Organized Storage …

The February issue of Country Living arrived today and right there on the front cover was my dream.   I was so distracted that I may have missed something important that hubby was saying to me.  When I finally did look up from the magazine, dinner decisions had already been made :o) !!

What, you ask, could have consumed me so.  Well, I’ll tell you.  In fact I’ll do better than that, I’ll show you!

Built in shelving and cabinetry! 

I’ve had a love affair with built ins for years.  Not only do they give you the ability to display your collections, photos and books, they also provide much needed storage.  And, probably most important, they provide architectural detail to the space.

I would have built ins in every single room of my house if I had my way.  And here’s why … 

• First, I love books, all kinds of books and up to now I’ve had to part with most of my books due to lack of storage. 

• Secondly, I collect junk stuff, for instance white pottery and dishes (so you can see why the cover photo had such an impact on me – lots of white pottery there!), clear glass vases and containers among other goodies.   Heck, I’ve had to stop going to HomeSense *gasp* because I have nowhere to display all the great stuff I find there. 

• And finally, as I’ve mentioned before, I have some gorgeous inherited china that is still packed away in the basement awaiting an appropriate home in my dining room.  I’ve been scouring kijiji for just the right piece of furniture, but the more I see and consider pieces, the more I realize that the right storage for the dining room is built ins. 

So, I’ve been researching … and here’s what I’ve found so far …

A perfect little spot to relax and peruse your collection …

I absolutely love the blue pitchers – and isn’t the fabric on that chair perfect!

Not sure if I’d ever need two washing machines, but I love the clean, crisp, organized feel of this laundry room!

Built in seating is also something I’d love to incorporate into my dining room!

This unit incorporates media storage and display space, a great combination!  And I love the contrasting dark walls.

And I’ve always had a thing for window seats!

If you’ve got built ins, or great sources for built ins, please share!

Source:  1 - Country Living ; 2 – unknown; 3,6711- House Beautiful ; 4 – www.wineonthekeyboard.com; 5 – unknown; 6 - Traditional Home ; 8 – www.decorpad.com ; 9 – McGill Design Group ; 10 - Candice Olson