One of the greatest struggles in home design is balancing style and function. Obviously having your home look its best is the goal, but if it lacks functionality, such as a good flow, purposeful design and lots of storage options, it absolutely won’t be as enjoyable!

I’ve been really attracted to built-in storage options lately, particularly built in shelving. Done correctly, built-in shelving achieves both style and function, allowing you to display things like books, art and decorative items in a stylish way, but also providing space for storage boxes and baskets for extra functionality. I love the look of a wall of shelves acting as a decorative element!

Another great aspect of built-in shelving is it can be surprisingly easy and inexpensive to do yourself! You can repurpose IKEA or other inexpensive shelving options to make them feel custom, or completely start from scratch. Do I sense a new quarantine project?