Houzz Tour: Clever Storage Ideas From a Manhattan Duplex

Creative storage is an art form that takes a calculated approach to hiding things and still having them be accessible. Architectural designer Mike House struck the right balance with custom storage solutions in this New York City duplex for a comedy writer and her boyfriend.

For example, a floor-to-ceiling bookcase on tracks saves space in the living room by sliding out of the way when not in use. Meanwhile, clever custom units cover unsightly radiators and make a large record collection easily available. And a stairway crawl space becomes a makeshift mudroom with slide-out coat racks.

Photography by Allan Zepeda

Houzz at a Glance
Location: Lower Manhattan
Size: 1,400 square feet (130 square feet); 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

Integrated storage spans an entire wall in the combined living, dining and kitchen area on the second floor. Designer Mike House of raad studio deepened the windowsill and created a custom radiator cover with integrated storage for records.

Dark stained walnut flooring and accents on the storage help warm the otherwise white space. Most of the furnishings came from CB2 and other name-brand retailers.


The storage area links the kitchen to the other living spaces.


The homeowner can access books and records from a floor-to-ceiling bookcase by pulling out a nearby ladder. When it’s not in use, she slides the entire bookcase out of the way over the staircase on the left.









Without the big bookcase in the living room, the space feels more open. “She really wanted full-height storage to display collectibles and thought it would be great to put it over the stairway, but I said, ‘Yeah, but how would you access it?’” says House. “So I devised this sliding bookcase that 90 percent of the time lives over the stairs.”


A foyer on the first floor leads to the master bedroom and bathroom. House turned leftover space below the stair riser into coat and shoe storage with integrated LED strip lighting. Three nearby hooks transform the corner into a mudroom of sorts.


The second bedroom on the second floor became an office for the work-from-home writer.



A Murphy bed folds down to accommodate guests.


Because space was tight, House developed three desk panels on hinges that fold out of the way when the bed’s out. When the panels lie flat, they give the homeowner more writing surface.


House deepened the windowsill in the master bedroom too, and designed custom storage to cover the steam radiator.


Budget breakdown:

Kitchen cabinets: $16,000
Radiator covers: $2,500 each
Movable bookcase: $9,000
Closet under stairs: $2,000
Murphy bed: $12,000

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