Designing Custom Cabinetry for Bulit Ins

Custom built ins have been popular for many years now and for good reason. With a carefully and well thought out design, built ins are not only great functionally but with proper lighting and plenty of accessories, they can also add an element of sophistication to any space.

My husband approves of our casual yet classy man cave.



Prior to commencing the custom built ins on my own basement, there was an abundance of planning that went into the design. We initially contemplated purchasing a shelving unit that would be able to come with us should we decide to eventually move house. How long you plan on staying in your home should always be a consideration when looking at your options for any design project. 

 The first thing I did was source photographs that I liked on websites like houzz and pinterest. I looked at the function and really thought about the purpose that I wanted it to serve. Then I drew a rough diagram of how I wanted them to look (above).  *Note - this drawing is not to scale nor is it fancy, rather a general idea.

We left out all the lighting components and cable so the electrician could wire everything up.

Having my electrician in early on was key in the planing phase to ensure that all the cable and lighting boxes were installed. My husband was left to work out the entertainment system and surround sound speakers, as this was his motivation for giving the go ahead with the project, I just wanted it all to look spectacular!  So, it was a win - win for both of us in the end.

The entire unit is made out of drywall.  The doors were designed by me, custom made by my carpenter and  taken to Paint it Like New to be primed & spray painted professionally to match the colour of the unit itself.  The paint colour is Willow CC542 by Benjamin Moore.  Very rich and intense, I just love it!



Grooves in the frame allowed for the mirror insert.

Mirror inserted and sealed. This is a look from the opposite side.

Storage inside the cupboards is mainly for board games, photo albums and DVDs. For that reason I didn't want to see inside the cupboards but I also didn't want them completely solid as I felt that would've been too heavy looking. Therefore, I choose to place mirrors in behind the patterned 'X' to bounce off light and add a more sophisticated and modern look.

No hardware for the doors either, they open easily enough and the clean look is better.

Thanks to my subscriber Carol who asked me to write an article about designing built ins, I am extremely happy with the end result.  I am also proud to say that this particular photograph above has been added to nearly 1300 ideabooks on houzz, so I'm very happy that others are enjoying it and getting inspiration from my design as well!

To see an earlier post with more of this basement renovation click here.  Also, I will soon be posting about a recent visit I made to Fairview Hi-Fi in Burlington as they were instrumental in helping us plan the audio portion of this project.  There are so many fabulous options for man caves and theatre rooms these days, stay tuned to find out what I learned!

If you are looking for inspiration, please contact me and I will be happy to help you.  E-mail me: claire@creatingcontrastdesigns.com

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Stunning Basement Renovation not to be Missed!

I like to think that I have great vision for seeing the potential of unfinished spaces & visualising the final look of projects I embark upon. But once all is said and done and a job is complete, I am still amazed at just how much more stunning the result is is than I thought it would be. 

My basement renovation is no exception and I am thrilled to share these photographs with you.

Custom built ins designed by me and built by my talented husband Chris and our good friend Jeff.

 The rug is from HomeSense as are many of the accessories on display in the built in cabinet. The pot lights in the shelving are on dimmers and really highlight the accessories as well as adding ambiance.

Mirrored doors add sophistication and help to brighten up the space.

The mirrored doors were custom made and then sprayed by Paint It Like New in Benjamin Moore's Willow - CC542 - the same colour as the built ins. (Mirrors were sealed in after the paint had cured) I had the doors sprayed in a slightly higher sheen and opted not to add hardware.  The doors open easily enough and in my opinion adding handles would have been too busy with the mirrored inserts.

The other side of our basement is the dining/gaming area & is painted Wilmington Tan by BM.  

  Complimentary Colours - I love the purple hued drapery against the buttery yellow walls. 

The silk and polyester blend draperies add warmth and elegance to the space. I loved the Maxwell fabric that I used for this Living Room Makeover so much that I bought extra to use for the cornices (the fabric boxes over the curtains) and accent cushions on the sectional. 

The chalk board is a re-purposed item that I altered to be more functional.  Originally it hung horizontally and had a wire basket attached to the bottom.  I removed the basket, turned it vertically and super glued the small shelf under the board so the chalk would have a home.  We've already played darts and for the first time in ages I beat Chris, maybe the newly renovated space inspired my game!!

The various styled picture frames are unified by the same mat colour - Marshland - CC512 by Benjamin Moore.

Most of the frames I nicked from my Mom's inventory for the Aberfoyle Market - thanks Mom!  The photographs are from our travels across Europe and a few from Chris's time spent in Australia and Singapore. 

And do you recognise the buffet pictured above??  In this post I told you about my new (but old) piece of furniture and now you can see it completely transformed within my new space.  I love it!

It's been a very long journey but now when we sit back, relax and watch a movie - (I haven't even touched on the incredible surround sound system!) - we can really enjoy what we've accomplished.

'It's been a long time coming..it's well worth the wait' ~ Gord Downie, Tragically Hip

For more pictures please visit my updated website at www.creatingcontrastdesigns.com.  If you are thinking of starting renovations and need some guidance, please contact me and I can help you make your dreams for your home a reality.