1/ Sunny Wardrobe
For a newlywed couple in Annapolis, ample closets solved a myriad of storage issues, especially for the wife. “She loves to color-coordinate her glasses with her outfits, so having a place where she could easily see her eyewear collection was a must,” relays interior designer Katalin Farnady of Farnady Interiors, who worked on the project with architect Peter Miles of The Drawing Board. A large, central island contains space for spectacles and jewelry, while pull-down bars for hanging clothes make the most of the 10-foot ceilings. The dressing room’s cheery hue coordinates with the adjacent primary bath and Winfield Thybony wallpaper on the ceiling provides the perfect complement to his closet, which is gray.

2/ Pet-perfect Mudroom
Empty nesters with a blended family in Easton, Maryland, needed a mudroom that would stand up to the wear and tear of dogs and company. “The clients travel through this room each time they enter or leave their home, so we aimed to make it a calming, but durable space,” says designer Laura Butler of Butler Interior Design, who worked on the new build with Focus Construction. Arto brick veneer flooring, laid in a herringbone pattern, provides a base for cabinetry with dark granite counters and breathable lattice on the cubby doors. Built-in niches house dog beds and brass mesh gates contain pups to the utility area. All in all, it’s a high-functioning spot for foot traffic from people and little paws alike.

3/ Moody Mod Pantry
Rill Architects had renovated this midcentury modern home in Chevy Chase, Maryland, prior to tackling the kitchen and pantry, so the clients had time to think about their non-negotiables. Desiring an entertaining-ready kitchen meant needing a place to keep everything out of sight. Behind the walk-in pantry’s pocket door, custom maple cabinetry, painted Farrow & Ball’s Salon Drab, hides everything from dry goods to blenders and crockpots. Honed Reliance Bellini Quartz countertops lit by under-cabinet lights offer extra prep space. “There are almost as many functional needs for the pantry as there are for the kitchen,” says architect Jim Rill. “Then of course, you want to make it pretty, too.”

4/ Power Study
A young family of six in Arlington needed to pack a ton of function into this flex space, which is used for homework, casual dining and arts-and-crafts. Designer Suzanne Carlough of Carlough & Co. “incorporated hidden storage as well as a desk for working from home.” A wall of built-ins conceals lower drawers for files and stationery, while upper cabinets with brass wire-mesh doors hold art supplies and board games. Up top, open display shelves show off pottery and decorative objets. The cabinetry and trim are painted a soft sage green, and the walls sport a windowpane grasscloth from Schumacher that lends the space a timeless, tailored look.

5/ A Serving of Whimsy
Interior designer Lauren Hurlbrink had a blast designing this small but mighty butler’s pantry for a couple with four pre-teen kids in Owings Mills, Maryland. Open shelving holds labeled baskets that corral snacks and other staples, while the microwave and coffee machine are discretely tucked away. “As a designer, I love having stuff like small appliances out of sight,” she shares. A colorful bird-print Caitlin Wilson wallpaper and cabinetry painted Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue convey a joyful vibe. Says Hurlbrink, “It used to be that the powder room was the place we had fun designing, but these days the pantry has become the new powder room.”