I believe in using cabinetry nearly everywhere in the home but this bed surround is a really unique application. Designed for a custom home in Florida it utilizes cabinets typically used in desk design to act as the attached nightstands. The headboard is paneled with matching decorator doors for a rich traditional look.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this design is back of the unit. It is composed of a combination of bookshelf units and wall cabinets with glass-front doors and decorative legs. Together they act as a room divider. Filled with books and collectibles, it’s a practical and beautiful way to conceal the back of the bed. The cabinets are capped with granite tops for a finished look. Because the bed is free floating in a very large windowed-filled master bedroom, the back of the unit is seen first when entering the room…so it needs to be nothing short of spectacular.
I love a creative use of cabinetry and this bed surround is positively dreamy!
Hutches are typically cabinets or shelves placed over a lower unit with a countertop. Often panels or cabinetry capture the sides for a free-standing look. However, all units shown here are built-ins, securely attached to wall just the way kitchen cabinetry is installed.
Found most often in dining rooms and kitchens, hutches offer a way to add variation in cabinet finishes, style as well as additional storage. Let’s look at several hutches that pack a lot of ideas.
The hutch above was designed for a wide hall leading into the kitchen of a home built in the late 1800s. In lieu of a tiled backsplash, matching paneling is use to give a more furniture-like look. The Afton glass inserts in the stacked wall cabinets fits nicely with the style of the home and the broad counter area is a perfect place to set up a buffet for the holidays.
This dining room hutch focuses on entertaining and wine storage. The contemporary pulls with the Espresso finish on oak cabinetry gives an up-to-date transitional look. With a thick open shelf and a place to hang wine glasses, the hutch is functional and attractive. A combination of drawers and standard base storage give a variety ways to tuck things away.
Above is a way to add an upper hutch to a kitchen. If there is adequate wall cabinet storage in the kitchen, a wall hutch can add visual interest and a place to display cookbooks and pretty serving pieces. Spice drawers conceal recipe cards and small kitchen gadgets.
Even an office can have a hutch-like area. See below. This unit with bookcases and mullion doors cabinets with a wide cove top molding. The upper unit is installed over three File Drawer Base Cabinets helps organize any home. Beaded columns finish off the sides.
Hutches can add value to nearly any room and provide a variety ways to enhance the livability of the home.
This beautiful kitchen with an Arts &Crafts feel is full of texture, warmth and character. Here are some of my favorite details:
1. Tall book shelf cabinets stacked on 18” base cabinets flank the built-in refrigerator. Open shelving in kitchens is very popular today to show off collectibles and attractive kitchenware.
2. Stained glass windows add color and enhance the Arts & Crafts look.
3. The pot rack was custom made from solid stock from Waypoint Living Spaces. Hardware and chain, purchased locally, finish the look.
4. A 3-piece top molding adds a strong horizontal line to the kitchen.
5. A full-height tiled backsplash makes for easy cleaning behind the range.
6. Rice paper glass inserts are installed in the mullion doors.
7. 5-piece drawer heads are perfect for this kitchen. They give a craftsman look to the cabinets.
8. Tapered legs add a furniture look to the cabinetry.
9. A thick, round wood countertop is installed on top of the center island giving two working heights.
10. Wall Top Hinge cabinets are installed in the island for useful flip-down storage.Square legs support the island top and the shelf below.
A kitchen is made up of lots of details and this kitchen is full of interesting features that are both beautiful and functional.
Every kitchen has its own personality. Come take a tour of this recently remodeled kitchen and let me point out some of the features along the way.
- The inspiration for this room was the kitchen of a well-know television chef. C’mon y’all, you know who I’m talkin’ about!
- The beaded board ceiling was recycled from the third floor attic where its beauty might have gone unnoticed. I am a big believer in the philosophy of reuse, re-purpose and recycle when it makes sense. And it makes perfect sense here.
- The top molding is almost 8” high but had to be modified during the installation because the ceiling wasn’t level. It’s just one of the unexpected discoveries common in remodeling an older home.
- The hood is custom made with a beaded board insert to complement the ceiling. It is wide enough to cover the over-sized range.
- Beautiful tile with the look of old brick was used in the backsplash. A pot filler faucet in a bronze finish is a great choice for this room.
- The main cabinets are finished in Maple Butterscotch Glaze but the island is Cherry Java. Both are in Waypoint’s style 720R. The contrast is very appropriate for an older home. The combination gives the affect of having been created over time.
- A wine center is tucked in the corner of the kitchen. It features an under counter wine cooler and two beautiful Wine Storage Cabinets and glass door cabinets above.
- Reclaimed wood flooring is another way this older home was treated gently and appropriately with material selection yet providing everything the modern family needs.
- Because the kitchen has a sophisticated old-fashioned look, the microwave selected was a drawer-style tucked away in the back of the island. It’s hardly noticeable from most angles of the kitchen but is conveniently placed for the primary cook.
- The deep and wide farm-style sink is a personal
favorite of mine. It was given a special treatment by pulling the area forward 3” for extra character. What you see next to it isn’t a cabinet but rather the dishwasher disguised with a wood front to match the cabinetry.
This Victorian home is nearly one hundred and ten years old and it got the makeover of a lifetime. It’s perfect for a modern family and yet comfortable in the old bones of a home that lived several lifetimes before the new owners moved in.
Most of you know that I love built-ins used around the home to add style and storage. This dining room is one of my all-time favorites because the cabinets look like they are original to this Victorian home. Some of the secrets to designing a built-in with a period feel are:
- The layered top molding is more than 7 ½” tall and has enough detail to be appropriate for an older home.
- Waypoint’s Fincastle Glass in all the wall cabinets has real zinc caming and an intricate and elegant pattern.
- The stacked wall cabinets add a charming look for the period home.
- Crema Marfil marble is used as countertop for the cabinets adding an old-fashioned look.
- A furniture toe kick completes the look.
Part of the secret to making a built-in appropriate to an older home is the door style and finish. Here, Waypoint's style 720R in Maple Linen look like they are original to the home.
I love that we were able to share this beautiful built-in with a holiday party look because it gives me the opportunity to wish all my readers the very best of the holiday season.
Sometimes even a tiny space can turn into a beautiful built-in. The shallow recess in the dining room in this home already existed and it was enhanced by an installation of Waypoint Living Spaces style 650 in Maple Honey. Both the upper and lower sections were constructed from standard wall cabinets. The bottom cabinet is built on a furniture-style platform to act as a base cabinet.
Long, sleek bar pulls give a clean and contemporary look. Even though the counter space is not deep, it is very useful for extra landing space in the dining room.
Since this Dallas TX home was already schedule for photography, we ordered a set of aluminum frame doors and photographed it both ways. Which one do you prefer?
This slender dining room built-in features ribbed glass in Maple Honey open frame doors. The style shown is 650S.
A quick change to aluminum frame doors on the upper section gives a little different look to the Maple Honey built-in.
Even a very small space can make a home more convenient and comfortable.
