According to Malia Yee, senior designer for Graham Builders of Honolulu, sufficient storage space is a coveted amenity on most homeowners’ wish lists.
“Most of our clients include improvement of their current storage situations as a major goal of a remodel or new build,” she says.
Whether constructing more storage, improving the efficiency of an existing space, or finding new and inventive storage locations, Yee and her team at Graham Builders enjoy helping homeowners unclutter their homes.
A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING, AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE
Over the years, Graham Builders has designed and built countless storage solutions for its clients. The team has created storage for surfboard, paddleboard and kayak storage for island homeowners. They’ve customized workshops and studios to hold the tools and materials of the artists who work in them. And, they’ve created kitchen with storage space that would make any home chef turn bright green with envy.
“A place for everything can prevent clutter on countertops and in other areas, which tend to collect stuff and make it less convenient to clean,” says Yee.
Accordingly, many clients ask for walk-in pantries, generous linen storage, and a designated place for brooms, mops and vacuums.
FINDING OPPORTUNITIES ON THE FLY
Even during the construction phase of each project, the Graham Builders team finds opportunities to create useful new spaces for families to store stuff.
“We didn’t think about incorporating storage space into ‘dead areas’ during the design phase, so it was a nice surprise during a walk- through when our foreman, Mike, showed us all of the added storage space that he had his crew install,” comments homeowner and Graham Builders client Bruce Miyoda.
Miyoda, whose completed home was featured on the Malama Manoa Historic Home Walk in 2019, was grateful to Mike and his team for their creativity and foresight.
“He knew that these things would be important to a homeowner, like taking space that may not have been considered on paper and providing access to areas in the house to better utilize storage space,” says Miyoda.
“I’m sure the experience working on a lot of custom homes, and knowing what owners need (and have later asked for), played a big part in the decision to make this a part of the finished build,” he adds. “These are sizable areas we wouldn’t have thought to utilize, but we very much appreciate the forethought and the convenience they provide.”
For more than three decades, Graham Builders has been designing homes with creative, efficient, space-saving storage solutions for Hawaii’s busy, active families. Founded in 1990, the Honolulu design-build firm remains the only contractor in Hawaii honored by the Better Business Bureau’s Torch Award for Business Ethics.