Winter is here, and it’s likely you are spending much of it snuggled with your family in your living room. The living area is a central part of the home, a place to entertain guests, as well as a space where you can relax and put up your feet. By complementing your existing home style, the living room can showcase your personal style and set the tone for the rest of your home.

Whether you like watching TV, listening to music, playing video games or screening the latest movies on your home screen TV, a custom home entertainment centre is one of the best ways to use the available area optimally. 

While there are a large number of "off-the-rack" or modular options available on the market, these may not be perfectly suited to your specific requirements. This is precisely why we at Balnei & Colina offer custom design cabinetry solutions to our clients. Our creative and innovative design ideas can help make your living space look fantastic and function well.

Creating a comfortable and stylish space doesn't have to be a daunting. A custom designed cabinetry solution together with some simple style tweaks, that maximise space and light, can make a world of difference. 

In this month’s B&C Home Journal article we explore custom cabinetry for your living space and it’s benefits. We hope it provides you with an understanding of how you can create a functional and beautiful living area for your home.

The Team at Balnei & Colina

Image credit: Vogue Living US

3 reasons why we’re obsessed with Custom Storage Solutions? 

1) Make the most of your space 

As mentioned earlier, custom cabinetry can go a long way in making the best use of your available space. Storage is key when it comes to keeping the living room tidy and the more you can put behind closed doors the better. That’s why custom joinery is such a great option. Custom joinery storage solutions can fit in seamlessly with your home’s existing decor, and our team of experts can design features to display all of your favourite items.

Today there are hundreds of material options available, which provide the flexibility to create storage solutions that are a perfect fit for all of your personal items, in stylish form. From a TV entertainment unit, to trophy cabinets and wall units, Balnei & Colina’s custom storage solutions Sydney will also provide a good return on investment. 

Begin by designing your custom cabinetry with the following in mind:

1. Scale of the room
2. Key Activity Zones -  for eg TV Viewing (Relaxation and lounging), Entertaining (Conversation or gathering nooks) & Dining
3. The flow of traffic between these zones 

And your custom joinery will work in harmony with how you live within the space.

Image credit: Zillow

CUSTOM TV ENTERTAINMENT UNITS & STORAGE

We often get asked: “where should we position our TV?”

The Answer: The best place to position a TV is on a blank wall that isn't blocking window light.

If possible, the TV should be mounted on the wall for a more streamlined look. The team at Balnei & Colina can design and build plenty of stylish media units that have storage built in. If you have a very large TV, why not try a wide, low-lying unit with doors and drawers that can house your boxes, records, DVDs etc, underneath? 

You can also wall mount your TV and build custom storage space around it. This will allow you to specify exactly how much storage and in what format you require, and, it will fit your space perfectly.

Design Tip- If optimizing your space for the cooler months, then opt for warmer whites over cooling tones. Think flax linen curtains or an ivory rug for a simple update. If you’re repainting, consider Dulux Whisper White over a crisper shade like Vivid White or White on White.

TV Low-line entertainment unit by Balnei & Colina

2) Make it your own 

You can create your ideal custom cabinetry. Customised solutions help ensure that you get the kind of finishes you want and, the internal configuration of the storage units are built for easy access, and are designed to suit the the items you want stored. 

Opting for a custom entertainment storage solution will ensure that both the styling and structure, will blend in seamlessly with the rest of the features in your living room or family room.

Since the entertainment unit takes up a large portion of the available space in your living room, you can also make it a focal point. 

Design Tip – If you’re optimizing your space for Winter, ensure you work a fireplace into your custom cabinetry design. If you decide to warm your space with a fireplace, consider reserving a slice of storage fit for firewood to complete the space.

Fireplace custom joinery by Balnei & Colina

 

Image via Pintrest

3) Maximum Storage

You can add all of the storage in the world! Modern homes more than ever need to have plenty of storage space available. Even with today’s modern technology, many homeowners still have a range of items they need stored from books to keepsakes, games to music, custom joinery can help provide a unique storage solution for any home item. 

When you hire a company that specialises in custom joinery, you can be assured that your entertainment unit will be able to accommodate all of your home devices and personal items, and withstand regular use without any trouble.

Image credit: John Paul Urizar Photography

Custom joinery options for your living space 

Other custom joinery options for your living space you may not have thought of include:

CUSTOM CONSOLE OR BUFFET

We all love a custom console table or buffet cabinet. It's the ideal place for a decorative lamp, plants and family photos. As an in-built piece it can hide special-occasion servingware, bins of toys and craft supplies underneath, while lamps, plants or a standing mirror can decorate above. The team at Balnei & Colina design these with a combination of cupboards and drawers for easy access and maximum storage.

Image credit: Home Bunch

BOOKCASES

Think creatively and these clever units can hold so much more than just books – office binders, framed photos, indoor plants, plastic tubs of kids' toys, your record collection, the list goes on. For the perfect display, combine practical items (like books and files) with objects that offer visual interest (think vases, sculptures, candles or items collected during your travels).

Image via Zillow

FLOATING SHELVES

A simple ledge or shelf helps break up a wall and can be filled in any way you desire. Create a makeshift bar with glassware and decanters, display artworks and knick-knacks, line up some tea lights for an ambient display or create a workstation near your front door for keys, wallets and sunnies. 

A custom storage solution will allow plenty of space for electronics, books, pictures, knick-knacks as well as other items that you want to display in the living room. Even if you have a very compact sized living area, skilled designers can create built-in entertainment centre units which incorporate all of the required features. This kind of design and optimal usage of the available space just isn't possible with a modular cabinet.

Want to create a custom entertainment unit for your living space but not sure where to start? Book a design consultation with a custom joinery expert at Balnei & Colina on 1300 450 320. You can also send us your custom joinery project details via this Contact Us form. 

If you’re looking for custom joinery inspiration and ideas, signup to our newsletter or connect with us on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with the latest design trends.

Image credit: Australian House & Garden

Balnei & Colina - Custom joinery solutions for your home

Materials form a large part of the interior design of a home, and built-in furniture or custom joinery is a key part of this. Custom joinery can help create a consistent language throughout the home and promote a clean, minimal and cohesive look. 

At Balnei & Colina we love custom joinery. Our products are tailor made to fit a space perfectly, as well as your specific needs and style. 

Balnei & Colina custom joinery solutions are brilliant for creating extra storage, and the joinery can be size specific - perfect for making the most of small or awkward spaces.

Range of Custom Joinery Solutions

The different types of custom designed cabinetry that you can opt for include:

• Cabinets 
• Bookshelves
• Buffets/Consoles
• Bar
• Wine Cellars/Storage
• Library
• Floating shelves
• Drawers
• Sliding pull out shelves
• Wall-mounted backdrops for TVs
• Floor to ceiling storage units
• + More!

 

Image credit: Anastasia Kariofyllidis Photography