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Design Dilemma: The Beauty of Built-ins

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Nothing beats built-in furniture for helping a space to feel sleek and uncluttered. The best thing about built-ins: when it comes time to move, you don’t have to worry about getting cumbersome furniture through the doors!  When we think of built-ins, we think of living light as a feather. We also picture well-integrated spaces that are highly functional, since many built-in pieces serve a multi-functional role.

Lately, we’ve run across some particularly striking examples of how built-in furniture can beautify and simplify a home.

1) Built-in bookshelf. Above, this home features a built-in low bookcase that is particularly brilliant because it serves a double purpose. Not only does it hold books but it neatly functions as a room divider. And because it’s a low bookshelf, it delineates space while allowing the room to feel open and loft-like.

2) Built-in bed. If you’ve ever lamented that your bed takes up too much space in your tight bedroom, we’ve found a neat solution below. A built-in bed features not only a comfy single bed, but a built-in closet and dresser as well. It’s utterly simple and utterly functional, and it eliminates the need for almost any furniture at all.

3) Built-in couch. Finding a comfy couch that fits through the front door is one of the challenges of life. An easy way to eliminate that problem: build-in that couch!  Below, a built-in couch takes up zero floor space, but draw up a chair (or maybe a swing!) and you’ve got a cozy conversation area.

4) Built-in dining. Looking for a sleek way to eliminate chairs? Below, a dining hutch is both airy and cozy at one and the same time.  The large picture window keeps the hutch from feeling claustrophic, the way some dining hutches can feel.

5) Built-in Desk. Looking to get your office space organized? Here’s a way to keep everything open and clean. A built-in desk allows for internet surfing, writing and reading. Shelves, above, supply a place for books and files. You can opt for one of two versions. The first has built-in drawers and cabinets. The second opts to keep everything open and spare.

Images: New York Times, Remodelista.com, camillestyles.com, Apartmenttherapy.com, peterpawlak.com