Of all the ways to save space and to maintain an elegant look, built in furniture and accessories offer the simplest and in some cases the most visually-pleasing option. The array of built-in features that a home can accommodate is very diverse and today we’ll attempt to have a look at some. A lot of talented interior designs have used this strategy in their projects so perhaps you could borrow some of their ideas and adapt these stunning designs to your own home.

This is a wall dedicated entirely to wine storage but not in the sense that it’s completely covered with shelves that hold bottles. Instead of that trivial design Teresa Sapey Studio chose instead to make a series of circular cut-outs in the wall and to use those as storage spaces for the wine bottles.

Maybe you won’t be able to replicate that look in the same way. Still, you could replicate the look in a different way. For example, you could build a vertical wine rack niche with individual circular holes for each bottle.

This is the S-box, a pop-up power plug system which can be embedded into furniture and kitchen counters to offer sleek and handy power plugs when needed. The rest of the time, the box becomes flush with the counter and disappears completely.

Systems similar to the S-box can be very useful, especially in kitchens. A few examples include built-in knife racks or storage compartments for spice jars. You can adapt these systems to your own custom-made kitchen.

The kitchen counter displayed here is the work of DeVos Custom Woodworking and the feature that interests us the most is the built-in knife storage feature. It’s basically just a slit cut into the counter which keeps the knife safe and organized.

DesignerLaure Guillelmi also had a clever idea when it comes to knife storage in a modern kitchen. This time the knives are stored in the corner of the counter and they have individual slots. The construction was done by Gepetto.

Having a built-in knife rack in the kitchen is desirable. It’s not only space-efficient but also more stylish and clean-looking which suits most minimalist contemporary kitchens.{found on johnnygrey}.

Consider having a built-in knife rack if you have a wooden countertop or if you think you can fit such a feature in a corner or in a space that wouldn’t need for something more important.

If you want to dedicate a portion of your kitchen counter to built-in storage for spices, herb planters or other things, the island would be a good suite for such a design idea.

Not only does this counter have a special built-in compartment for knives and spices but it can also slide over the built-in sink and to completely conceal it. When the sink is revealed, the counter space expands and more prep room is exposed.

When architect Cary Bernstein designed the Portrero House, the goal was to create a decor that’s as open and as bright as possible. In order to obtain that look, built-in appliances were used in the kitchen in combination with a custom wall unit, a built-in window bench and open shelves.

The open floor plan of this residence in Switzerland is divided into two separate zones by a wall divider block with a built-in fireplace facing the living area and a firewood storage nook on the side. The other side features a built-in seating unit for the dining area. The residence was a project by k_m architektur.

We can see two interesting features in this home designed by Robson Rak. One of them is the set of built-in sinks found in the kitchen island. It maintains a minimalist and very clean look.

The second feature is this built-in bench which comes in the continuation of the wall unit. It’s comfortable, stylish and in tone with the contemporary and simplistic interior design that defines the whole house.

In this stylish New York loft, MAD designed a really elegant built-in L-shaped bench for the dining area. The bench perfectly fits in the corner and it looks exquisite in combination with the reclaimed wood table and industrial-style chairs.

When space is limited, it’s important to make the most of every corner and nook. Take for example the Ufogel holiday house designed by Peter Jungmann. It has an unusual form and an interior furnished with built-in pieces which perfectly complement every little space.

Space-saving built-in furniture is also the main attraction of this New York apartment designed by StudioLAB. There was hardly enough room here for both a comfortable living space and a dining area so the designers thought to have the dining table placed close to the wall unit and to have a comfortable bench built into the unit.

Sarah Gallop Design also made sure to offer their clients all the functionality and comfort they needed in a small space. That’s why this area features a built-in bench for the dining area as well as a live-edge wood extension on the kitchen island which forms a bar.

Built-in breakfast nooks are lovely additions to a large or an open space kitchen. It’s what RAAD Studio designed for this contemporary apartment in Greenwich Village. It’s really cozy and it also has those lovely green plants placed along the windows.

A similar design strategy was used by Cecconi Simone when furnishing this model unit for a townhouse community in Toronto. The layout features an open and minimalist kitchen with a large island and a corner nook with a round table and a built-in bench with storage underneath.

The Canyon House designed by Aaron Neubert Architects introduces a really cool and interesting design. Instead of having the handrail attached to the staircase wall, this design features a carved out slot shaped into a handrail.

Speaking of staircases and handrails, we have a few more interesting designs to show you. One of them is the creation of Stuart Silk Architects for the Lake Cove residence. The wall handrail in this case is integrated into the wall itself. It highlights the staircase in a really elegant and refined way.

Architect Paulo David customize the built-in handrails on this staircase to also feature accent lighting. It’s a useful detail for staircase that are closed off from the rest of the space and don’t get enough natural light.

The same type of lighted handrail was also used here by Quinn Architects. In this case, the handrail is built into the wall which was then clad in marble. The result is a very refined and elegant design.

Built-in handrails are also found in offices. This is a feature that Neri&Hu added to the design of the Bloomberg office in Hong Kong. A simple design was prefered. The handrail is made of wood and carved into the wall.

The renovation done by Austin Design Associates uses bespoke details elegant finishes and focuses on both space-efficiency and style. The built-in fireplace has firewood storage compartments on one side and open shelves on the other. It’s a simple and well-balanced combination.

Open shelves are very versatile and can be added to any room. This living room has some built-in nooks instead of the usual wall-mounted shelves. It’s a stylish alternative that you can include in your next home renovation project.

Similarly, if you have a fireplace, it’s worth investing in a built-in storage nook for all the firewood. It looks stylish and it saves you a lot of space which is important no matter how big your home is.