I don’t know if either of you do woodworking or have access to equipment and tools, but I solved a lot of my storage problems by building my own shelving and storage. It’s not that hard, and it’s a nice project for a couple to work on. I wish I had a picture to show you what I did, but imagine this:

A 10×10 room. On one wall, the one with the window, there are two 36″ wide bookshelves on either side of the window made from sturdy 3/4″ plywood with moulding on the front to cover the edges. They rest on boxes made from the same 3/4″ plywood, except there are drawers built into them for storage. The base is 12″ high, and the bookcases are 84″ high. On top of the bookshelves, stretching the entire length of the 10 foot wall, is one long rectangular “cube” for putting more books, and various curios. The entire thing juts out 15″ from the wall, and leaves an opening 4 feet by 8 feet high.

Built to the level of the window is a “desk” made of two 3/4″ birch hardwood pressed together and glued together to form a 1.5″ thick surface. Drawers are built into the bottom of that “desk”, allowing for a chair to be slid underneath it. Recessed lighting is built into the top of the “cube” on top, pointing down at the desk. A task light is attached to the side of the bookcase, shining on the desk. A strip of chain lights lines the top surface of the “cube”, illuminating the ceiling above it with indirect light. Halogen spot beams for accent lighting are built into the shelf surfaces.

This is how I managed to make 100% use of a wall space, including a window — and with mouldings covering the exposed edges, this setup looks like it is built into the apartment.

BTW, on another wall, I built a murphy bed into an armoire, allowing this room to be used as a multifunction office when you don’t have a guest, and a guest room when you have one. Oh, also, I built a railing into the top of the shelving with pull-out curtains so when you have a guest, you can pull the curtains up to “soften” the room with fabric and to hide all the “unsightly” books and office gear. The walls in the room were painted an avocado green, with mahogany stain on all the wood.

Like I said, if you have access to a saw or someplace that can cut for you, this is a great project for a couple to work on together. It’s a lot easier than it sounds.

If you want a sketch and a basic plan, let me know. Or describe your space on this blog and I’ll see what I can do to help you.