by Fan Winston - April 21, 2021

Trend Alert: Wooden Storage Crates in Modern Milieus

Jasper Morrison Crate by Nicola Tree

I happen to like repurposing wooden crates as storage shelves or bins to be used in the home, but not everyone enjoys a rustic vibe. I get that. These nine examples, below, though, show that crates can look just as appropriate in more modern environments. In fact, the charms of the humble wooden crate, whether vintage or new, may be even more apparent when it’s set in streamlined and minimalist spaces. Take a look.

Alfredo Antuna Ovideo Spain Kitchen Crates — Above: A series of plywood boxes, drawers, and crates placed under the kitchen counter add to the deconstructed look of this kitchen by architect Alfredo Antuña.

Box Hotel Hakone Lounge Area — Above: In the lounge area of the Box Hotel in Hakone, Japan, a pyramid-like configuration of new crates was used to display Japanese wares and bags of Arabica Kyoto coffee. See Box Hotel in Hakone, Japan: A New Boutique Lodge with Views of Lake Ashi.

The Webb Street Company, a housewares store in Cornwall, England, exemplifies the warm modernism aesthetic. Here, the patina of the vintage apple crates turned shelves pops against the all-white walls. See The Webb Street Company in Cornwall. — Above: The Webb Street Company, a housewares store in Cornwall, England, exemplifies the warm modernism aesthetic. Here, the patina of the vintage apple crates turned shelves pops against the all-white walls. See The Webb Street Company in Cornwall.

Jasper Morrison Crate by Nicola Tree — Above: If there were such a thing as a crate hierarchy, this one, by Jasper Morrison, would be positioned at the top. The product and furniture designer based The Crate on the wine crate he used as a bedside table. (His retails for £150.) Pictured is The Crate in situ in “A Place Called Home,” a 2014 Landmark Project by the London Design Festival in Trafalgar Square. Photograph by Nicola Tree.

Tokki Restaurant in France LSL Architects — Above: For Tokki, a Japanese restaurant in Paris, LSL Architects bought apple crates from an apple delivery company in Orléans, France, for €15 each, then designed the wall-mounted crate shelving to fit perfectly in the space above the sink. See Scandi Meets Shaker in a Parisian Japanese Restaurant by LSL Architects. Photograph by Katrin Vierkant, courtesy of LSL Architects.

Photograph by Marcus Linderoth courtesy of Forstberg Ling. — Above: On the side wall of Maria Förstberg’s plywood kitchen in Sweden, shelves stocked with Ikea Knagglig crates form an orderly open pantry. See A Cost-Conscious House in Sweden That’s a Pinterest Sensation. Photograph by Markus Linderoth, courtesy of Förstberg Ling.

Ad hoc bar shelves at Mas Maroc, Amanda Pays Corbin Bernsen farmhouse in the South of France. Tim Beddow photo from Open House. — Above: A simple plaster shelf at Mas Maroc, Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen’s farmhouse in the South of France, serves as the dining room sideboard. Red wine is stored in vintage wooden crates that sit directly on the floor. See A Family House in the South of France, Hollywood Edition. Photograph by Tim Beddow from Open House by Amanda Pays and Corbin Bernsen, by permission of Gibbs Smith.

Clarisse Prudent family table in a converted barn in Burgundy. Photograph via The Socialite Family. — Above: Clarisse Prudent, an interior designer and flea market regular, created display shelves out of stacked vegetable crates for the kitchen of her home in Burgundy. The wood crates play off the hardness of the concrete floors. Photograph by Constance Gennari, courtesy of The Socialite Family. See The Socialite Family Book: Lifestyles of the Young and Chic, French Edition.

Tiny plywood-lined beach house in Seasalter, England, Marcia Mihotich and Durrell Bishop. Photo via The Modern House. — Above: A reminder that crates aren’t just of the two-handled variety. A packing crate (found on the street) serves as the perfect coffee table in the tiny plywood-lined beach house of Marcia Mihotich and Durrell Bishop. See Two London Creatives Shore Up a Tiny Beach House, Ikea Hack Kitchen Included. Photograph by Marcia Mihotich and via The Modern House.

N.B.: This post is an update; it was first published March 2, 2018.

You can find more ideas on what to do with storage crates here:

You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks.

Add to Collection

No more results!

Haven't found what you are looking for? Try seaching!

My Account