How to Create a Functional Space Without Sacrificing Style

There are inevitable home items — storage containers, hardware, fixtures, among others — that are necessary to create a functional space. Including these practical pieces in your home helps contribute to an overall comfortable way of living. However, these unavoidable selections don’t need to be generic or eye sores. Below are room-by-room options to improve the aesthetics of these essential home features, without sacrificing style.

Kitchen

Pot Filler Faucet

Cooking family meals can become infinitely easier with the addition of a pot filler faucet. It can minimize messes in the kitchen space, reduce the strain of carrying heavy pots, lessen prep and clean-up time by adding water while you cook and soaking dirty pots, and help you better multitask. The design options for pot-filler faucets are extensive. Incorporating this functionality into your kitchen design provides a perfect visual finishing touch.

Quartz Countertops

If you recently purchased a home and don’t have the budget or time to completely overhaul the kitchen, replacing the countertops can be the upgrade your space needs. Quartz countertops are an ideal marriage of form and function, and can eliminate the overwhelming decisions of selecting a material. Quartz can appear visually similar to marble or granite, but it is more durable to resist staining and is non-porous, which can help reduce bacteria.

Cabinet Hardware

Consider cabinet hardware the jewelry of your interior space. Cabinet handles and pulls are necessary for a functional kitchen, so splurge on a style that will lend a more custom look to even stock cabinetry.

Bedroom

Underbed Baskets

Prevent your closet from overcrowding by storing out-of-season clothing and accessories in underbed storage baskets. Avoid getting stuck in the clear plastic container trap, with rattan underbed baskets that look like an intentional part of the design. If they show from under the bed, they will look like a layer of the room’s design plan.

Water Carafe

If you’re in the habit of bringing a glass of water to bed every night — and leaving it there for several days, take a more deliberate approach for your bedtime water ritual. Avoid water glasses accumulating on your nightstand by incorporating a bedside water carafe and glass as part of your bedside vignette. The sleek design will appear that it’s part of the nightstand styling.

Front or Back Door

Entry Cabinet

Without a dedicated space for hanging up coats, bags and storing shoes, they can easily get strewn across the room, or end up in a heap on the floor. Elevate the standard utilitarian coat hooks with a welcoming entryway bench and storage piece. An entry cabinet provides a functional space to corral all outdoor apparel necessities and a comfortable place to sit, while providing a design statement.

Office

Furniture Selection

Whether you work from home or simply need a location to manage household responsibilities, create an office space you look forward to retreating to, and ensure it isn’t an area you dread spending time in. Consider how you will use the space and the items that will offer the most function, and select furniture that align with your style and your home’s aesthetic. For example, if you take a paperless approach, set up a charging area on your desk to make sure your devices are always ready to use. If you prefer the paper route, invest in a file cabinet that could pass as a piece of furniture.

Laundry Room

Drying Rack

Without a dedicated storage system, laundry rooms can quickly become the catchall for clean clothes, dirty laundry, and any other household items without a specific place. A low-maintenance way to instill order in the laundry room is with a wall-mounted drying rack to discreetly store small items, and to serve as a place for clothes to dry. Once the items are dry, the racks can be folded away.