In a small Queens apartment, we surmounted the impossibility of ample storage space by eliminating its thin walls, which previously subdivided the footprint into a series of unusable spaces.

By removing the typical wall structures, we recaptured that volume as storage, employing custom millwork to separate volumes. By not touching the ceiling, the architecture leaves a glazed clerestory to allow light between spaces, imparting a visual connection to spaces beyond. Each millwork unit is accessible from all sides, allowing maximum flexibility in usage; and each custom door is only connected to the millwork, not the perimeter walls, allowing for the full-height pocket doors to still be visible in the clerestory when closed. Clad with ebony veneer, the doors create a contrast with the painted white finish of the millwork, diversifying the aesthetic of the contained space.

Client: Confidential

Program: Residential, Apartment

Status: Complete

Size: 805 SF

Location: Queens, NY

Team:
Architect: KM,A (Kyle May, Robert Prochaska)

Images: KM,A