Can You Add Built-Ins to a Home?
The answer: Yes, absolutely! Built-in cabinets, shelves, and units can be designed in various ways to become a part of a room—enhancing your home’s character, function, and aesthetic appeal. In this article, we’ll review some more helpful information for homeowners who are exploring the possibility of adding built-ins to their homes—covering everything from the best locations to popular designs.
Finding the Perfect Location
Surprise! Built-ins make the perfect addition to virtually any room. If you didn’t realize this, don’t let the new knowledge overwhelm your decisions when it comes to finding a location. Odds are, you already have a room in mind for built-ins, like the:
- Living room
- Home office
- Den
- Mudroom/laundry room
- TV room (entertainment room)
Choosing a location for your built-ins in these rooms is the tricky part. Here are some ways you can navigate this decision:
Look at Your Space
Keep in mind that your new built-ins will extend into the room. So, it’s best to avoid building in a high-traffic hallway or on a wall that blocks a window or door. You’ll also need to examine the floor. Built-ins need to make direct contact with the floor to ensure stability and level. With that in mind, you should also look at where your air vents are located to avoid covering them.
Build Floor-to-Ceiling & Wall-to-Wall
Built-ins almost always extend from floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall. If this is the case for your envisioned built-ins, you need to single out a wall that can be used to fully integrate your cabinets into the room.
Get Creative
While traditionally built-ins are designed to take up an entire wall, don’t let this prevent you from getting creative with your storage options! You can take advantage of both small and large spaces with built-ins, so long as you consider function and design. Partnering with a professional can help you unleash your creativity and come up with a cabinet design that benefits your needs and space.
Popular Designs for Built-Ins
The limit to what you can do with new built-ins lies within your own imagination. However, you’ll see many additions designed with trim and crown moldings to create that seamless “built-in” look. The goal with any built-in is to create permanent cabinetry and shelving in a room to increase storage without making things look bulky. To achieve this, you’ll often see built-in cabinets extend from floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall. Some popular designs include:
- Open bookshelves with lower cabinets
- Floor-to-ceiling cabinets with doors
- Display cabinets with glass doors
- Drawers
Whatever option you choose, it’s best to invest in custom cabinetry when adding built-ins to a room. This will ensure your design fits the area and maximizes its useable space—two considerations that will help the built-in furniture look natural and fully integrated into the room.
AlliKristé’s Custom Cabinets
Ready to add some built-ins to your home? AlliKristé has the custom cabinets that you can count on! Our design professionals and cabinetry experts will work carefully with you to ensure you benefit from cabinets that offer the very best in functionality and aesthetic appeal. Reach out today to learn more about our professional services. We serve homeowners throughout Florida.