Keep them and have them styled professionally ...living with them a while won't hurt,you can always remove them later

I agree with Brandi. They are an expensive feature to put in so be sure before you tear them out.

Brandi has a good point! You don't want to take them away, because they make a good place to hide knick knacks. For a more spacious experience, you could always put plain doors in them. If you need any help with styling, I'll be happy to provide you with that. Have a look: http://www.groenekabinet.nl/ Good luck with your decision!

If they are well made, I would keep them, no question. They are beautiful, and they don't seem to dominate the room. Personally, I would paint them a softer shade of white or maybe even a color.

I am so tired of built in cabs on either side of the fireplace. So predictable, it distracts from the fireplace, and it is a testament to our unfortunate need to possess excesses of "stuff" that need to be stored somewhere.

There is something refreshing and luxurious about a fireplace surrounded by - nothing, or very little. You can see great examples in Houzz photos. If you must store stuff, try a smaller buffet that doesn't upstage the fireplace. Other options - peaceful reading nook, art... Attached are some photos from Houzz...

So... I think your instincts are on the right track!

I agree with Laurajazz. I see these built ins everywhere. We are building a new house and I eliminated the built ins. Been there, done that. One side ( the narrower side) of the fireplace will have log storage below and shelf for tv components. I welcome suggestions on how to hide componenets, btw. The other side will have a glass and tarnished brass wine table that fits into the recessed area perfectly. Big piece of art work above and a recessed light on a dimmer.

However, since yours are already there I can't argue with the idea of living with them and deciding later.

One other option would be to take down the shelves only, which could get to busy depending on what you decorate it with. With just cabinets for the storage you will be able to make your fireplace stand out more.

I agree with Laura I seldom see built-ins that are needed and then people have a need to fill each shelf with stuff that they don’t use or need just because they are there I would keep the bottom storage if you need it and take out the shelves and hang some awesome art in its place

I'm generally with those who say live with them awhile, but want to raise two issues:

(1) the cupboards come out past the fireplace. I think this really argues that they don't belong, so unless you really find the storage invaluable, I think they should probably go.

(2) do you need a TV in this room? if so, then one of the built-ins (with some shelves removed) might make that a lot easier to make happen.

If you tear them out you will have to purchase new pieces to fill the space. I agree with living with them for a while and see how you feel later.

this is suppose to be a living room, but I'm planning to use it as a family room to watch tv and the kids can play. As we are converting the existing family room to a kitchen as out faces the backyard deck.

kids playing means toy storage. keeping the bottoms would make sense.

It is always a matter of personal preference, but if you are remodeling prior to moving in, then I would remove them. I don't care for built-ins that protrude out beyond the fireplace. It appears from the photos that this is a fairly narrow room and the bookcases are stealing valuable space and making furniture arrangement difficult.

Janice, keep them! I see you have a young family, and you'll need to have a place for toys. You can use the room for two functions, play and family time, and still have it look good for entertaining.

You are right, not many people have these installed in their homes. The cabinets are an "upgrade", and were probably appealing when you compared houses on your home search. These cabinets built and installed could have a cost/value in excess of $6,000. (Compares to a small kitchen worth of cabinets.) If you do nothing else, live with them awhile . . . .

I don't see where your electrical outlets and tv cable wiring are. Locate these in the room. Hopefully there are electrical outlets in your lower cabinets. If they aren't cut through the cabinets, check with neighbors of identical houses for location help. . .

Remove shelves in area above largest cabinet and place tv on top. Drill hole through cabinet top for wires. Replace shelf above to make a nice framework.

-use lower cabinet for media components and DVD storage

-Consider facing the shelves with 3/4" by 2" wood, rounded over 1/8" to create a much richer look to the shelves. This looks more substantial, and makes the shelves stronger too.

-the one thing about the shelves that is unappealing is that all the shelf spacing is the same. This makes the style look "old". Study pics of wall shelving with irregular, but pleasing spacing. Mix the shelf spacing up a bit!

-paint back of cabinets to reflect your modern sense of style, color isn't expensive, but makes it yours. Afraid to paint the wood? Cut foam board the size of the wall space, and paint a color or cover with a cool fabric. This is fun, and you aren't married to your decor ideas. (I do navy fabric with silver stars, as a background to my Christmas Village decor.)

