What Are Built-Ins?

Design Notes

Storage is an essential part of any home design. We need it to keep things safe, within easy reach, and neatly tucked away from view. Built-ins are a great way to obtain the extra storage you want while enhancing the living space in your home and adding character to the room. They can be decorative, functional, and stylish all at once, and are perfect for multiple areas in the home. Let’s talk about what they are and the many benefits they can bring to your family.

What Are Built-Ins?

Built-ins are a reflection of their name since they are built directly into the interior of the home. Of course, the most common are bookshelves, open shelving in living rooms and kitchens, as well as pantries. They can vary in size and width, but their purpose remains the same: functionality.

The Benefits Of Built-Ins

There are endless benefits to including these wonderful storage options in your home, and they fulfill a wide variety of roles. Custom-built-ins can take these benefits to a whole new level since they will be made according to your family’s needs. A few of the benefits include:

Added value
Beauty
Function
Maximize space
Security

Adding built-ins to an area in the home can increase the value since it provides potential owners with extra storage space that is integrated into the design of the room, rather than relying on a movable shelf. It can also maximize the space by turning an area into something better, such as a wall, under the stairs, and even around the fireplace. This means you can get the most out of every square foot and even some you didn’t know you had before. It also brings beauty and function to the room since built-ins are custom-made and can reflect what is important to you. Items can easily be stored in the area of the home where they will be used, such as cleaning supplies in the laundry room and board games in the family room. One additional benefit is that they are securely fastened to the wall, eliminating any hazard of falling or tumbling onto young children. Learn a few more pros of adding built-ins to your home here.

Entertainment center with floating shelves

Where Can You Use Built-Ins?

When you think of built-ins, your mind may automatically go to a mudroom or living room wall, but that is only the beginning of their locations. Built-ins can be used in just about every area of the home, and some you may not have even considered, such as:

Home office
Pantries
Mudrooms
Wine rooms
Living rooms
Bedrooms
Closets
Laundry room

Built-ins provide an elegant way for you to store items and display the things that matter most to you in a charming way. For those who work from home, built-ins give you a place to store books and materials you need ready access to, plus any supplies or tools needed for your job. Pantries are also a perfect way to utilize these custom pieces because they allow you to keep things separate according to need, such as baking and cooking items, and can even be used for storing larger items like crock pots. Mudrooms and laundry rooms also benefit from built-ins since everyday things like shoes, backpacks, cleaning supplies, detergents, and even sports gear can be neatly stowed away here out of the way but easy enough for the kids to access when in need. Wine rooms are another area in the home that enjoys the benefits built-ins offer. It makes it easy to store your wines and keep them in the order you need. For those who enjoy creating a little private sanctuary in their bedroom, built-ins are great for that, too. Storing books and even handheld electronic devices was never easier or neater. Built-ins benefit the home no matter how you look at them and make staying organized much easier.

living room and kitchen with a large entertainment center

Design Tips For Built-Ins

While they add function to the space and are a practical option, there are still a few things to consider when preparing to design built-ins for your room, such as:

Contrast
Purpose
Varying depths and heights
Closed doors

It’s important to factor in their intended use in a room since each has different purposes. If it is for a hidden pantry, you may want to add varying depths and heights to accommodate a variety of items, such as mixers, dishes, and cooking oil bottles. Contrast is another key element for built-ins in living rooms and entryway mudrooms. If you are doing white built-ins, think about painting the wall a dark color like navy blue or black; the result will be stunning. Pairing natural or stained wood with a lighter color is also another great option. Wallpaper has also been used on several occasions by interior designers.

Another thing to consider when designing built-ins is whether you want to keep some things hidden by adding doors. Built-ins make it easy to showcase the things we love, like antique objects and books, but there are times when we don’t want everyone to see everything. Doors make it easy to put things away, plus keep the room looking beautiful. Your designer will have experience in creating a built-in that is customized to your exact needs, so don’t be afraid to share your purpose for the room or ask questions.

Are You Ready?

Our team has designed countless projects for our clients involving built-ins for multiple areas in the home. Our goal is to always give them what they need, a cabinet that will serve a specific purpose, one that is exclusively for them. We know that form and function go together in a home, and one can exist without the other. With over 1500 projects completed in over 16 counties covering two states, we can safely say we have what you need to get the job done. Are you ready to enhance your home and make your daily routines easier through customized design? Give us a call or contact us via email to get started.

byStacey Walker/onSeptember 21, 2019/updatedJanuary 28, 2026/inDesign Notes

Walker Woodworking

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Secret cabinet door entryway into a pantry

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