Custom built-ins and media walls, made to fit the room

What makes a custom built-in different

A good built-in looks like it was always there. Stock bookcases and entertainment units come in fixed widths, so they leave gaps at the walls and ceiling and sit proud of the trim. Our custom built-ins in Las Vegas and Southern California are drawn to the measured wall, scribed to the floor and ceiling, and built in our own factory with the same boxes, doors and finishes we use in kitchens.

That matters most in rooms with odd conditions: a fireplace off center, a soffit, a window that breaks the wall, or a ceiling that slopes. Because nothing is a stock size, each section can be its own width and depth.

Media walls and entertainment centers

An entertainment center is mostly a planning job. The questions we settle on the drawings before building:

• Screen size and mount. We need the TV model and mount to size a recess. Leave room for the next, larger screen if you expect to upgrade.
• Equipment bays. Receivers, consoles and amplifiers give off heat. Each bay gets an air path, such as a vented back, a grille or an opening to a ventilated cavity.
• Cable management. Vertical chases, grommets and removable back panels let your AV installer run and change cables later without pulling cabinets.
• Speakers. Center and side speakers can sit behind grille panels or mesh inserts so sound passes through and the wall stays calm. Mesh also lets infrared remotes work through closed doors, as on the brass-mesh doors of our walnut record console.

Power, outlets and low-voltage wiring are by your electrician and AV installer. We mark their locations on the drawings so everyone builds to the same plan.

Libraries, credenzas and feature walls

Bookcases. Shelf sag is the most common failure in a library wall. A 3/4 inch shelf holding books should stay around 30 inches or less. Past that we go thicker, add a solid hardwood edge that stiffens the front, or break the run with a fixed divider. Adjustable shelves get a few fixed ones mixed in to keep the case square.

Credenzas and consoles. These are furniture, and we build them that way. The walnut record console in our gallery has a lift-up lid over a turntable, record storage below, brass-mesh doors and tapered legs. A dining credenza can be floating, toe-kick based or on legs, with drawers for linens and doors for serving pieces.

Feature walls. The sculpted walnut wave wall above a built-in credenza and our book-matched walnut panel wall show what a wall of wood can do. Panels can hide storage, access doors or a TV, with veneer sequenced so the grain runs continuously across the joints.

Window seats and mudroom benches

Window seats. Plan seat height with the cushion included, usually close to a standard chair. Depth depends on whether you want to sit upright or curl up. Drawers below are easier to use than a lift lid, which suits long, rarely used items.

Mudroom benches. A bench with cubbies, hooks and shoe storage near the garage door takes the most abuse in the house. We choose durable finishes or high-performance laminate for these. For full mudroom and laundry planning, see our laundry and garage cabinets page.

What drives cost, and how a project runs

Cost drivers. Overall length and height, wood species and finish, veneer work such as book matching or carving, the number of drawers and moving parts, integrated lighting, and site conditions like uneven walls or tall ceilings all affect the price.

The process. A designer visits, measures and talks through how you use the room. You get drawings and a fixed, itemized quote. The built-ins are then made in our factory and installed by our own crew. Planning a workspace or a bar in the same room? See home office cabinets and wine and bar cabinets, or browse built-ins in our gallery.