Moving can be a major hassle. Packing up everything you own into a bunch of cardboard boxes, throwing it into a van, and starting from scratch in a completely new space really can be a serious time and energy drain. That is not to even begin to describe the high additional cost and hassle of decorating a new space from the ground up. Decorating a new living area is an enjoyable experience, as it allows you to personalize your space. If you want the best of both worlds, though, a recent design trend is easing the move-in and design experience.
Designers are now creating custom-tailored, built-in-furniture within certain residences that are perfectly fitted to suit the environment they are in. This trend helps homeowners by saving them the need to buy and move bulky and expensive furniture while also not overwhelming the space, so homeowners have the latitude to implement their own personal flourishes.
This trend is, in part, a response to the past year and a half of sheltering in place. The pandemic forced us to evaluate our living spaces in a way we never had before. Many designers have now prioritized maximizing spaces as much as possible through built-in furniture that puts convenience at the forefront. The built-in furniture is designed to open space and fit the area it is in perfectly, making the living area feel as large as possible.
This design trend is rapidly gaining popularity across the nation. Let’s take a look at some of the buildings within New York City, the center of American industry and design, that utilize built-in furniture to enhance their residents’ moving and living experience.
One Essex Crossing
On the Lower East Side of Manhattan, One Essex Crossing has sprouted up as the newest addition to the Essex Crossing development. While not a towering skyscraper, like some residences in New York City, One Essex Crossing is a stunning property described on their website as the “quintessential downtown condominium.” The development is designed around an elevated outdoor garden that brings the greenery back to a city of concrete and asphalt.
Within the building, there are many stunning residences, some complete with built-in furniture features. One of the furniture features that stands out at One Essex Crossing is the built-in dining tables that serve as custom extensions of the kitchen. These wood tables extend right out from the countertops, making for either some additional prep space or the perfect place to sit down with friends and family and enjoy a great meal. These built-in features reduce the need for purchasing a dining table while also making for an important addition to the kitchen’s cooking space.
450 Warren
450 Warren is a brand new development seeking to bring back some of the forgotten essential qualities to New York City living. This includes a closer connection to light and outdoor space and more private quarters than the typical NYC residence. 450 Warren is a smaller property with only 18-units in a boutique, architecturally appealing space. The residents of this building will have access to private and semi-private outdoor spaces that tie different parts of the building together.
Inside these residences, the design trend of built-in furniture is limited to the entranceway of the homes. This development is all about blending indoor-outdoor space, with the building designer creating an open concept journey from the lobby to residences where residents don’t have to be enclosed within four walls once. That journey ends at the apartments, where a built-in front porch and bench transition the outdoor space to the indoor one, marking an end to the journey.
11 Hoyt
Brooklyn is one of the historic centers of New York City that has undergone significant changes over the past several decades. An example of the type of change that Brooklyn has seen is 11 Hoyt, a new 57-story luxury residential tower heavily influenced by Brooklyn’s past but geared towards the future. The property’s design is intended to mimic the bay windows of Brooklyn’s iconic brownstone houses. Still, as a massive luxury development with over 55,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, this property represents the changes Brooklyn has seen.
The bay window design of the property isn’t just for aesthetic purposes; there is a utility to it as well. These windows come with built-in seating that looks over downtown Brooklyn and New York overall. These residences come with this additional seating that makes for the best possible place to curl up with a book or enjoy a cup of coffee.
