Wood Box Storage Wall Keeps Micro Apartment Organized

A series of pine storage boxes takes up an entire wall of a cramped apartment in São Paulo, offering compact organization all in one small area. Brazilian architect Alan Chu confined the entertainment system and media storage with the kitchen and pantry in crate-like boxes, which helps make the rest of the home feel more open and spacious.

A limited color palette of pale neutrals, white, black and red gives the space a visual harmony. Open the cabinet doors, and you’ll find that the red of the rug and the classic Smeg refrigerator is continued inside.

Keeping all of this storage on a single wall eliminates the need to scatter cabinets and drawer systems throughout the apartment, allowing room for the pull-out sofa bed downstairs and that dramatic black spiral staircase.

The 387-square-foot (36 square meters) apartment also benefits from its double-height, opening a portion of the first floor vertically, with a sleeping loft extending over the rest of the space. The spiral stairs lead from the first level to another pine box, which opens onto a glass-edged balcony.