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!