\u00a0Their true colors begin to show as the dust settles onto the tops of the flat-painted shelves, which are impossible to clean.\u00a0 Once you start to put items on the shelves\u2014especially something heavy like a TV, it chips.\u00a0 Check out our built-in beauty.\u00a0 When my boys decided they needed to plug in their Playstation, they climbed the built-in and slid the TV leaving gouges in the drywall.<\/p>\n
They are difficult to use for storage because they are built for display.\u00a0 You are forced to invent storage solutions that look like displays.\u00a0 With our entertainment center built-in, there was no good way to hide equipment and cords without sacrificing the ability to use a remote control.![\"drywall](\"https:\/\/www.blowingawayoutwest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Drywall-built-in.jpg\")
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A BETTER BUILT-IN<\/strong><\/p>\n A built-in can be beautiful and functional.\u00a0 An extraordinary built-in keeps storage secrets while showing its best side.\u00a0 Where drywall built-ins are one note, combining elements in a custom built-in is a symphony of beauty.<\/p>\n THE DESIGN<\/strong><\/p>\n When we were finally ready to replace our unsightly drywall entertainment center, it took us a while to decide on a design.\u00a0 We always start by looking at pictures.\u00a0 We learned a long time ago that design elements are often lost in translation between the two of us without photographic backup.<\/p>\n In this case we knew we wanted to keep the fireplace and the entertainment center functions but we also wanted a statement wall.\u00a0 We looked at photographs of fireplaces, built-ins, and statement walls before settling on a design that combined the three elements we were looking for. AN OPEN FIREPLACE<\/strong><\/p>\n One element we knew we wanted to keep was the fireplace.\u00a0 The fireplace was a contained natural gas unit that vented outside, with glass on the front.\u00a0 Over time the glass became foggy from the burned gas fumes and was impossible to clean.\u00a0 During the summer one year a lizard crawled into the unit through the vent and died inside, its body pressed against the glass.\u00a0 The fireplace had to go.<\/p>\n We opted for an open fireplace with a gas log unit.\u00a0 This created the look and feel of a wood burning fireplace without the upkeep.<\/p>\n THE MAGIC OF HIDDEN STORAGE<\/strong><\/p>\n Initially, our desire for a sleek statement wall and an entertainment center seemed to be at odds.\u00a0 Add a bunch of built in shelves for electronics and suddenly it\u2019s no longer a statement wall.\u00a0 The solution was to hide the electronics in the statement wall.\u00a0 We built a box inside the entertainment center above the fireplace and attached a hinged door with a perforated metal sheeting that allowed us to stow our electronics.\u00a0 The holes in the metal sheeting allows remote control access to the electronics.<\/p>\n THE DESIGN THAT I LOVED AND NEARLY KILLED MY HUSBAND<\/strong><\/p>\n Kevin is so willing bring my designs to life with his hard work, that he didn\u2019t even blink when I told him that I wanted hand-stacked stone from floor to vaulted ceiling. This required him to measure and cut each piece, stacking it from the bottom to the top. We estimate that he climbed a ladder nearly 4,000 times to complete my design.<\/p>\n The new entertainment center built-in exceeded my expectations.\u00a0 It\u2019s functional, it\u2019s beautiful and it is the focal point of the room.<\/p>\n Check out our other posts on the nitty-gritty of bringing it to life.\u00a0 Let us know what you think in the comments below. Built-in drywall shelving is such a nightmare.\u00a0 Compared to sleek built-ins made of naturally beautiful fine woods and stone, they are the ugly stepsister.\u00a0 I understand the initial draw.\u00a0 A drywall built-in immediately brings dimension to what would otherwise be an ordinary wall. THE PROBLEM WITH A DRYWALL BUILT-IN \u00a0Their true colors begin to show […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":518,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-big-projects"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"built-in](\"https:\/\/www.blowingawayoutwest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Built-In-Entertainment-Center-2-776x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"built](\"https:\/\/www.blowingawayoutwest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/Entertainment-Center-Built-In-512x1024.jpg\")
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