Get chummy with cubbies for storage choices galore

— Modular storage furniture made from cubes is gaining popularity in the United States. These so-called cubby systems offer open storage space that can be used any way the buyer wishes.

Manufacturers like Yube Cube, Way Basics, Crate and Barrel, CB2 and Container Store allow buyers to create their own pieces made from cubes, such as basic bookshelves, storage cabinets and even coffee tables or nightstands.

Yube Cube offers cubes that are 36 centimeters (14.17-inchs inches) per side and snap together using steel frame locks and corner clips to form a sturdy structure. Customers can put the cubes together any way they please and order optional legs to make tables or nightstands.

Sides of each Yube are made from sugar cane while the cube’s frames are made from Woodlite, a proprietary compound composed of bamboo and nontoxic, moldable plastic. Each individual Yube sells for $29.50, with legs to make nightstands or coffee tables, doors and shelves available separately. Kits for a variety of pieces also are available. The company offers an interactive customizer for building your own Yube furniture and a gallery with design suggestions at its website (yubecube.com).

Way Basics offers single, double and triple cube cabinets in a variety of wood finishes. Single, double and triple cube bookcases come in black, white, natural wood and espresso finishes; singles also are available in orange, green and blue. These cabinets can be pushed together to form a storage system or used individually.

Way Basics, like Yube Cubes, are made from recyclable materials. They are composed of zBoard, a combination of recycled papers that promises to be significantly lighter than the traditional particle board most storage units are made of. Like Yubes, they are also easy to put together with simple peel-andstick construction. But unlike Yubes, Way Basics are not precise cubes. The basic model, which costs $20, is 13.4 inches wide but only 11.3 inches deep and 12.6 inches tall. Way Basics offers a series of storage accessories that allow buyers to use their cubes as file cabinets or children’s toy storage. Visit waybasics.com.

New Zealand-based manufacturer iCube offers single, double and quadruple cube kits that can be accessorized with colorful panels, drawers, crates, doors and shelves to optimize your storage space. No tools are required to assemble iCubes. Custom finishes are available. Cubes come in plastic, corrugated card fabric or wicker, making them lightweight and easy to reconfigure. View icubeconcepts.com; available at Office Depot.

Crate and Barrel’s open Mimic Cubes feature lightweight poplar wood construction, tempered glass tops and open sides for a lighter, more airy feel than Yube Cubes or Way Basics designs. While these cubes may not be ideal for storing books or files due to those open sides, MimicCubes can be stacked and used to display photographs, knickknacks or other home decor items. A single cube can be used as a side table, while several cubes can be pulled together to form a larger coffee table. Each cube features 18-inch-square sides. They’re available in white, walnut, plum, smoke, black and lemon grass at $79.95 each at crate andbarrel.com.

But these aren’t the only cube-shaped storage systems available. One-piece cubby systems are still in vogue and cube-shaped, wall-mounted cabinets are coming into fashion. Here are a few other options if you want prefabricated, cube-shaped storage:

CB2, Crate and Barrel’s casual counterpart, offers 6-inch-per-side high-gloss white cube shelves that easily hold knickknacks for $19.95. Matching bookends are available for $24.95. Visit cb2.com.

CB2 also offers clear, acrylic Format Cubes for $24.95. You can either place your curios inside or on top of them. They can be wall-mounted or simply sit on your coffee table.

Wire shelving is increasingly popular as a utilitarian way to store books, towels, toys or clothes. CB2 offers two options in wire-cubby storage.The coop tower (named for a resemblance to a chicken coop) features five stacked cubes made from handcrafted iron and mesh for $179, while the wire nine cube wall shelf has nine cubbies ideal for sorting books, mail or toys at $89.95.

If you prefer your cubbies to be made of wood, Ikea offers the Expedit shelf system in four-, eight-, 16- or 25-hole configurations. Each system is available in white, natural wood or black. Cost for a four-cubby system is a scant $39.99, while a 25-hole version is $199. In addition to buying the cabinets, Ikea customers can also find red, white or blue felt cubes to organize items inside their cubbies for $9.99. Matching, cube-shaped particleboard drawers for files are available at $30 each.

HomeStyle, Pages 40 on 04/30/2011

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