January 9, 2011

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!

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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. 

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  • 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. 

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  • 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. 

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

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A perfect little spot to relax and peruse your collection …

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

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

517fb134b75b McGill Design Group

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

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

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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 ; 8www.decorpad.com ; 9McGill Design Group ; 10 - Candice Olson



10 comments:

  1. Utterly inspired! I had the same euphoric moment when my Country Living arrived and then today I stumbled upon your tweet which lead me to your blog and I'm obsessing over the need for built ins!!

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  2. I also, have a love affair with built-ins. I'm always figuring out in my head how I could incorporate them in spaces. I hear you Donna...

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  3. I love all these images - I am lusting after built ins myself. I think alot of these photos will be finding their way into my inspiration files.

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  4. I LOVE to organize and I LOVE all of the inspiration here! Happy New year to you Donna!
    Nancy xo

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  5. I love built-ins too, Donna... I've incorporated a built-in cabinet (mostly closed storage, but one section will have open shelving) in our family room and I'm sooooo looking forward to decorating the open shelves with some of my favourite things stored away in the attic!
    Victoria

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  6. No built-ins on our house, although I'd love to have them in at least one room. Like you said, they're so great for displaying books and collections.

    You HAVE to get built-ins so go can go back to shopping at HomeSense!

    No ides what the prices are like, but check out A-1 Millwood:

    http://www.411.ca/business/Ontario/Nepean/A-1-Millwood/7679843.html

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  7. Come check out my blog I have a little surprise for you!

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  8. Lovely...i've been trying to get quotes for built in myself...man or man, out of my budget (for now) hehehe! good luck!

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  9. Hey Donna, through my recent kitchen/office reno here in Ottawa I somehow managed to sneak in a couple of builtins. I wrote about the ones for the office here:
    http://blog.rejuvenation.com/2010/11/07/whatever-happened-to-the-office/

    With my crooked floors and a weird situation with the ceiling/floor, going with a built-in was necessary. The best part was maximizing the full space available and getting cupboards that matched my kitchen. It all looks new but somehow original, I'm really happy with how it turned out ;)

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  10. Hi Donna,

    That is a beautiful collection of rooms and storage ideas. Built in shelving is one of my favs... I love love the laundry room and the Candace Olsen room...WOW!
    I have to go back and find your dresser makeover :)
    cheers
    Susan

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