This because it allows a better versatility clearly visible for example, in the different thickness with which were made the numerous internal shelves. The 9010 white recalls the dining’s wall and the contemporary furniture, inserting itself without intrusiveness in the room but at the same time managing to define the stylistic print.  

THE ADVICE

No problems had to remains unsolved! Sometimes a furniture element becomes the custom-made solution able to solve in the best way different problems, as it can be the lack of space or the need to divide rooms.

The wall units perfectly combine elegancy and functionality and can also contain hidden mechanism to take the most advantage from its practicality. A mechanism that can also be fun! Divide the rooms has never been so easy, a library with a secret door it’s enough.

 
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closed door corner library

One kitchen a week, part 3: contemporary hi-tech

One kitchen a week, part 3: contemporary hi-tech

A contemporary hi-tech kitchen whose aesthetic line is very dynamic thanks to the choice of metallic materials, to the play of reflections and opacity, but at the same time, it has warm and soft colours.

hi-tech kitchen front view

The contemporary design of the appliances increasingly accustoms us to metal surfaces, glossy finishes and technological elements with an aerospace-inspired design.  Often inserting these elements in our kitchens means having to deal with the resulting visual impact. In response, on the one hand, we can see industrial-style kitchens, strongly focused on the total harmony of the furnishing with metals and reflective surfaces. On the other side, we can find increasingly contemporary interiors trying to mix the style of the different components by exploiting the chromatic and material contrasts. These two currents do not necessarily represent the opposite of the other. In fact, it is possible to uniform the elements in a style that is so contemporary, but which also manages to reflect the elegance and domesticity of the rooms.  

THE PORJECT

This kitchen with a hi-tech scent is an excellent example: the customer’s taste responds to the trend of mocha colour, with its warm and soft tones. Taking advantage from the alternation of more or less warm colours and glossy surfaces combined with the opaquer ones, an elegant and at the same time dynamic interior has been achieved. Starting from the separating element of the living area, which is equipped to host storage doors supporting the living room on one side, and recessed ovens and others storage units from the inside. The result is a deconstructed kitchen, which does not give up to the functionality of a compact kitchen, but which takes advantage of the visual opening of the open space. The passage of this partition is underlined by a led strip whose linearity refers to the most dynamic and technological interiors. The central island with its mocha-coloured upholstery holds the induction hobs and free surfaces used for preparing meals. An extremely functional element is the cylinder that houses the electrical service outlets, which can be activated by pushing. A recessed element whose extraction technology is extremely simple. It is also capable of transforming an often visually cumbersome component into a design element. The lower part of the island acts as storage point while in the upper part, a cylindrical design fan is suspended from the backlit false ceiling. The latter can give greater dynamism to the kitchen. The two corner components of the remaining part respond in the same way with the upper wall units organized with doors and containing volumes in the lower part. The different height of the upper wall units creates dynamism also recalled in the chromatic choice.  

COLOURS AND MATERIALS

The technological setting of this hi-tech kitchen is also visible in the choice of materials with excellent technical performance. In fact, the mocha-coloured dekton was chosen for the kitchen countertop, incorporating the island’s one. In addition to a significant aesthetic value, which summarizes elegance and modernity, it enjoys excellent technical performance, such as perfect resistance to high temperatures and hardness. It therefore lends itself to be an excellent material in its field while giving a strong stylistic imprint. The back shelf of the countertop alternates the mocha-coloured dekton with a glossy lacobel with a neutral hue. The alternation of opaque to glossy surfaces is possible using textured lacquered MDF which is turn coated, where necessary, by lacobel.

 
island kitchen with extractor fan
hi-tech kitchen divider
cylinder soket push hidden

Compare this hi-tech kitchen with the previous ones: contemporary pop kitchen and fresh, gritty and lively kitchen.