Looking for built-in storage cabinets for your home?

We found the most skilled and enthusiastic team that can help you spark the most beautiful built-in storage ideas you can build in your own home.

These one of a kind pieces will not only add much-needed storage, but can elevate the décor to any space.

Chris and Yvonne Chris Johnson design and build their projects and have made their fair share of built-in storage cabinets in their own home and for clients.

“With someone who loves interior design, any type of shelving, any place we can display something, we love it,” said Yvonne about built-in wall storage in their home. “It’s perfect for all the holidays, and I can switch out all of my décor throughout the year.”

If you’re considering adding a built-in storage cabinet, the Johnsons suggest identifying what function you want your built-in storage unit to serve. Then set a budget because that determines the direction you can take when hiring someone or building it yourself.

“Also, think about the space allocation in your room. Can your space actually hold it,” Chris said who owns Reclaimed Karma with his wife. “Will it feel so mammoth that it won’t’ compliment the space? Is it going to be too overwhelming?”

Read on to not only get built-in storage cabinet ideas for any room but pro tips from Yvonne and Chris to make sure things go smooth.

Built-in Wall Storage

Photo Credit: Prime Phocus

When the Johnsons needed extra storage for their books and board games, they turned to the empty wall space in their den.

“That wall was boring and drab, and it just needed something,” explained Yvonne by phone.

Yvonne and Chris went back and forth about adding pull-out drawers or cabinet doors to the lower half. The deciding factor was the function of the unit for the room, Yvonne said.

“The room is not huge, and I really didn’t want to be moving furniture around to open doors or to pull out the drawers,” she said. “I just needed open bookshelves that I could decorate with all our books.”

They tucked away board games in baskets that can easily be accessed for the Johnsons on family game nights, a simple solution that can work for everyone. This way, Yvonne can display any family sentimental items or keepsakes they’ve picked up from their travels around the world.

It took Chris about a week to build and assemble it. Using prime board saved time for other tasks such as filling nail holes and caulking.

“Our built-in for our home was simple because there were no electrical work and no doors,” Chris said.

A recent trend is built-in shelves and cabinets for a home office, equipped with electrical outlets.

Built-In Shelves and Cabinets for a Home Office

Built-in shelves and cabinets for a home office require more expertise and advanced planning but are an excellent Zoom backdrop, Chris said.

Built-in storage units for a home office usually require moving or adding electrical outlets in a wall for optimal functionality.

“We are seeing a lot of electrical being placed in the drawers and inside the cabinets or us having us relocate an outlet to the desk,” Yvonne said.

If the built-in is in a common area of the home, the Johnsons try to match the cabinetry to other existing built-ins or crown molding. Adding trim work to any built-in storage unit is key to making the unit blend into an existing space.

Built-In Storage Cabinets for a Bedroom

To build a wall storage unit in their bedroom, the couple decided to go with a little Ikea hack.

Using Billy Bookcases on each end of the wall with three matching Ikea Pax closets in the center, the Johnsons built a custom closet wall for Yvonne.

The store bought cabinets saved the Johnsons time, but they also knew they could customize it to meet their storage needs and aesthetics.

From custom trim work to new hardware pieces, Chris said making subtle changes like this helps elevate it from just an Ikea or Home Depot cabinetry. The Johnsons also suggest you add pops of color on the inside to give it a personal touch.

Photo Credit: Prime Phocus

Yvonne opted to use wire bins instead of the drawers that initially came with the build.

Chris said he was able to build and install the wall unit over the weekend.

Because the piece is shallower than your typical closet space built-in, the clothes were hung from front to back rather than side to side. Yvonne said the Ikea cabinetry is less than 15 inches deep.

“I was able to move every single piece of clothing out of our joint closet. I don’t even remember not having that space. I lost such a little amount of space that it was definitely the best use of space for us,” she revealed.

“I acquired the length of that space and not so much the depth, but I was able to hold everything perfectly.”

Built-in Storage Ideas for Unique Spaces

Built-in storage can go just about anywhere, even in those odd nooks in your home.

It reminds Yvonne of the time a couple with a small kitchen came to the Johnsons for storage solutions.

“The couple needed storage, and they had this dining room and wall that was enormous and wasn’t being used,” Yvonne explained.

The Johnsons bought cabinetry that matched the kitchen and extended into the dining room wall, and then Chris built custom Walnut built-in triangle-shaped storage at the top.

“It added so much storage to their space, and it brought the kitchen and cabinets together,” she said.

It took Chris a couple of weeks to build not only the shelves but the dining table.

“It was fun getting that up,” he said, chuckling as he remembered it took several people to lift the piece. The built-in weight was not the only challenge; Chris had to properly attach it to the wall.

Despite the obstacles, Chris said it is his favorite built-in to date.

Their work isn’t just limited to residential, working on restaurants, and even a business owner who needed an office space built into her storefront.

The couple built a walled enclosure using Ikea shelving, as pictured above. On one side was her office, and the other was shelving to display the store’s products. One of the bookshelves actually doubled as a door that would open into the office.

Chris and Yvonne say the best feeling is when they can tell customers genuinely love their built-in storage.

“That makes everything worth it,” Yvonne said.

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Main image photo credit: Prime Phocus