When a Vancouver couple was downsizing from 4,700 to 1,700 square feet, California Closets design consultant Emma Beaty had to be creative with storage solutions.

In a city where real estate is at a premium and storage space is limited, Emma Beaty is accustomed to making small spaces go a long way. The design consultant for California Closets, a Lower Mainland company that designs and installs custom closets and cabinetry, often works with downsizers who are transitioning from a large family home to a lower maintenance condo. That was exactly the case with this Vancouver project.

Beginning with the Bedroom

The bedroom closet is the place everyone starts and ends their day, and is therefore one of the most essential closets in the home. In a condo, bedroom closets are limited in size, making clever storage solutions a must. In this particular unit, Emma was faced with the challenge of designing a walk-in closet in an unusual hallway space. In the end she used one wall for hanging items and the other for drawers and shelving to maximize the storage capacity without closing it in.

Media Centre

The media centre was a big priority. The clients€™ expectations were two-fold: to maintain a €œman cave€ aesthetic, and to not distract from the new million dollar view.Emma used neutral tones for the storage unit to blend in with the condo colours. €œThe black acrylic backsplash hides the TV perfectly,€ she says. €œWe added multiple lighting features to create a glowing effect at night€”the result is gorgeous.€

Office Expectations

The working couple each had their own requests for a shared office space on the top floor of the loft layout. His: a mounted TV and room for a curated collection of DVDs; hers: ample filing space to organize the paperwork needed for her career as a real estate agent. It was also important to both of them to face the window.€œI visited the new condo to take measurements and the existing home to take an inventory of their items before coming up with the design,€ says Emma. €œI then used our Linen, Cashmere, Smoke Acrylic and Wave Walnut finishes to reflect their west coast style.€

Behind the Scenes Storage

€œThe client needed additional laundry storage since her laundry closet could only fit the stackable washer/dryer,€ explains Emma. The laundry cabinet concealed a pull-out ironing board, a laundry hamper, and shelving for soap and dryer sheets.Finally, a highly functional pantry was designed in the flex space. Since the client was downsizing to a condo-sized kitchen, this was essential to making the move feasible. Aside from shelving for food items and large appliances, some of the pantry€™s most valued features included custom recycling bins, baking sheet slots, and a broom closet. €œWe even built in a drawer fridge!€ Emma adds.76634,76632,76633,76635,76636,76637,76638″ orderby=”rand

Creative storage made this couple€™s decrease in square footage feel like a completely manageable move.

€œWe truly nailed it, and the client is thrilled.€