My Built-In Storage Solves the Problem of Ugly Under-the-Bed Containers

Our executive creative director’s pretty solution helps her rest easy.
Julie Vadnal Avatar

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As most New Yorkers know, living in Manhattan is all about trade-offs. For instance, my family and I love our outdoor terrace, where I grow carrots, pears, Armenian cucumbers, and tons of tomatoes. But our closet space? It barely fits a green bean. We have a dresser in our room, sure, but my storage secret is that we’ve always relied on a bed with drawers underneath.

The thing is, a lot of beds with built-in storage are perfectly utilitarian but not exactly stylish. (Trust me, we owned a just-fine IKEA one for years.) Two years ago we upgraded to Pottery Barn’s Upholstered Storage Bed, the just-right blend of practical (it has four drawers that my husband and I split evenly) and pretty, especially considering its neutral, goes-with-anything flax fabric.

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Photography by Belle Morizio

We customized it with a DIY headboard, but really, it’s what I keep inside of it that shows off my personality. In one drawer I store all of my favorite sweaters so they’re handy when the weather gets chilly. And in the other is a random assortment of things that make me happy: gifts to give to friends (you never know when you need a kid birthday gift), calligraphy supplies, and stationery. I don’t have a desk, so where else am I going to put them?

But what I love the most about our bed is that it’s a one-and-done piece. Sure, I guess you could just have a bunch of slim plastic storage units under your bed, but then every time you need what’s in them, you have to pull them out, open the container—it’s just a lot. And then you would have to get a bed skirt, because I don’t love the way a bunch of plastic containers look under a bed. This is just one perfect piece. And when we move in a few weeks to a bigger apartment with more storage space (!), we’re still going to take our beloved bed with us.

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Julie Vadnal Avatar

Julie Vadnal

Deputy Editor

Julie Vadnal is deputy editor of Domino. She edits and writes stories about shopping for new and vintage furniture, covers new products (and the tastemakers who love them), and tours the homes of cool creatives. She lives in Brooklyn.

Belle Morizio Avatar

Belle Morizio

Staff Photographer & Assoc. Photo Editor

Belle is the in-house photographer and associate photo editor for Domino, capturing everything from home tours to gift guides, plus the occasional how-to project. She joined the photo team as an intern in 2018 and was brought on full time in January 2021.

Julia Stevens

Contributing Editor

Julia Stevens is a Domino contributing editor. Basically, she’s a professional online shopper. She started at Domino as an intern and spent almost seven years in the style department curating products for our gift guides, trend roundups, and product reviews and on set styling the beautiful homes we get to share. Off hours, you can find her scouting New York’s newest design shops and restyling her shelves

Kate Berry Avatar

Kate Berry

Chief Creative Officer

Kate Berry is editor at large at Domino. Previously, she was the chief creative officer, guiding the brand’s visuals, design, and experiential offerings. Finding and capturing inspiring spaces and building Domino into a must-visit digital destination has taken her all across the United States, but her home base is New York City, where she lives with her husband, Ian; their daughter, Quinn; and the beloved family cat, Charlie.