-opposite end of room, is that knee space or a radiator?

-embrace the cabinets-computer printer, kids games, craft storage

Beefed up shelf edges, color background ties room together.shelf items- doesn't need to be books, could be art or collections. To add bulk, books from Salvation Army covered with even newspaper or scrapbook paper look good in groups.

Janice, how deep are the cabinets inside? I had similar cabinets when my son was small. Restaurant bus trays were the best for holding toys, and were indestructible.

The tv is framed by the shelves, and cabinet shelves are beefed up. The cabinet doors gave glass so tv remotes work. There are range extenders for remotes that do make this not necessary. There are many small items on shelves. This makes things look a bit cluttered, and no where near modern or clean. The exposed wires show why locating electrical is important, and hiring an electrician might be necessary.

Removing just a couple of shelves could make the room feel more like you.

If the rest of the house has carpet, consider buying a large, bound carpet remnant in the same color for this space. Your kids need that cozy space up against the sofa for play.

sofa? Consider an L shaped sectional in the right scale, maybe with a padded storage ottoman. The ottoman could hold blankets, and help keep clutter out of sight.

Don't forget that some of the folks giving advice might be giving it from an "unlimited budget" perspective. Never be afraid to state your budget in a question. Sometimes the most creative ideas come from that direction.

Have fun, Janice. Your new home is lovely, and will be even more so!

Love your idea books!

Kathy, in Montana

dsbutler is right. if i take out the cabinets i will have more space for furniture arrangement that's one of the reason i want to remove them but i know built ins are expensive to make as well. the room is very long and narrow and i dont think i can put my small sofa sectional in it.

there is a radiator under the window and they have and old wooden custom cover for it. I'm planning to paint it white

Measure your sectional then use painters tape on the floor to try different layouts first, kids grow fast, a few feet of room won't make that big of play room difference,send them outside if they need more room

It's too bad the fireplace is so recessed in the space. I was trying to think of a way to advance the fireplace or at least give it more prominence in the space. Perhaps you could add some fancy white moulding to the face of the fireplace and put a nice hearth on the floor (like dark marble or granite.). You could paint the area above the FP in a dark color which would provide a nice background for a piece of art.
One thing that really drives me nuts are shelves with just a huge selection of dust-catchers. I think books, lots of books, would really warm things up and give a library feel to the room. You can get used books from rummage sales and charity auctions at very reasonable prices. You can always fill in spaces with framed pictures and other lovely items. But that's a lot of space to fill with knick knacks.

I agree with the comments to keep the built-in cabinets. I think they are a nice feature in a home and, if accessorized in the right way, enhance the look of the home.

I don't have them in my home but wish I did.

Tread lightly on removing them. You might find that you need something from them(cabinet, shelf), later on, but for now, I'd remove them.

I would keep them. If there are too many open shelves, add some doors and they will look less cluttered. Enjoy!

We have a large built in and I like the way it looks, but we don't really use it for storage.

Maybe just keep storage/shelves at window and left side of fireplace. Removing cabinets on right side of fireplace will make room larger and still provide good storage. If your looking for a more contemporary look you need to remove cabinets and get new ones, refacing is not cost effective.

Have you seen this picture yet? As soon as I saw it I thought of your question.

Real life is messy... I bet we all rush around and clean up before taking pictures of our rooms or having guests over! Minimalism and curated shelves are for that brief period in life before and after kids and grandkids. Make it easy for your family and keep the storage space.

Despite the use of IPads and other tablets, I have books, lots of them I use for reference for my antiques, paintings and decorating. I would give anything to have bookshelves in a house and if you have kids, don't they read? The cabinets to the right of the fireplace look strange like it is missing a middle brace. You could remove the shelves and put a large TV in there and live with it for a while. Much to the nay sayers, a library feel is still very in and in all the houses i've lived in the place where all the guests congregate. People don't like sterile rooms that make them feel like they are living in a hotel - but it is a matter of personal preference.

And the storage underneath is a great place to store board games, throws for the couch and video gaming equipment. Also if you have components for your television, they can be managed out of eyesight.

People pay tons of money for built-ins…I wouldn't tear them out, just change or modify them to your liking. When painted the same as the wall color they blend in and don't make the space look smaller. Or, maybe omit the ones flanking the window or fireplace while keeping the others.