Design Idea: Smart Storage for Smartphones

Along with the latest technologies come a lot of cords and chargers that can make a space look very cluttered. Many older homes aren't designed to accommodate these new additions so we end up with a mess of wires all over the kitchen counter.  During the design of this home, we made sure that all of these items had a nice, functional place to be stored.

This desk is located in a hallway between the kitchen and mudroom.  The built-in is flanked by two columns which are repeated throughout the hallways of the house.

Below the desk surface are storage and filing drawers.  The cords for the lamp, monitor and telephone have all been designed to be hidden away behind the desk.  The upper shelf holds cookbooks for the nearby kitchen and above that is additional hidden storage.

Here is my drawing for the cabinet maker which shows dimensions and locations of details.

This little cubby that's suspended over the desk is a cell phone charging station. The charging ends are accessible but all the messy wires and the outlet are hidden behind a removable panel.

Maine Shopping Trip

Last week I jumped in the car and headed to Maine.  The towns of Kennebunk, Wells and York are a little more than an hour a way from me and have a few shops that I love and can always find something at.

My first stop was Old House Parts in Kennebunk.  This place always fascinates me - it's a salvage yard and barn filled with every kind of old window, door and antique hardware you can imagine.  It's the place I found 10 matching salvaged corbels for my own kitchen renovation a few years ago:

This time I was looking for some antique sliding ladder hardware and I picked up something that I think might work that's similar to this:

The next stop was Antiques on Nine, also in Kennebunk.  Here, I picked up a ladder that I had seen a few weeks ago (that I bought the hardware for).  This is going to be placed in my new studio space to access a storage loft.

Of course, the shop is filled with beautiful things:

I love the color and texture these items would add to a room.  Also, how great would that SEA sign be on the back wall of a poolhouse at the beach?

Pallian and Co. was my next stop, where I bought these pillows as a housewarming gift for a client whose beach house project has just finished up:

They also have some amazing artwork and accessories:

I have been looking for an island/conference table for my new studio space and I absolutely fell in love with this at Bob Wirthington Antiques:

It's a 3" thick white marble slab from an old candy making factory placed on top of an iron base from an industrial factory.  I love the worn look of the marble against the silhouette of the black base.  Sadly, it's not in the budget for this project and would require a forklift to get it in the space (!) so I'm still on the hunt.

Shops and Addresses:

Old House Parts
1 Trackside Drive
Kennebunk, ME

Antiques on Nine
81 Western Ave.
Kennebunk, ME

Pallian and Co.
2049 Post Road
Wells, ME

Bob Wirthington Antiques
611 U.S. 1
York, ME

Before and After: Family Room

As is often the case in renovation projects, this project required that we analyze the overall floor plan and layout of the house and adjust it to meet the needs of a family.  Here, a ground floor bedroom that was located at the back of the house was not needed and restricted access from the house to the backyard.  The room was renovated into a centrally located gathering room where the family could watch tv, play games or read.  Making this a public space also increases the accessibility and views to the backyard from the rest of the house.

Before: this bedroom is located at the back of the house on the ground floor.

After: French doors replace a window to add access to the backyard.

At the other end of the space, the room is opened up to the entry and living rooms with a railing and staircase.

On the left you can see a required support post.  We mirrored this with a false post on the right, creating a nook for the flat screen tv. The cabinetry at the bottom extends into a closet on the other side of the wall and provides space for tv components and additional cube seating the family can use to pull up to the coffee table to play a game.

The result is a bright and sunny family room with access to the patio and backyard beyond.

Want a similar look?

Table Lamps by Ethan Allen