DOMOTEX INNOVATION
the solutions off ered to those who want everything discreetly out of the way, so accessed by a section cut from the wooden fl oor, these often involve doors of reinforced glass that display the spoils beneath. Many incorporate spiral staircases to both maximise the space and help to provide a gallery experience. Some clever suppliers have even capitalised on space constraints by using technology to bring the bottles into the kitchen with power-assisted pop-up units that lift them of the fl oor out when needed. In the US, Author Ryan Mitchell founder of The Tiny
Life, has long used his writing to extol the virtues of “tapping into unused space” under the fl oor. “In-fl oor storage systems can give you a great place to store tall or long items that wouldn’t otherwise be able to fi t in a normal cabinet,” he said. “Storing items like skis, fi shing poles, snowboards,
brooms, ironing boards, and other long items are perfect for these out-of-the-way spaces that you don’t need all the time. You can access these with large hatches or have roll-out under-fl oor storage drawers to get at things more easily.” Mitchell, of Charlotte, North Carolina, is living proof, having spent years living in only 150 sq ft after building his own tiny house in 2012, even going off -grid with solar power. In South Africa, the design duo behind +27 Architects of Pretoria,
created an apartment in Thessaloniki, Greece, the birthplace of co- founder, Panagiotis Chatzitsakyris, which included space for an entire library of books and even inset a wooden seat into the recessed fl oor.
WE NEED STORAGE BECAUSE WE CAN’T LET GO And Australian architects Mark Austin and Andrew Maynard came up with a novel way of handling a couple’s frustration at children littering the fl oor with toys, even a baby hurling everything from their high chair. “It’s cute the fi rst three times. It’s a nightmare the next 200 times,” they say. “While gravity amuses the child, it punishes the parent.” The solution to this: they installed a novel feature in the couple’s two-
story apartment in Fitzroy North, Melbourne. “Let’s design a fl oor that swallows the mess. Rather than picking toys up to put back in the toy box, let’s make the fl oor one big toy box. Let’s get a broom and sweep all the Lego in from the top and sides. It becomes a game for the child as well as a new hiding place for her to play.” In Japanese society, untidiness has long been seen as de-rigeur in many circles, something that has spread more widely in recent years and even seen the emergence of decluttering on an industrial scale with experts off ering their services to homeowners looking to prepare properties for sale. But while there are solutions to hand, and the
FACT The concept of self storage began 6,000
years ago in China and involved the use of large ceramic pots submerged underground
“dead” space beneath our feet is arguably a useful option, why we amass clutter in the fi rst place has been the subject of academic study. Joseph Ferrari, a professor of
psychology at DePaul University, told the American Psychological Association the problem isn’t so much an abundance of clutter, but our attachment to it. “That’s the problem. We don’t let go,” he said. “So we have this overabundance of things, and it really creates a chaotic life and disorderly living.” He added: “Why is it so hard to get rid of things? Because often we’re not the only owner. There’s often someone else. So it impacts relationships, causes lots of stress. And of course, fi nancial wellbeing. There’s a study that was done that showed Americans have over $7,000 of unused stuff in their house.” Why do we feel the need to keep things?
There are multiple
reasons. “One, the items could be emotionally stressful. Now, not only negatively, as you probably thought by those words, but could be positive. That is to say it could be a trigger. When I pick the item up, it might bring me joy or happiness.
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