What Your House Really Needs

Do you have shoes, backpacks, gloves and coats piled on the floor next to the door?  Does your bedroom have a big blank wall with a little IKEA or Target shelving unit?  Are your books in boxes in the attic or in precarious piles next to your bed?

In my experience, built-in cabinetry ranks as a top ingredient in making a house a home (right after paint).  This month, Steven, my husband and the backbone of GreenBridge’s partner company Riverview Builders, built and installed a built-in bench in our mudroom.

We’ve been dreaming of this since we moved in, seven years ago. (!)  It has absolutely changed our lives.  Our two boys  are not patient, organized or neat, to put it mildly.  So, the bench was carefully designed with storage options, interest and organization in mind, all with the goal of getting them to use it!  The bench has hooks (easy and within-reach), a lift-top bench (fun, with safety hinges to save little fingers) and is divided so each of us has our own area.  Overflow is anticipated with high shelves and baskets for each person.  I still have to remind them to use the storage, but now items have someplace to go…..

This shelving unit is on a large master bedroom wall.  This built-in has adjustable shelving that will be removed when our clients purchase their big-screen TV, a small desk area for the mom of the house’s few quiet times and lots of storage for their books and decorative items.  This formerly blank wall was transformed and now reflects our client’s personality and interests.

This cabinetry is built around the twin bed platform and gives a cozy feeling to the sleeping and reading space.  Book and toy storage is easily accommodated in the shelves, and the closed cabinets below allow for more messy storage – drawing materials, Legos, and train equipment…. The built-in is also sometimes used as a climbing apparatus, and so far, has held up.

With Riverview Builders, we can provide affordable solutions for your home from initial meeting and design to the painted finish.  If you’d like to talk about possibilities, contact us at www.greenbridgearchitects.com and we can help with some options and estimates.

Stay tuned for our upcoming library (man-cave) project!