ISS BLOG – Exploring Today’s Self-Storage Design Makes Me Rethink the Meaning of ‘Outside the Box’

There was a time when “self-storage design” and “creativity” were rarely used in the same sentence. Your average facility was typically a large a box, painted a muted color, with rows of rolling doors prominently displayed. Those times are changing rapidly and drastically.

As the business has evolved, so has the approach to project design. Today’s self-storage builders are literally thinking outside the box! The days of cloning units in a non-descript building that resembles a high school are long gone. Facilities now stand out with modern architecture in which abstract shapes, bold colors and eye-catching aesthetics are a priority.

This shift in mindset was glaringly apparent while I was recently writing captions for this year’s Inside Self-Storage facility-design gallery. The many examples I saw of innovative structures impressed me with their originality. I was also taken aback by the stark variance in overall appearance between properties. Many self-storage operators have become more daring with their architecture and are coming up with beautiful, original designs that are raising the bar on industry development. New facilities sometimes even look like a single-family home, a hotel or some other inviting commercial building.

Nowadays, it seems that self-storage buildings are all about curb appeal, steering your attention away from what’s going on inside by jazzing up the exterior. Beige often gives way to bold colors. There’s lush landscaping. Cool lighting, inside and out, spotlights the property, ensuring it catches your eye as you pass by. If you’re interested to know specifics, we recently published this article by industry architect David Meinecke, which details some of the influences behind today’s design approach. We also sell some very good videos on facility design in the Inside Self-Storage Store (like this one and this one).

This amplified focus on aesthetics makes sense when you consider how curb appeal plays such a vital role in influencing a potential customer’s first impression about your self-storage business. In fact, according to the 2023 Demand Study produced by the Self Storage Association, the two most common ways a customer finds a facility are searching online and driving by.

If they see that the property is well-maintained and pleasing to the eye, they’ll naturally assume that the same attention to detail applies to how the business operates, and they’ll be more likely to rent space there. On the other hand, if the facility looks run down and landscaping is neglected, the next assumption will be that the buildings aren’t well maintained and the operation is poorly run. This negative impression will silently drive customers to your competition, only you won’t know it.

Considering that 70% of self-storage businesses are mom-and-pop operations, investing in visual enhancements is a smart way to level the playing field with the big brands, who have become more aggressive in their marketing and pricing strategies to attract customers. If you’re seeking ways to keep your facility looking and functioning its best, check out this article on curb appeal, which provides strategies for making it attractive and efficient.

The times, they are a-changin’. The days of developing self-storage facilities that look like boxes have come and gone. Today’s buildings leverage more daring styles that emphasize good looks without sacrificing efficiency. As a new guard of operators with a modern mindset becomes more prominent in the industry, the gap between how things are done now vs. how they used to be is growing. Building design that emphasizes curb appeal is just one example. Don’t be left behind.