Fetching & Functional Built-Ins: Part Three

In part three of our fetching and functional built-in series, we will focus on built-ins that enhance entertainment in the home. Entertaining friends and family and the preparation that goes into their visit can be a streamlined and improved experience when elements are built-in. Check out these Visbeen Associates' designed built-ins that make throwing a party a delight instead of a chore.

Let's start by looking at built-in bars, some of the most fun built-ins for us to design.

The flow of Inverness' built-in bar and lounge into the lower level family room creates an open entertaining space where partygoers can get refreshments at the bar and still mingle.

No need for party decorations in the pub area of the Blaine. The bar and built-ins surrounding it creates a relaxing entertainment area with style - notice the unexpected element of stained glass windows into the adjacent wine cellar, allowing for ample storage of libations for all tastes.

The lower level wet bar of the South Haven is built into the otherwise unused space under the stairs, keeping floorspace clear and refreshments organized.

The dark colors and rich detailing of the Wainsborough's wet bar and wine cellar add elegance to this otherwise casual entertaining area.

The unexpected pop of color, flat panel cabinetry and open, table-like built-in bar all work together to create a contemporary feel to the classically-inspired Pemberley's wet bar.

Rustic elements combined with openness to the lower level lounge area and sports court create a true man-cave feeling for Pinehurst's built-in bar, perfect for entertaining the boys.

This modern built-in bar is tucked away in the corner of the barrel-vaulted ceiling gathering room of the Rylestone, allowing for a separated prep space and refreshment center for catered parties.

Sometimes, the grill master of a party can feel like an outcast, having to leave the guests to slave over the party fare. But these built-in grilles keep the guests and cooks together with style.

Pemberley's built-in outdoor kitchen in the screened porch creates a space where guests and host can make the most of seasonal ambience, even during the food preparation.

Traverse's outdoor built-in grill brings the guests outside to join the host in enjoying the home's expansive patio and surrounding lakefront view.

The retractable screens of the Truxton's porch create an entertaining and cooking space ready for all weather.

Located just off of the kitchen, Ingleside's built-in grille is the perfect place for the griller to set up shop and still enjoy the party, allowing them to easily go between the kitchen food preparation area and outdoor entertaining space.

Fetching & Functional Built-Ins: Part Two

On to part two of our feature on fetching and functional built-ins that make your house a working home. Today, we will focus on built-ins designed by Visbeen Associates for transitional spaces and home management/study areas. These really can be some of the most fuctional built-ins.

First things first - transitional spaces. These include hallways, stair cases and entryways; all the spaces that are easily forgotten as serving any other function than to get from point A to point B. They can become cluttered instantly without proper planning.

Blaine's upper level transitional area outside of the office is transformed into a library by adding built-in bookcases - very "My Fair Lady" with the ladder!

Don't you just want to curl up with your favorite book in Traverse's hallway nook?

The built-ins between Sunsweet Hill's living room and staircase create a great storage and display bookcase out of an otherwise unused wall.

Here is one of our favorite transitional space built-ins from the Blaine. An otherwise dull stair landing is transformed into the perfect game space with this built-in booth.

The rear entry of our beachfront design, the Arcadia, offers a classy way to store shoes, coats and beach towels with its quaint built-ins.

Inverness' front entry has this built-in bench and storage space for all the items you don't want guests to see when they first walk in the door!

Home management/study built-ins are an effective way of creating a neat and tidy space to be productive. When we design desk built-ins with a client, we ask questions of how they work and sometimes more importantly, WHERE they work, so that the built-in creates the best possible solution for their workflow.

This home management built-in from the Ingleside is just off of the back hallway so that the homeowner can manage the laundry and kitchen activities at the same time.

Give them a desk, a chair, a window and some chalkboard paint and the kids are bound to get their homework done, right?

This lovely built-in offers an organized nook with a great view for efficient home management.

Bright and cherry, this study room keeps the kids' homework stations organized and separated - no more excuses that your brother ate your homework!

Pemberley's home management center can be kept open to the hallway for ease in and out or can be closed off with the pocket door for privacy and noise management.

The library at Avonlea showcases fantastic woodworking and craftsmanship of the built-in bookcases and desk (nice work Jeff Segard, Builder!). Between the cupboard, drawer and shelf space, this homeowner is not lacking in storage!

This study room offers ample space to work and play with the built-in desks and entertainment center.

But we are not done yet! Part three of our built-in series will be up on our blog next week, so stay tuned!

Fetching & Functional Built-Ins: Part One

When designing and building a new home, one thing to consider is the inclusion of built-ins. They are architectural elements that can offer functionality, space savings and add that special something to the overall look and flow of the home. For this first feature, we are including examples of Visbeen Associates' designed built-ins for the main living spaces - kitchen/eating areas, living rooms and bedrooms.

The warmth of Ingleside's retro kitchen was achieved with built-in serving buffets and a cozy window booth.

Sunset View's curved, built-in booth is open to the kitchen and seats up to eight with shelves above for storage or display, creating a cozy space to enjoy dinner with the family.

This kitchen built-in from our Pinehurst design offers a comfortable place to enjoy a meal along with attractive storage for wine bottles and an overhead television so its meal-goers never miss a moment.

Inverness' kitchen includes a built-in for dish storage as well as a wine rack, making setting a place to eat at either the large kitchen island or the open formal dining room a breeze.

This charming built-in booth provides an intimate place to eat. The unique ceiling treatment above embodies the cottage style of this design, the Lakepointe.

Keeping formal dinnerware, serving pieces and decorations organized is easy with this built-in china cabinet in Avonlea's formal dining room.

The built-ins flanking Stafford's hearth room fireplace create functional storage space as well as a place for stylish display.

What better way to keep logs for Kearney Hill's wood burning fireplace than built-in storage in the side of the fireplace itself.

One of our signature types of built-ins - bunks! They create a charming place to rest your head while keeping the floor space of the room open for other uses.

This built-in bed takes the guest bedroom from sleeping two to sleeping three without crowding the room.

Kearny Hill's bunks are in the transitional space between the hallway and guest bedroom, allowing for privacy for bunk and bedroom occupants.

Any kid would have a hard time resisting bedtime with this fantastic built-in bed complete with flanking bookshelves to organize stuffed animals and nighttime reading materials.

Stay tuned for part two of our fetching and functional built-in feature - coming this Thursday!