Case Study: Light, form and function blend to create seamless storage in a master suite.
Home & Design Sourcebook, 2012
When a corporate executive built her contemporary Kalorama home, she called on Vincent Sagart of Poliform | sagartstudio to design its spacious, private quarters. Walls of windows admitted plenty of natural light and views of surrounding Rock Creek Park, so Sagart concentrated on bringing warmth to the space through dark-stained wall paneling and colorful accessories.
“The toughest part was to integrate [the owner’s] collection of fine art and to create ways to store her garments so that they don’t look like they are in wardrobes,” he says.
Sagart created an architectural plan for the bedroom and adjoining dressing area in which floor-to-ceiling wenge wall panels in the bedroom conceal cabinets from Poliform for storing an expansive collection of handbags, and the dressing room holds clothes, shoes, jewelry, and more– all perfectly hidden when the paneled doors are closed. Niches display glass sculptures throughout. Motion-sensored LED lights in all the cabinets make finding each item easy. “It’s a truly contemporary design,” Sagart says. “Light, form and function work together and behind it is a calm, seamless organization that’s there without your knowing it.”
Trade Secrets
From Vincent Sagart
– Storage doesn’t have to look like storage. Complement storage areas with artwork photos, books– it varies the space and makes you feel good.
– There’s a need for enclosed spaces in any storage area, but consider keeping certain sections open to give the space interest and break it up visually.
– Behind the closed cabinets, make sure the shelves below waist height are extractable or use drawers so you don’t have to kneel to reach them.
– Proper lighting is important. Integrated LED lights in the shelves, installed in front of the hanging rod, will illuminate your garments effectively.
– Use reflective surfaces to make a small space look bigger– for example, a floor-to-ceiling mirror on the door will increase the sense of size in the room.
Architect: Marshall Moya Design, Washington, DC
Interior Design: Vincent Sagart, Poliform | sagartstudio, Washington, DC.
Photography: poliformdc.com
