Built-in furniture can do wonders with small spaces

For some home renovations, I advise clients to hire a professional cabinetmaker. There are indeed occasions when that level of expertise and specialization is required. But often such projects can be handled perfectly well by a licensed carpenter who knows how to follow architectural drawings. Contracting with a carpenter will generally cost less, and the results can meet your expectations.

QUESTION:

We're converting a spare bedroom into a space for reading, watching videos and listening to music. The room contains an 8-foot wide and 3-foot deep closet that will no longer be needed for storage. We plan to place a couple of chairs or a sofa in that spot, but we can't decide whether to integrate it with the rest of the room or to treat it as an independent space. What's your recommendation?

ANSWER:

It would help to know the dimensions of the entire room. Assuming it's large, you'll have other places for seating, so you can go either way with the design of that former closet. If your spare bedroom is average size or smaller, I recommend an integrated treatment of the sort shown in the accompanying photo. It comes from "New Built-Ins Idea Book," written by Sandor Nagyszalanczy and published by Taunton Press.

A built-in seating area such as this one could easily be created from a closet as spacious as yours.

In fact, the length and depth of that space will probably accommodate a simple daybed and side cabinetry. Please note how the carpentry work in this example has produced an integrated outcome. The narrow beaded wood planking of the wainscoting that runs around the room was continued into the alcove, with the same color being used throughout.

Should you choose this approach, consider enhancing the look of the added space by including some bright colors and art for the wall.

In making the alcove blend with the rest of the room, don't neglect to give it some personality of its own. Lighting will be an important element regardless of which direction you take. Such a deep space has to be lit for reading and perhaps for the display of decorative objects or a painting. In this model, a bulkhead was built to house recessed lighting fixtures. A fairly high level of skill is required for a remodeling job of this kind. But it's also not that complicated, and can probably be carried out at a cost many homeowners will find affordable.

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Built-in furniture can do wonders with small spaces. Here, built-in seating fills a space the size of an unused closet

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