Well, Isn’t That Clever… Storage!

While touring the design shows with BlogTour Milan, I was introduced to Clever Storage US by Kesseböhmer.  Clever Storage designs and manufactures high-end, innovative organization and storage pieces for the entire home.  As it turned out, Clever Storage wasn’t new to me at all.  I was actually quite familiar with their products but didn’t realize it because they’d been wearing a disguise…

A few years ago, in collaboration with Venegas and Company, I designed a small but extremely functional and beautiful kitchen in Boston. When I was  at the Boston Design Center selecting the cabinets at the Venegas and Company Showroom, I was introduced to the most amazing “inner workings” of a cabinet that I had ever seen! These innovations were far beyond sliding drawers and sectioned areas for cookie sheets. These were actual swing out trays that fit into corner areas of the cabinets that in the past were virtual dead spaces.

Clever Storage at the Venegas and Company showroom

Donna Venegas, Principal at Venagas and Company, then went on to tell me about how a German company  had created this line of precise interior inserts for cabinets that were changing the way we would work in our kitchens!  You may have already guessed, but it turns out that these inserts were made by none other than Clever Storage (under a “house” label ~ a clever disguise to be sure!).

Needless to say, my client was thrilled with our choices, the installation was a huge success, and we all lived happily ever after.

Back Bay, Boston condo kitchen by Pamela Copeman

Cabinets with fully functional, accessible storage!

The right storage and design help make use of every inch in this small space

Fast forward to BlogTourMilan and we were visiting this showroom in Venice, learning about a product called Clever Storage US. Again, the products were hiding behind very slick, fashionable lacquered cabinet doors.  In disguise. My friend and fellow BlogTour Milan blogger,  Eric was demonstrating all of the elements of the products and I started to get a strong sense of déja vu…

As soon as I returned home, I did some research and discovered that I had indeed used  Clever Storage pieces in the Back Bay project.  Clever Storage, you can drop the disguise because you have been discovered!

Clever Storage by Kessenböehmer is a German company so you know their products are expertly engineered. The company “strives to achieve the perfect balance between form and function. After 50 years you can rest assure, they’ve figured it out. Clever Storage considers convenience for today’s multi-use kitchens as much as it considers capacity.”  I found this to be oh-so true as I saw the range of Clever Storage products in person, both in Boston and Italy!

I photographed  these Clever Storage beauties at the Venegas and Company Showroom at the Boston Design Center just last week.  To think I went all the way to Venice to discover something that was right here is my own town!  Of course I would go back anytime!!  Love you BlogTour!

Looks like an ordinary kitchen cabinet, but it has a secret…

Gorgeous lighting and chrome details…

So functional and look at all that space!

Clever Storage  products have so many applications and be used in a variety of spaces to increase functionality and storage.  I can easily envision these products “hiding” in bathrooms, family rooms, offices and even commercial spaces.

Clever Storage by Kessboehmer adheres to 10 guiding principles when it comes to their products:

• optimal access
• optimal use of the space
• optimal ergonomics
• pure comfort
• high caliber design
• functionality
• easy assembly
• long lasting products
• ”soft” open and closing features
• optimal planning

Here are a few of the amazing Clever Storage products we saw at the showroom in Venice…

Tea for Two…or Three, anyone?

Look at this amazing “shuttered” cabinet.  It magically opens from underneath with the touch of a panel ~ and it closes in the same way.

While at the Kesseböehmer showroom we were treated to a delicious and visually beautiful dinner.  They even had the chefs preparing our meal at the cooking island behind us.  One of the more spectacular and functional inventions of Clever Storage is a lift mechanism for islands. Using a remote control, our host started raising the cooking island as the chefs were working.  It took a few seconds before it registered that their hands were coming closer to their faces ~ the chefs didn’t quite know what to make of all of this.  When they looked up and saw all of us smiling, I think they knew the joke was on them!

As BlogTour Milan toured Salone del Mobile and Eurocucina, we spotted many displays with Clever Storage. Of course we had to really be paying attention, looking beyond the stunning exterior displays and going “inside” the gorgeous cabinetry…

Loved this tiered Lazy Susan

I adore the glass edges, so easy to see everything

Look at the light ~ and all the storage.  I would love to have this in my studio, I could see all of my paints and brushes! Ahh heaven!

Doesn’t this cabinet look like it’s dressed for a Black Tie Formal? Love the high gloss finish!

Beautiful on the inside too…

So elegant and efficient!

You can see even more Clever Storage on my Salone Style Search Pinterest board.

Phew! I feel as though I could go out and design a kitchen right now with all the wonderful inspiration and Clever Storage products I saw both in Italy and in Boston.  Suffice to say, I love Clever Storage ~ take a peek at the video! 😉

Thank you again to Clever Storage by Kesseböehmer and all the BlogTour Milan sponsors!

xo,

Pamela

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