Storage & Wardrobe

Photos: Kolanowski Studio; Design: Pam Smallwood
Design ideas for a traditional men's walk-in wardrobe in Houston with recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and carpet.

Keechi Creek Builders
Design ideas for a large traditional gender-neutral dressing room in Houston with recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and medium hardwood floors.

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional women's dressing room in Houston with recessed-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, porcelain floors and beige floor.

"His" side of the closet with double hanging, shoe racks and a pull-out tie rack.
Inspiration for a large traditional walk-in wardrobe in New York with shaker cabinets, beige cabinets and light hardwood floors.

Photo of a large contemporary gender-neutral built-in wardrobe in Miami with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets and grey floor.

Design ideas for a large transitional gender-neutral walk-in wardrobe in DC Metro with beaded inset cabinets and beige cabinets.

Design ideas for a large country gender-neutral walk-in wardrobe in Other with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets and multi-coloured floor.

Libbie Holmes Photography
Photo of a traditional gender-neutral storage and wardrobe in Denver with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets, carpet and beige floor.

Design ideas for a large modern gender-neutral walk-in wardrobe in Charlotte with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Inspiration for a large traditional gender-neutral walk-in wardrobe in Atlanta with beige cabinets.

Design ideas for a contemporary men's walk-in wardrobe in Los Angeles with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets and beige floor.

A tech-savvy family looks to Cantoni designer George Saba and architect Keith Messick to engineer the ultimate modern marvel in Houston’s Bunker Hill neighborhood. Photos By: Michael Hunter & Taggart Sorensen

Design ideas for a small transitional men's built-in wardrobe in Jacksonville with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Craig Thompson Photography
This is an example of a small contemporary gender-neutral dressing room in Other with dark wood cabinets, light hardwood floors, grey floor and flat-panel cabinets.

Inspiration for a large transitional gender-neutral walk-in wardrobe in Chicago with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets and dark hardwood floors.

Large contemporary gender-neutral dressing room in Los Angeles with open cabinets, dark wood cabinets and medium hardwood floors.

The beautiful, old barn on this Topsfield estate was at risk of being demolished. Before approaching Mathew Cummings, the homeowner had met with several architects about the structure, and they had all told her that it needed to be torn down. Thankfully, for the sake of the barn and the owner, Cummings Architects has a long and distinguished history of preserving some of the oldest timber framed homes and barns in the U.S. Once the homeowner realized that the barn was not only salvageable, but could be transformed into a new living space that was as utilitarian as it was stunning, the design ideas began flowing fast. In the end, the design came together in a way that met all the family’s needs with all the warmth and style you’d expect in such a venerable, old building. On the ground level of this 200-year old structure, a garage offers ample room for three cars, including one loaded up with kids and groceries. Just off the garage is the mudroom – a large but quaint space with an exposed wood ceiling, custom-built seat with period detailing, and a powder room. The vanity in the powder room features a vanity that was built using salvaged wood and reclaimed bluestone sourced right on the property. Original, exposed timbers frame an expansive, two-story family room that leads, through classic French doors, to a new deck adjacent to the large, open backyard. On the second floor, salvaged barn doors lead to the master suite which features a bright bedroom and bath as well as a custom walk-in closet with his and hers areas separated by a black walnut island. In the master bath, hand-beaded boards surround a claw-foot tub, the perfect place to relax after a long day. In addition, the newly restored and renovated barn features a mid-level exercise studio and a children’s playroom that connects to the main house. From a derelict relic that was slated for demolition to a warmly inviting and beautifully utilitarian living space, this barn has undergone an almost magical transformation to become a beautiful addition and asset to this stately home.

Our client’s intension was to make this bathroom suite a very specialized spa retreat. She envisioned exquisite, highly crafted components and loved the colors gold and purple. We were challenged to mix contemporary, traditional and rustic features. Also on the wish-list were a sizeable wardrobe room and a meditative loft-like retreat. Hydronic heated flooring was installed throughout. The numerous features in this project required replacement of the home’s plumbing and electrical systems. The cedar ceiling and other places in the room replicate what is found in the rest of the home. The project encompassed 400 sq. feet. Features found at one end of the suite are new stained glass windows – designed to match to existing, a Giallo Rio slab granite platform and a Carlton clawfoot tub. The platform is banded at the floor by a mosaic of 1″ x 1″ glass tile. Near the tub platform area is a large walnut stained vanity with Contemporary slab door fronts and shaker drawers. This is the larger of two separate vanities. Each are enhanced with hand blown artisan pendant lighting. A custom fireplace is centrally placed as a dominant design feature. The hammered copper that surrounds the fireplace and vent pipe were crafted by a talented local tradesman. It is topped with a Café Imperial marble. A lavishly appointed shower is the centerpiece of the bathroom suite. The many slabs of granite used on this project were chosen for the beautiful veins of quartz, purple and gold that our client adores. Two distinct spaces flank a small vanity; the wardrobe and the loft-like Magic Room. Both precisely fulfill their intended practical and meditative purposes. A floor to ceiling wardrobe and oversized built-in dresser keep clothing, shoes and accessories organized. The dresser is topped with the same marble used atop the fireplace and inset into the wardrobe flooring. The Magic Room is a space for resting, reading or just gazing out on the serene setting. The reading lights are Oil Rubbed Bronze. A drawer within the step up to the loft keeps reading and writing materials neatly tucked away. Within the highly customized space, marble, granite, copper and art glass come together in a harmonious design that is organized for maximum rejuvenation that pleases our client to not end! Photo, Matt Hesselgrave

Photography by Ken Wyner 2101 Connecticut Avenue (c.1928), an 8-story brick and limestone Beaux Arts style building with spacious apartments, is said to have been “the finest apartment house to appear in Washington between the two World Wars.” (James M. Goode, Best Addresses, 1988.) As advertised for rent in 1928, the apartments were designed “to incorporate many details that would aid the residents in establishing a home atmosphere, one possessing charm and dignity usually found only in a private house… the character and tenancy (being) assured through careful selection of guests.” Home to Senators, Ambassadors, a Vice President and a Supreme Court Justice as well as numerous Washington socialites, the building still stands as one of the undisputed “best addresses” in Washington, DC.) So well laid-out was this gracious 3,000 sf apartment that the basic floor plan remains unchanged from the original architect’s 1927 design. The organizing feature was, and continues to be, the grand “gallery” space in the center of the unit. Every room in the apartment can be accessed via the gallery, thus preserving it as the centerpiece of the “charm and dignity” which the original design intended. Programmatic modifications consisted of the addition of a small powder room off of the foyer, and the conversion of a corner “sun room” into a room for meditation and study. The apartment received a thorough updating of all systems, services and finishes, including a new kitchen and new bathrooms, several new built-in cabinetry units, and the consolidation of numerous small closets and passageways into more accessible and efficient storage spaces.