Custom built-in cabinets aren’t just for kitchens and bathrooms. In fact, there are numerous ways to add unique cabinets to unusual spaces in your home.

From transforming your kid’s bedroom to turning doorways into extra storage, the possibilities are endless. Custom cabinets give you the chance to create the storage of your dreams.

Maximize the space in your home by discovering some unusual areas where you just might want cabinets.

Turning Small Spaces Into Offices

Have a small corner or medium-sized closet available? Turn a small space into an office easily. A row of top and bottom cabinets give you storage, while a small cubby gives you room to slide in a chair to work. You could even incorporate a fold-out chair into the cabinets for added space.

Transforming Closets

Closets don’t have to just be rods and a few shelves. Keep shoes from falling everywhere with a thin slide-out cabinet. Shoes stay safely tucked away and hidden when you’re not wearing them. Add a few cabinets in the back to store off-season clothing in compressed bags.

Organizing Your Living Room

We’re quite proud of the built-in cabinets we did for the living room in the featured image for this post. Most living rooms don’t have much storage outside of maybe a bookcase or curio cabinet. By adding storage along the walls, we transformed a simple entertainment center into so much more. There is storage, counter space and even a small space to pull up a chair.

Maximizing Corners

Why should corners just collect dust? Custom built-in cabinets can be made to fit perfectly in corners. A curved front looks stylish and provides plenty of space to store collectibles, shoes (great addition to a small mudroom), remotes/controllers and anything else you want. These are great for bedrooms where you might need a little extra storage.

Customizing To Your Storage Needs

Built-in cabinets can fit pretty much any storage need. Use floor-to-ceiling cabinets, just upper cabinets or just lower cabinets. Make them as thin or wide as you want. Have them fit into that tiny space between your toilet and wall or turn your nightstand into a functioning desk for journaling. It’s all up to you.

Turning Stairs Into Storage

Stairs are nice, but think of all the wasted space. Stairs tend to be one of those unusual spaces that is perfect for cabinets. You can turn each step into a storage bin. Another option is to add cabinets underneath the staircase. A pull-out cabinet unit works well, even for tight spaces.

Transforming Doorways

Most doorways have space around the frame. There could easily be 5-10 inches between the top of the door and the ceiling. Why let all the space waste? Create built-in cabinets around the frame to store anything you want. Most people prefer to store decorative items. This is a great option around kitchen doors for storing often-used items, such as measuring cups, timers and more.

Adding Sliding Storage In Your Bathroom

If you have any small areas of your bathroom, there’s an opportunity to add extra storage space. Create a sliding cabinet to store extra rolls of toilet paper. Keep toiletries hidden away, but neatly organized with a thin sliding cabinet between the wall and your sink. All you need is a small area to make a big difference.

Using Recessed Cabinets Everywhere

Recessed cabinets are ideal for unusual spaces. Create an open recessed cabinet above trim molding along your wall. This is perfect if you don’t have much space, but need a little extra storage. While the shelves can’t usually be too deep, they’ll help with knick-knacks, commonly used items, kids’ toys, DVD/CD storage, books and much more.

Inspiring Your Built-In Cabinets Solutions

Having a hard time envisioning all these possibilities? Not a problem. We want to inspire you to start looking around your home to see what unusual spaces could be made better and more useful with built-in cabinets. Check out these inspiring ideas and photos:

Of course, don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss your custom built-in cabinet design ideas. We’re always happy to help make your cabinetry dreams a reality.

Turn Seating Into Storage

One of the more popular solutions for small spaces is to turn your seating into storage. Many ottomans double as extra storage, but did you know you can also design chairs, benches and tables with storage space? For instance, a bar chair in your kitchen might sit tall enough to have a few small shelves below the seat. A bench with comfy cushions works as a sofa and storage solution.

For a few ideas for your own design, Better Homes & Gardens lists 14 creative ways to turn your furniture into storage.

Floating Cabinets/Shelves

You don’t always have space for cabinets that sit on your floor, but what about that open area above your sofa or behind the toilet? A floating cabinet can fit in almost any space as long as you have a little room on your wall. Consider a series of smaller cabinets or blocks for storing books, toiletries, games or anything else you want.

Of course, floating shelves also help to maximize space in small areas. The great thing about cabinets and blocks is they also double as shelving.

Custom Sizing

Want traditional cabinets and bookshelves? No problem. Custom sizing is the best solution for small spaces. For instance, if you have a tiny kitchen, use thinner cabinets and maximize your space with accessories. Need inspiration? See our post 8 Tricks For Doubling The Space In Your Cabinets to see how organizers, baskets and other solutions make even small cabinets seem large.

Use Vertical Spaces

How often do you just look at the horizontal spacing for maximizing your space? While typically you store things horizontally on shelves or in cabinets, think about all the vertical spacing you’re missing out on. For instance, the kitchen featured in this post’s image doesn’t have to stop with just cabinets.

Frequently used pots could hang on the side of the upper cabinets. Floating shelves on the sides of the cabinets near the window work great for herbs or collectibles. Even the brick wall could be used for hanging a mop and broom.

Think vertically and you’ll be amazed at how much more space you have. For instance, if you want a bookcase, consider having shelves that don’t sit flush with the door. Leave a few inches of space and you could add file organizers to the inside of the doors for storing important documents, comic books, remotes or anything else you want.

Remove Doors

Doors aren’t usually a bad thing, but when it comes to small spaces, they can get in the way quickly. Maybe you’d love to have a custom-designed bench with drawers in built-in. However, the door leading to the next room makes it impossible for you to have a bench as long as you need. Take down the door and replace it with a decorative curtain. As long as you still have room to walk, it’s the perfect solution to small spaces.

Separate Rooms With Shelving

For small spaces that blend several rooms into one, consider dividing your rooms with storage. Floor to ceiling shelving helps you not only add space, but separate your rooms. They work as walls and can be relatively thin or wide enough to hold anything you need. For a more decorative option, staggered shelving gives you a variety of different size shelves and it looks great too.

Ready to design your own space-saving solutions? Contact us today to find out how we can help turn your small spaces into larger ones.

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The Ultimate In Built-In Cabinets For Unusual Spaces