When renovating your kitchen, don’t forget about built-ins. Built-ins are an amazing way to add style to your kitchen, and they can be customized to fit your specific needs and design aesthetic. Whether you’re looking to add more storage space, create a functional workspace, or simply enhance the aesthetic of your kitchen, built-ins are a great option to consider.
When built-ins come up, people often think about base cabinets and upper cabinets. But, built-ins include so much more than cabinetry! We’ve rounded up eight examples of unique kitchen built-ins we’ve completed that could be beautiful and functional additions to your kitchen.
1. Built-In Kitchen Cabinet Benches with Storage
Cabinets are an essential component of any kitchen, providing storage and organization for dishes, cookware, and other essentials. If your kitchen would benefit from a large area of custom cabinet boxes, why not opt for an additional benefit by including benches?
Built-in benches are an example of a custom cabinetry solution that pre-made cabinets cannot provide. They provide extra seating that may be useful at your next party or family gathering. If you want to go beyond benches, built-ins can also include larger seats, space organizers, and desks.
2. Custom Built-In Bookshelves for Cookbooks and Décor
Built-in bookshelves are another creative kitchen remodeling option. Shelves like those you see in this island especially appeal to home chefs with lots of cookbooks and avid readers who enjoy showing off their book collection to guests or having easily accessible books to read during breakfast or solo meals.
When planning where to put bookshelves, we carefully consider the workflow and traffic in your space. We understand bookshelves belong in a spot that makes sense in your daily life, not somewhere that will feel inconvenient.
3. Built-In Wine Racks and Beverage Centers
If you enjoy throwing cocktail parties or simply kicking back with a glass of wine after a long day, a built-in beverage center could be a fun option. With these, you can choose between a hidden refrigerator or shelving area and one that’s out in the open.
Similarly, beverage built-ins can be painted after installation to match the rest of the kitchen, or a different color to make them stand out. Finally, elegant hardware can complement the beverage built-in design, setting a sophisticated atmosphere for at-home happy hours.
4. Hidden Coffee Station With Pocket Cabinet Doors
Another beverage built-in option is the coffee station. This type of storage area usually uses pocket doors to conceal a coffee maker, filters, a sugar dish, coffee grinder, and more. This setup allows you to easily brew your morning cup of Joe without having the appliances and accessories that make it always either visible or out of reach. If you prefer a cup of tea, this type of station can just as easily accommodate an electric tea kettle, tea bags, and mugs.
Beverage stations like these are fairly simple, and this design simplicity can reduce material costs and construction time compared to other custom cabinetry. Templates can also be used to fit custom beverage stations into irregular wall shapes, making most of the space you have.
5. Appliance Garages and Charging Stations
Have you heard the advice to keep your smartphone out of your bedroom but struggled to follow it? Maybe a kitchen charging station would help. Charging stations can range from ample electrical outlets above countertops to hidden appliance garages with space for phones, tablets, laptops, earbuds, speakers, and more.
Even if you don’t mind bringing your phone into the bedroom at night, a charging station can still be useful. People often use their phones to access recipes while cooking or to stream music while dining. A solid charging station ensures your digital device remains charged, regardless of what you’re using it for. Charging stations are usually placed in a convenient spot, such as near light switches or a door to the garage.
6. Built-In Upper Cabinet Pantry Systems with Pull-Out Drawers
If your home doesn’t have a separate pantry room, a built-in pantry can come to your rescue. With adjustable shelving, a built-in pantry can be rearranged to fit whatever it is you need to store, whether that’s dishes, jam jars, or dry goods. Larger built-in pantries can even be fitted with pull-out drawers, maximizing the space and making your items easier to organize and find.
Using high-quality materials for custom cabinetry, including pantries, can lead to more durable and visually appealing results. A countertop that extends slightly beyond the cabinets creates a polished finish.
We begin all custom cabinetry projects with a detailed site inspection and plan. That allows us to make the most of every inch of space, while arranging your storage in a way that feels intuitive and useful.
7. Under-Cabinet Built-In Lighting and Display Shelves
Under-cabinet lighting can highlight unique glasses, dinnerware, or ceramics on display shelves, turning previously hidden storage spaces into something more akin to a museum display. The same type of lighting can also double as a nightlight during middle-of-the-night water runs or add to mood lighting when you’d rather eat by candlelight instead of under overhead lights.
8. Built-In Kitchen Islands with Base Cabinet Storage and Seating
Islands have been popular for a while, but they haven’t always contained both cabinets and seating. Contemporary island built-ins offer plenty of space to store pots and pans, as well as nosh on a casual breakfast or lunch when you don’t feel like sitting down at the dining room table.
Island cabinets are often made of wood. If the space allows for the inclusion of stock cabinets, money can be saved on this addition. Attention to detail when it comes to the baseboard, edges, and trim make the finished product look especially sharp.
9. Niche Wall Storage Solutions and Open Shelving
Sometimes, open upper shelving can turn a boring back wall into a highlight that ties the whole thing together. Similarly, unique wall storage solutions can fill in a corner or another space that would otherwise go unused, while improving the look and value of both the kitchen and the house overall.
Conclusion: Enhancing Your Kitchen with Custom Built-Ins
We’ve just scratched the surface of available built-ins that can transform your kitchen from hum-drum to your home’s focal point. There are plenty of other options available, such as floor-to-ceiling panels, dividers, toe-kick drawers, utility closets, recycling centers, and more. For many people, the kitchen is the glue that holds the family together. Custom-built-in cabinetry makes the kitchen a space everyone wants to be in.
Such spaces are what we pride ourselves on creating at Hazley Builders. We’ve installed stylish, functional custom kitchen built-ins for homeowners in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and its environs. If you’re looking to discuss your kitchen built-in project with a design expert and get professional insights, consult us at Hazley Builders. We would love to help.
