Builders Can Benefit From Other-Room Cabinetry Beyond Kitchens and Baths

At what point is the laundry room no longer just the laundry room? When there's a built-in space designed for gift wrapping and storage? How about when the cabinet drawers are filled with supplies for scrapbooking, sewing, or crocheting? Or when there's a pantry for quick snacks?

Welcome to the versatile power of built-in cabinetry. With builders and remodelers trying to create unique spaces that set their homes apart, cabinet manufacturers are touting the flexibility of their products that allows for convenient, stylish storage beyond the traditional applications of the kitchen and the bath.

"It's a way to differentiate yourself," says Paul Radoy, design services manager for Merillat, which designed a multipurpose room concept to show how cabinetry can allow one room to accommodate a variety of activities, like laundry and hobbies, while providing extra storage. "When a woman comes to see a new home and sees this kind of space to multi-task—and it's a cool place to hang out—it has that 'wow' factor."

Whether in the laundry room, living room, home office, or elsewhere, built-in cabinetry provides a wealth of options that standard furniture can't match, asserts Connie Edwards, director of design for Timberlake Cabinetry. "With standard furniture, your choices are your choices," she says. "With built-in cabinetry, you have the ability to create anything that your imagination and design requirements need."

"People are realizing it's practical," says Jodi Schoenfeld, designer and vice president of Woodsman Kitchen and Floors and of Interior Design Solutions, both in Jacksonville, Fla. "They want to improve every living space. They're using every corner."

Built-in cabinetry can provide custom features that homeowners won't always be able to find in regular furniture, points out Rebecca Guentner, senior product manager for Canac. Wire-rack pullouts, rolling shelves, tip-out units, and even giftwrap holders can keep a room tidy and organized. "It's more of the functional storage that people want," Guentner says.