Clever joinery ideas
Creating more storage can be one of the biggest headaches in interior design. Freestanding, off-the-peg bookshelves, wardrobes and cupboards can be beautiful, but sometimes the only way to get it right is to commission a bespoke piece of joinery to make the most of any awkward or small spaces. We've gathered some of our favourite examples from houses both traditional and modern, to give an idea of the range of possibilities for tailored storage.
Simon Brown1/18This pediment bookcase in a house by interior designer Gavin Houghton and architect Simon Hurst is designed in the Georgian style and has integrated wall lights. It is in a green paint different to the one used on the walls, giving the room a contemporary twist.
gavinhoughton.co.uk | schd.co.uk
2/18An elegant dresser, designed by interior designer Chester Jones and made by builders and joiners Tavener, echoes this flat’s nineteenth-century architecture. It includes a sliding serving hatch through to the kitchen.
chesterjones.com | tavener.co.uk
Paul Massey3/18Maria Speake divided this old byre with a wall of storage that conceals a television, an audio system and gym equipment. The doors, which slide, swing up and pull open, are made from engineered oak floorboards and have been trimmed with reclaimed iroko.
retrouvius.com
Paul Massey4/18Designed by Turner Pocock to maximise wall space and frame the sofa, the open shelving in the living room of this London villa has a smart brass trim.
turnerpocock.co.uk
5/18Beata Heuman capitalised on the high ceilings in this sitting room by installing floor-to-ceiling MDF shelving around the doorway, which creates an illusion of space.
beataheuman.com
6/18The solid oak bookcases that wrap around this library by interior designers K&H Design were designed to complement the Georgian architecture of this rectory. They have been painted in Farrow & Ball’s ‘Stiffkey Blue’ (£62 for 2.5 litres estate eggshell) and the effect is fresh yet classic. The ceiling coving continues across the front of the units to create a sense of cohesion.
kandhdesign.co.uk | farrow-ball.com
7/18Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves flank a wall in this sitting room by architect Daniele Petteno. The MDF has been spray lacquered in white, which provides a cleaner finish than hand-painting and suits the modern feel.
danielepetteno.com
Alexander James8/18De Rosee Sa constructed the study nook in this kitchen from MDF, with space-saving pocket doors.
deroseesa.com
Lucas Allen9/18Martin Hulbert wanted the wall of cupboards in the snug of this London house to form a ‘simple and practical backdrop’. The sprayed white doors conceal storage and a bar.
martinhulbertdesign.com
Paul Massey10/18Suzy Hoodless broke this wall of wardrobes up by cutting lines resembling tongue and groove into the MDF doors, with recessed handles: ‘I wanted to add texture in a simple and graphic way.’ The doors have been painted in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Temple’ (£55 for 2.5 litres architects’ matt).
suzyhoodless.com | paintandpaperlibrary.com
Sarah Hogan11/18Under-stair shelving and cupboards make use of often wasted space in this project by Cindy Leveson.
levesondesign.com
12/18Fitted shelves, wardrobes and a desk wrap around one end of this bedroom by Charlotte Crosland. Charlotte, who recently launched a bespoke joinery service, added rounded beading to the doors and chose a strong teal for all the woodwork.
charlottecrosland.com
Alexander James13/18In the sitting area of her previous kitchen, Nicole Salvesen added drawers and adjustable shelves on either side of the fireplace and used match boarding to cover up the irregular walls, creating a streamlined look. See the full house here.
salvesengraham.com
Michael Sinclair14/18Patrick Williams combined reclaimed Georgian reeded uprights and architraves with new shelves to create bookcases that feel appropriate for this eighteenth-century house in Bath.
berdoulat.co.uk
Sarah Hogan15/18In this small bedroom by Jane Taylor, cupboards are cleverly disguised by panelling made by Sympatico Joinery, while a small cubby hole acts as a bedside table.
janetaylordesigners.com | sympatico.co.uk
16/18‘We love layering joinery,’ says designer Nicholas Spencer, who devised this child’s bed sandwiched between drawers and cupboards.
spencerandwedekind.com
Owen Gale17/18To update some tired built-in wardrobes at her former Notting Hill house, Matilda Goad had panels cut out of the doors before backing them with cane and adding narrow beading to frame the inset.
matildagoad.com
18/18Powder blue tongue-and-groove sliding doors have been used for the wardrobe in this bedroom by Jonathan Tuckey. Sliding doors are an excellent
idea for smaller spaces and the scalloped trim, which goes all the way round the room, is a charming finishing touch.
jonathantuckey.com
