Built-in cabinets surrounding a fireplace offer the ideal place to display eye-catching home decor. From glass fronted cabinets for displaying china and crystal figurines, to solid doors hiding blankets, board games, and remote controls; built in cabinets can transform a fireplace into an eye-catching focal point.
Closed Storage
Built-in storage can add the finishing touch to any fireplace and help it stand out as a focal point in any room. From concealing cords and electronics, to displaying decorative objects, built-ins provide a useful option that frames it beautifully while adding functionality and making an impressionful statement about who owns what. They come with either flush or recessed cabinets, in various shapes and styles to fit your own personal taste and decor preferences.
Built-ins in this living room accentuate the Craftsman details of its existing mantle while offering ample storage for books and decorations. Fluted trim on cabinet doors adds a touch of upscale elegance.
Chimney bumpouts often create recesses on either side of a fireplace that are perfect for built-in shelves and entertainment centers. In one new home, these recesses feature an arched back inspired by early American interior design details as well as two closed cabinets to conceal items, like long fireplace matches that the homeowners prefer keeping handy but out of sight. This niche features such features to complete its modernist aesthetic – while this niche in a previous home featured traditional arched backs to reflect early American interior details and concealed cabinets for convenient items storage purposes – like long matches!
Custom bookcase built-ins are an effective solution to fill narrow nooks with plenty of storage. From floor-to-ceiling designs, or shorter units topped by stackable bookcases to save height and widen a room, custom built-in bookcases make an easy way to fill space and keep things tidy. Opting for simple cabinetry will also ensure they match with changing decor over time.
Open Shelving
With some creative design flair, fireplace built-ins can become stunning focal points of any room. Not only can they serve as storage for photos and mementos from loved ones, they can be an opportunity to tuck away electronics out of sight as well as frame eye-catching decorative items that immediately draw the eye. When selecting your built-in’s style consider how well they match up to other areas in the room as well as whether or not you would prefer open or closed storage options.
Open shelving is one of the most sought-after custom built-ins around a fireplace, as its versatile nature lends itself well to narrow fireplace nooks. This adaptable solution offers plenty of storage for books and decor items while adding visual interest with either solid doors or frosted glass fronts; both options help hide clutter or provide visual contrast respectively.
To maximize open shelving’s effectiveness, choose a style that’s versatile enough to complement future home decor easily. White built-in shelves, for instance, work well in many decorating schemes from modern to traditional. If you opt for more colorful built-ins instead, choose lighter paint colors so as not to overwhelm future decorating schemes; or add visual interest by painting either your ceiling or wainscotting underneath with a complementary hue for an additional pop of visual balance and depth in an otherwise neutral area.
Concealing Cords and Electronics
Fireplace built-ins not only offer storage solutions, but they can also hide electronic devices and cords that would otherwise compromise the mantel or hinder viewing of the fire. You have several options when selecting cabinets: from flush-mounted or recessed models with doors featuring glass, metal or solid fronts to doors with easy open or close mechanisms–any of these styles will help hide clutter or display favorite pieces from your decor collection.
Add visual interest and heighten the appeal of your fireplace by decorating its custom shelves with eye-catching decor that stands out in terms of color or style. This arrangement can frame the hearth while drawing people’s eye; making it the ideal spot for displaying antiques, doo-dads, souvenirs or picture frames.
Even though large media console cabinets may no longer be trendy, something still appeals to us about having one with an elegant door that covers our flatscreen TV when not in use. You can achieve the same effect by opting for built-in shelves instead and creating more of an streamlined appearance in your space.
Wherever your shelves are placed in relation to the fire will determine whether your built-ins are symmetrical or asymmetrical, as well as the size and whether they should extend from floor to ceiling or simply partway up.
Creating a Focal Point
Focal points are key components of successful room designs. Your eyes are naturally drawn toward them as you traverse the space; but decorative elements like wall art or furniture arrangements can also serve as focal points to draw the eye and draw people in.
Custom built-ins around fireplaces offer an opportunity to serve as focal points, thanks to their open and closed storage options. From painting them a vibrant hue or adding eye-catching decor pieces, these spaces can become captivating focal points and draw people inward into your home.
MJN & Associates can help your home showcase an existing focal point, like a fireplace or bank of windows, by lighting, decluttering and editing accessories to highlight this key feature. We set the scene so it shines like never before!
Establishing a focal point in any space can be tricky, particularly if multiple features compete for attention. When this happens, it’s essential to establish one and reduce all other focal points by employing virtual styling techniques like accent walls, lighting and furniture arrangements to draw the eye toward what should be most prominent – for instance by employing design principles that guide it such as positioning furnishings on diagonals or repeating geometric patterns.
