9 Clever Built-in Ideas for an Uncluttered & Organised Home

Custom built-ins can provide the ideal solution for creating closed storage, an open display area, concealing specific details and more!

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While loose furniture comes at a lower cost and can easily be changed at a whim, nothing puts your square footage to better use than built-ins.

There’s much to love about built-ins. When done right, they can provide perfectly proportioned storage, comfortable seating, elevate your home’s design and even disguising unsightly features like exposed pipes or air ducts - the possibilities here are endless! Here, we've compiled a list of 9 unique ways to incorporate them into your home to inspire your upcoming renovation project.

1. A display or storage unit beneath the stairs to utilise dead space

Don’t know what to do with that empty space beneath the stairs? There are plenty of ways you can utilise them with custom built-ins instead of leaving them empty.

Take a cue from this landed home that features built-in open shelves and closed cabinets beneath the stairs, making it the ideal spot for the homeowners to display their collection of books, decorative items, vases and other things. This clever storage solution is also a stylish way to keep the front hall looking tidy.

Explore: 6 Clever Ways to Make Full Use of the Space Under Your Stairs

2. A statement display shelf above the bedroom headboard

With custom built-ins, you can customise your bed frame to store a variety of items, starting at the top.

Take a cue from this master bedroom, where open shelves have been incorporated above the headboard to store and display photos, mementoes, or vases, among other things. The built-in display shelves serve as a focal point in the room as well.

3. Cubby holes at the foot of the bed frame to maximise the storage space.

Another smart way to personalise your bedroom with built-ins is to include a storage solution at the foot of the bed frame.

Take style cues from this teen bedroom. It includes a custom bed frame with a built-in desk and cubby holes at the foot end for displaying boxes for storing clothes, files, books, or other items. Meanwhile, the bed frame's light-toned woods help to keep the space feeling light and airy.

4. A built-in window settee with a storage unit to fully utilise space

If you have a large window, you can easily add a bench that serves as both a window seat and a built-in storage solution.

There are many storage ideas in this bedroom, but one of the niftiest has to be the cushioned window bench where the homeowner can relax while reading a good book. Meanwhile, the drawer beneath the bench can be used to store items such as blankets, pillows, and books. This keeps less frequently used items hidden from view, making the bedroom look tidy and organised.

5. A ‘hidden’ laundry area to hide bulky appliances

Built-ins are an excellent way to conceal items that you do not want people to see or to conceal items that would otherwise detract from the overall appearance of stylish living spaces.

A case in point is this laundry area designed by Nevermore Group. When not in use, the washing machine and dryer can be completely concealed behind a door that matches the matte black cabinets next to it. This way, your guests will never know what’s hidden behind the closed door!

6. A playroom with built-in platform storage to keep things organised

Keeping storage within reach with a built-in platform makes cleaning up after playtime much easier for your child. It can also be an excellent storage solution if you want to maximise playroom space without cramping it with cubbies or bulky storage cabinets.

Take a cue from this playroom, with a built-in platform and bench that double up as storage units and a play area for children.

7. A hidden study desk to keep a room seeming uncluttered

If you want to create a seamless look in a room, built-ins are a great option.

Take a cue from this room, which has a built-in storage cabinet and a working desk on one wall. When not in use, the working desk can be hidden behind a sliding door for a more streamlined appearance. This built-in desk and shelves' sleek, savvy, and space-saving design also keeps the room to a minimum while packing a punch.

8. A columned room divider to separate a large open space

In a large family area, built-ins can graciously carve out more intimate spaces and designate zones for specific activities, from dining and lounging to working and entertaining.

Take inspiration from this landed home, where the owner wanted to use a portion of their living room as a private dining area without making it look cramped. Rather than a solid wall dividing the large space, the designer installed a less imposing columned divider with a built-in aquarium to provide a separation between these two spaces. This helps to maintain the open feel of the space without sacrificing the cosiness of the separate living and dining areas.

9. A housing unit to hide your TV when not in use

As much as we enjoy watching a TV show or a movie in the evening, most of us would prefer to have our TV screen hidden, particularly if it is in the bedroom.

Take a cue from this bedroom, where the designer conceals the television screen by fitting it into a custom built housing unit. The simple, yet appealing design features also conceal cables and the internet connection, making the room appear less cluttered.

Need to transform your home with some clever built-ins?

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