Given that built-ins – or fitted furniture – are going to be fixed in place (for a long time), it’s understandable why some homeowners are hesitant about adding more carpentry to their living spaces. However, it's hard to deny their advantages.
More permanent and less messy than a stack of cardboard boxes, built-ins are useful for keeping things in their rightful place, and then some. From pull-out tables to flushed cabinetry, here are the best examples of built-ins that are must-haves for the messy, modern-day home.
1. While its clean white-and-wood palette will doubtlessly appeal to your inner minimalist, the true star of this compact condominium apartment is its multipurpose cosy corner.
Combining four fixtures into one – a suspended desk, a pull-out counter, overhead cabinetry, and recessed wine shelves – this is a built-in that is ready for work, play, and storage.
Interior Designer: Uno Interior
2. Love to read before heading off to dreamland? You’ll want to take a closer look at this bedroom then.
Here, a recessed alcove provides a convenient way to incorporate overhead cove lighting, while forming the perfect reading/sleeping nook with a pair of bookcases that wall in the bed on both sides.
Interior Designer: ELPIS Interior Design
3. Although the standard fixtures of this sleek 3-room apartment leave little to write home about, they do a good job of showing how built-ins are essential for keeping things neat.
Each room of the house features a useful piece of fitted furniture, whether in the form of a wall-to-wall shoe cabinet or a functional L-shaped wardrobe.
Interior Designer: Zenith Arc
4. Doubling up as space enhancers, both the built-in TV wall and window seats of this cheerily-decorated home aren’t just useful – they look good too.
The former adds character and warmth to the surroundings with its segmented wood layers, whereas the latter’s plush blue cushions are a welcome pop of colour.
Interior Designer: Jubilee Interior
5. Nothing says welcoming like a pleasant dining area. Well, maybe except for one that comes complete with built-in seats, shelves for wine storage, and a convenient recess that keeps the wine cooler within arm’s reach. Having stretches of warm cove lights built into the shelves doesn’t hurt either.
Interior Designer: Space Atelier
6. Saving the best for last, this HDB apartment designed by KDOT Associates certainly caught our eye (and probably yours too) with its one-of-a-kind entryway closet.
Aside from inner shelves and a space-maximising, pull-out storage unit, the structure’s design also incorporates an inconspicuous recess where a sliding privacy screen is tucked away when unused.
Interior Designer: KDOT Associates