Space-Saving And Storage Tips For Your Condo From Experts Ivy And Cynthia Almario
Condo living is more popular than ever, as more people resign to working and living in the metro. While we associate it with limited spaces and compromised storage, well-loved design duo Ivy and Cynthia Almario have been making condo living more styled and organized than ever.
Anton Barretto visits this condo collaboration by Ivy and Cynthia for Metro Home season 2, to steal some storage and space-saving tips that anyone can translate into their own homes.
READ: This Condo Unit Has A 'Refined-Luxe,' Hotel-Like Vibe That You Can Easily Achieve, Too!
Ivy and Cynthia are known for glamorous spaces, just like this Parisian-inspired condo unit made in homage to Christian Dior. The interiors are mostly gray, contrasted only by textures and the walnut floor.
Usually, glamour can be overwhelming and over the top as defined by a “more is better” aesthetics. But in this condo unit, there is a certain calmness and class in the way they pulled it off.
When it comes to condo living, storage is one of the biggest problems homeowners encounter. There is always a need to buy more boxes and containers, do more Marie Kondo-ing inside the house. But what Ivy and Cynthia executed well in this condo is the efficient use of a cabinet system.
They transformed a lot of the walls into hidden cabinets that open to reveal racks of shoes, clothes, and bags. The cabinet systems in the living room look pretty straightforward. But inside the bedroom, the walls are traded for padded cabinet doors in leather to give a softer finish. This kind of wall system seamlessly blends the storage into the home’s interiors, so you don’t have to worry about your clutter or plastic storage boxes ruining the interior design.
When it comes to space, every square meter of space counts. This is why this kidney-shaped sofa has a smart design because it follows the contour of the area, and does not waste any space behind it.
Future-proofing your home is also tricky, especially with condo units that are not as easily remodeled unlike traditional houses. In this unit, they utilized and positioned the two bedrooms in such a way that the home can be transformed when needed. Behind the sliding door of the children’s bedroom is actually the master bedroom, so when the kids are still living with the parents, the parents feel closer to their children. But when the children move out and the parents become empty nesters, instead of being a useless room, the children’s bedroom can now be converted into an ante room for the master bedroom.
A walk-in closet usually requires a bigger space. But with this home, they used reflective surfaces and the cabinet-slash-wall system to give the illusion of a bigger space.
How do you define space when you have little space to work with? In bigger houses, it’s easy to separate the living room from the dining room and the foyer because there’s usually walking space and walls to separate the rooms and areas. But in smaller condo units where you have to position the different living spaces into one area, how do you do it cleverly and beautifully?
In this condo unit, Ivy and Cynthia were able to separate the living room from the dining room by merely using an area rug to visually define each space.
To separate the foyer from the dining room, they also used a beautifully designed wall highlighting cherry blossoms on the other side, and a glass on the other side.
Get more home inspiration and tips from Anton Barretto and Stephanie Kienle-Gonzalez on Metro Home Season 2, airing on Metro Channel, channel 52 on Sky Cable and channel 174 on HD. Catch fresh episodes Sundays, 7:30p.m., or watch it on-demand on iWant.
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