Like a bespoke suit tailored to flatter your body, custom-made built-ins can enhance the appearance of a home — elevating the design, offering creative solutions to everyday problems and disguising unsightly features like exposed pipes or air ducts. “If you do it right, the built-in becomes a hybrid of a work of art and a hardworking machine that should last a long time and be a sound investment,” said Robert Garneau, an architect in Brooklyn who has designed a range of imaginative built-ins, from storage concealed behind a kitchen backsplash to a guest room that folds out of a wall. “Investing in functionality will never go out of style — it should always work for you.”With that in mind, we asked Mr. Garneau and other designers for advice on how to think creatively about built-ins. Think About Your Daily Routine“Built-in storage should address your unique requirements and respond to your daily rituals,” Mr. Garneau said. “Think about how you move through and use various spaces, your daily actions, and what spatial modifications could increase functionality and joy of use.”

Source: New York Times January 22, 2019 10:00 UTC