A sleek built-in looks integrated with the architecture in this space. The cabinets are finished with a glossy flat surface, sans handles, so they blend in easily with the surrounding walls. The clean-lined design also plays off the vertically paneled accent wall behind it.
27 Living Room Built-in Ideas for Added Storage and Style
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Published: January 16, 2024
Updated: January 30, 2024
Built-in shelving is so much more than just storage space — it adds character, depth, and polish to a home. In the living room especially, there are lots of items that need stowing out of sight. Plus, it’s an area that gets heavy foot traffic, so it’s smart to have décor on display for guests to enjoy. Built-ins are permanently attached to a home’s interior and offer the perfect solution.
The architectural feature provides the best of both worlds, practically and visually. “The added storage has been known to increase property value,” notes Naïka Andre, principal designer and founder of NJA Interiors. There are also plenty of ways to get creative with built-ins in the living room. “I style them with books, travel trinkets, and decorative storage bins and boxes for added organization,” Andre advises. Curious about how to decorate your built-ins, or do you want to create your own? Check out these built-in living room ideas for inspiration.
02 of Open Living Room Built-in Design
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Open shelving is a clever option to put items on display in your living room. This built-in spans the entire wall, with storage space available from top to bottom. A collection of artwork and books is staged to spark conversation and infuse character into the space.
03 of Festive Living Room Shelves
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Another great aspect of open shelving is that you can always swap out the decor seasonally or as you collect new items. Here, the built-in shelves are adorned with Christmas decorations to ring in the holiday season. The built-in provides a consolidated space to showcase artwork rather than being scattered around the home.
04 of Bright Bohemian Living Room
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This bright, bohemian space benefits from open shelving, as the design makes the room feel spacious rather than closed in. Each nook is livened up with plants and vintage finds. Discreet cabinets are snuck in underneath to hide away eyesores for a curated and pristine aesthetic.
05 of Arched Living Room Alcove
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Built-ins don’t have to look one way! Here, an arched alcove makes room for a pretty built-in display. Wooden floating shelves ground the senses and infuse warmth into the living space. Organic, simple decor is showcased to complement the earthy furnishings — without stealing the spotlight.
06 of Clean Living Room Built-ins
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Built-ins can easily be outfitted to frame the television if that is the centerpiece in your living space. Here, rectangular open shelves offer a clean spot to place decor. Plus, narrow cabinets are added underneath to store away any remotes, electronics, and lightly used items.
07 of Hidden Living Room Window Seat Storage
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Get clever with your built-in placement. This alcove places cabinets underneath the window seat for easy access to extra blankets and pillows. However, guests would never know, as the facade is trimmed with rectangular panels that almost look like wainscoting rather than drawers.
08 of Television Built-in Shelving Display
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A massive built-in sits at the front of this living room, providing an organized, character-driven display for all to enjoy. A big center compartment houses the television, while the surrounding shelves are smaller to display daintier decor. It’s all set in a neutral palette for cohesion.
09 of Soothing Living Room Design
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These living room shelves are swathed in a dove gray, instantly soothing the senses. The decor inside each compartment is kept minimal to emphasize the relaxing feel of the space. One side of the built-in also features a glass panel to protect more fragile items, which also helps to inject a dose of elegance into the scene.
10 of Narrow Shelves for Living Room Decor
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Another take on a television built-in, this one features small square compartments bookending the screen. Each shelf can hardly fit one decorative item, forcing the space to maintain its minimalist, airy feel. Closed cabinets are also included on the top and bottom portions to easily stow away bulkier items.
11 of Moody, Modern Living Room Built-ins
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The built-in shelves in this space are embedded into the wall, blending into the space compared to other built-ins that would jut out. Ornate trim surrounds each unit to amp up the personality of the room and match its sophisticated style. It’s all coated in a deep teal blue to connect with the surrounding moody walls.
12 of Airy Living Room With Open Shelving
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Open shelving makes this living room feel extra light and airy, soaking in natural light and creating spaciousness. To keep the minimalist space feeling crisp, classic paneling spans the bottom portion of the built-in, allowing for more depth without overwhelming the space since it is all painted in the same creamy hue.
13 of Ambient, Cottage-style Living Room
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Pretty plants and portraits decorate the compartments of this creamy living room built-in, playing into the cottage-style feel of the space. The open shelves and wispy curtains create a fresh and breezy look. Rectangular trim embellishes the closed cabinets at the bottom of the built-in for added character.
