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Architectural Details: Beautiful Built-Ins
Integrated Seating and Storage Creates Artful, Multifunctional Design
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com
Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City.... More »
When building a new house or renovating an old one, an important consideration that may enter the picture, if the budget allows, is built-in furniture. Designed by the architect of the house itself or somebody else, these pieces can help create a more cohesive environment, a la the Arts and Crafts style and architects like Frank Lloyd Wright.
Built-ins can be found in many parts of the house, from custom bathtubs and kitchen cabinets to beds and dining tables. The following examples focus on living and family rooms, and they predominantly feature seating and storage. They show how built-in furniture can be integrated with the architecture, sometimes in seamless ways.
Built-ins can be found in many parts of the house, from custom bathtubs and kitchen cabinets to beds and dining tables. The following examples focus on living and family rooms, and they predominantly feature seating and storage. They show how built-in furniture can be integrated with the architecture, sometimes in seamless ways.
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| This corner of a living room in residence designed by Steven Ehrlich follows the corner window that helps define the space. A bench with side table takes advantage of the natural light spilling inside, and the bench cushions align with the base of the fireplace. The latter is fairly common, as later photos in this ideabook attest. |
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| Another room in the residence designed by Ehrlich features built-in shelves cut into a wall below a clerestory window. Below is a built-in bench and additional storage behind wood doors. The level of care is consistent with the previous photo, but note that the character of the space is quite different, owing to the wall color and the way the built-ins are detailed. |
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by SB Architects
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| Another built-in seating area can be found in this indoor-outdoor space dominated by a large half-globe pendant. The L-shaped bench with yellow cushions is aligned with a very unique fireplace. Just don't mistake the latter for a place to sit! |
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by Elliott Kaufman
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| This pew-like (with angled back) bench seating extends for the whole length of an open living room, extending from the windows to... |
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by Elliott Kaufman
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| ...a fireplace adjacent to the kitchen. The fireplace is a transition between the stone bench and the kitchen's wood cabinets. As impressive as the kitchen cabinets are in their own right, the integrated bench and fireplace help tie the large loft-like space together. |
| Built-in shelves cover one wall of this family room from floor to ceiling. This vertical distance is divided into five sections, the top one of which is devoted to clerestory windows. While the owners don't appear to use these top shelves for display purposes, they could be a home for sculptures and other objects that would look good silhouetted against the light. |
| Again built-in shelves define one side of a living space where clerestories can be found, but these are split by a fireplace covered in gray tiles. |
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| In this example floor-to-ceiling storage also defines one side of a space, but it also acts as a divider. This modern and minimal space is enlivened by the objects that the owners place on these shelves. |
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| This built-in storage is well articulated: wood boxes, some with intermediate shelves, are suspended from black steel supports. In the background they act as a divider between the living room and stair, and the right foreground they continue towards the kitchen. |
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| This low built-in bookcase looks straightforward at first glance, but it is quite clever. It actually forms one side of a well that brings light from the skylight to the floor below. The other side of the light well is defined by the gray wall, which is also one side of the stair (note the handrail protruding slightly beyond the gray wall). |
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| These last few examples illustrate an apparent trend of integrating seating and/or storage with fireplaces. Here the gray stone base of the fireplace can also act as a bench in front of the built-in shelves. Note how the shelves continue to the left, framing window and door openings. |
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This fireplace features white ceramic tiles that blend into the ceiling, but a dark base that aligns with a wood bench next to it. Wood drawers at the floor take advantage of the space under the bench and fireplace base.
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by Elliott Kaufman
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| This last photo shows a built-in around a fireplace accommodating storage for firewood and seating for looking out the windows. It also shows how the detailing can respond to the architecture: the wood paneling aligns with the top of the window at left; the wood wraps the corner just like the same window, and a cutout in the corner at right allows for a small window opening adjacent to the seating.
Next: More inspiring architectural details |
Comments
monicageistwhite These are fabulous! I love them all. Great ideas for a fireplace we're working on.
23 months ago · Like
lanyalapunta Shades of the latter fifties into the early sixties. Simply incredible how these could have easily have fit into any house/home magazine of that eral
23 months ago · Like
jane brody Am I the only person who thinks that seating should be comfortable?
23 months ago · Like
interiors by loraine Always thought Frank Lloyd Wright was wrong about using banquet seating, it's never comfortable! But the bookcases are fabulous.
23 months ago · Like
Danenberg Design Since my taste runs toward the contemporary - especially with an asian touch - I love all of these spaces. They are just gorgeous. I am attaching some photos of a very unusual built in done for a client in Northern CA. It is a completely custom stainless steel eat-in booth with fabric and leather upholstery. The glass table slides in or out on a beam to allow for the seating of different numbers of people. 
23 months ago · Like
kbanewhouse Great ideas. We are building a house where the kitchen will be separated from the family room with a shallow half-wall and column. There will be built-in cabinets/shelves in the family room along the same wall as the majority of kitchen cabinets. Any suggestions for the family room built-ins? Do you suggest keeping the family room built-ins in the same color as the kitchen cabs (white)? Same color as the island and hutch (black)? Some other color (chestnut wood floors)? Any other ideas for coordinating this look?
23 months ago · Like
cleighpal would like to see some slightly more traditional/classic looks
23 months ago · Like
luckykats None of these houses/rooms look very inviting. You may have lots of seating, but if it's not comfortable, what's the point?
23 months ago · Like
masionadict Love the modern aesthetic - nice to see something different. You have amazing taste.
23 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on June 27, 2011.
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