Built-In-Spirations. Built for Today's Renovations.

Built-ins: Where function meets beauty, limited only by your imagination. They are the ultimate storage solution in today’s modern lifestyle.

Built-ins were used for centuries and, although our ancestors had fewer things, their homes were better for hiding them. Tall ceilings had little cubbies atop closet doors and, though you required a ladder, they were ideal for occasional and seasonal storage. Today, built-ins are considered premium, custom applications.

Whether for displaying or hiding stuff, at PROBUILT making storage from negative space is a terrific architectural element and a must in today’s design/built home.

A well designed and organized closet is any girl’s best friend, even when she’s only five! Millwork is built with enough room for hangers, shelves and drawers, replacing bulky armoires and dressers which take up floor space.

 

The formal dining room was made in a rich mahogany with glass doors to handsomely display and store china. However, in the family room the built-ins are a little more casual, with open storage for decorative items and books, and hidden storage to accommodate games, CDs & DVDs.

Renovation: Indoors Out & In Again

 

Traditional bookcases/shelving can give a new look in a contemporary setting. For the 2008 Dream Home at Toronto’s National Home Show, we built a large library complete with rail & ladder but, instead of housing books, it displayed home décor accents. This gives an old world charm to a modern application.

 

 

 

 

 

We did the same thing in the kitchen, using shelving instead of traditional uppers. Bold colour and modern materials can add visual interest and contemporary appeal to any kitchen.

 

 

Built-ins work well in unconventional areas like the kitchen. Appliances are housed within millwork, providing additional storage up high for seasonal/occasional kitchen accessories. They are not only out of the way, but conveniently accessible with the aid of a step ladder when needed.

 Renovation: Indoors Out & In Again

 

This custom built-in was made to look old in order to complement existing cabinetry on the opposite wall. Though new, it’s timeless!

 

 

 

 

 

And who said built-ins were limited to indoor applications? Incorporating boxes into the deck wall outside allows plants to soften the edge of this new cedar deck.

 

 

 

 

Linen closets and medicine cabinets are essential for any bathroom. But who said they had to be hidden behind hollow-core doors and mirrors? The built-in in the powder room not only hides necessary supplies, but provides visual interest. And for the guest bedroom en suite, occasional towels with graphic appeal can be displayed as part of the décor.

 

 

 

 

What are your favourite built-ins? What do you have, or wish you had, in your home?