14 of Embedded Living Room Built-in Ideas
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The corner built-ins here are embedded into the wall rather than protruding, creating a seamless, integrated look. Soothing ceramics and simple black and white photographs decorate the shelves, playing into the living rooms’ classic palette and relaxing ambiance. Cabinets on the bottom feature a rounded knob at the center, as opposed to the sides, of each facade, allowing for satisfying symmetry.
15 of White Living Room With Wooden Built-ins
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You can always craft your built-ins in a different color or material from the rest of your space to make them stand out. Here, two wooden built-ins frame the television and fireplace, contrasting with the smooth, white walls. The decor displayed in each is kept relatively similar so that they look unified, neither unit feeling out of place.
16 of Blended White Living Room Design
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This living room is drenched in whiteness and brightness, so the shelving is kept in the same theme. The compartments are starkly decorated to maintain an airy look. Meanwhile, the geometric drawers on the lower portion of the built-in riff off the rectangular motifs throughout — seen on the coffered ceiling and door panels.
17 of Simple Living Room With Bench Seating
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Open shelving highlights a bench alcove in this living space. After all, built-ins don’t have to be large or elaborate to look impressive. Here, the shelves are painted white to match the neutral furnishings, which helps them stand out against the gray wall behind them. A few larger pieces and some books decorate the surfaces for subtle character.
18 of Whimsical Blue Living Room With White Shelves
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A slim built-in exudes elegance in this contemporary reading nook. The surrounding walls and main armchair are a deep blue, contrasting with the wooden herringbone floor. The shelving is painted a milky white to make the built-in pop and complement the light accents throughout the space. Pink decor and brass accessories help the area shine and infuse whimsy.
19 of Living Room Built-ins Surrounding the Fireplace
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With built-ins that contain compartments of the same size, it’s essential to vary the decor so that it doesn’t feel sterile. Rectangular compartments offer an expansive display on either side of the hearth. Staggered heights and textures are introduced throughout the display to add visual interest and break up the design.
20 of Nostalgic Living Room Decor
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A classic built-in shelf adorns the corner of this living room, making it the perfect spot to showcase family photos and travel trinkets. The open shelving breaks up stuffiness from the wood tones and flat walls. Plus, concealed cabinets are placed underneath for extra storage.
21 of Neutral Built-in Shelving Inspiration
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Seamlessly integrated into the wall, this built-in shelving is encased in ornate trim that matches the floor molding. Vertical shiplap acts as the back wall for the unit, infusing depth and character on its own. However, plants, pots, and books (with the spines facing the walls!) also bring warmth.
22 of Well-balanced Living Room Shelves
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Identical built-ins frame the hearth in this living room. Since they are so similar, the decor placed inside slightly differs while still keeping the same color palette. For instance, the left side has white baskets and an ambient candle. On the right, framed photos and plants decorate the shelves. The varying decor helps the built-ins feel more lived-in and less stale.
23 of Farmhouse Living Room Built-ins
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Another example of balanced built-ins, this space takes the same approach by varying the decor in each compartment so that the units feel complementary. White baskets and ceramics play off the white brick hearth. Meanwhile, wooden photo frames and trays match the oaky floors for a seamless design.
24 of Custom Living Room Wine Rack
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If you’re getting custom built-ins, take note of the name and really customize the unit to your lifestyle. Here, for example, special X-shaped shelves are included to house the owners’ wine collection, making for a pretty and practical display of bottles. Since those shelves are busier in appearance, the rest of the compartments are kept minimally decorated for balance.
25 of Painted Living Room Shelves
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A coat of blue-gray washes over the built-ins of this living room, helping them pop out from the white walls and brick fireplace. The hue plays into the room’s cozy style, working in tandem with the wooden beams and rustic accents to warm up the space. Slim brass lighting hangs atop each column of shelves to illuminate the decor at night.
26 of Organic Living Room Shelves
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White and wood is a combination that never fails in design. Point in case? This airy built-in. The inner compartments are glossy white, while the trim features a light, nutty wood. The wood’s natural grains and textures ground the living room design, creating an organic feel. The decor inside the shelving features natural woven baskets and ceramics to match the nature-inspired theme.
27 of All-white Living Room With Neutral Decor
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Like to keep things simple? A monochromatic palette fits the bill. Here, a classic built-in is placed at the corner of the living room, enveloped in a creamy hue to blend with the walls. Rather than opting for extra color or drama, the decor is kept in a white color scheme to help soothe the senses and create a satisfyingly elegant look.
