There isn’t a home that, at the very least, has a built-in kitchen in some form, but this kitchen is the personification of built-in joinery. What I love about this kitchen is its contemporary design for its contemporary setting. The design finds the perfect balance in what should be on show and what should be hidden behind cupboard doors. Even the traditional dining table has been dispelled, with an integrated, multi-functional table used for eating, food preparation and good conversation incorporated into the design instead.

Living rooms have become more casual with the advent of open-plan living and the need to house a multitude of family playthings. But for a room that is now reserved for all occasions, built-in wall joinery, can solve a fundamental issue: not everyone wants to see the TV, the hanging chords of a games console or the kids’ toys strewn across the rug. However, sometimes you also don’t want to see the joinery that houses these items either.In this living room, the joinery acts like a wall-hung piece of art, or could pass as a panelled wall finish. This is achieved by using the textured brick wall to help distinguish the joinery, then using overhead cupboards that all have the same sized doors and no handles. They are either opened by touch catchers or from below, with the doors extending beneath so you have something to grab. This is an important detail, as the inclusion of handles would take away the feeling of a monochromatic wall and would definitely give away that they are cupboards.The recessed black open shelving below is the only indication of storage. The shelves show off the carefully colour-coordinated books and create a black shadowline helping to accentuate the white boxes above.

Joinery doesn’t have to have one function. Yes, it’s primarily designed to store things, but clever joinery does more than that – it can engage with you and solve other issues that you may or may not even be aware of.This wonderful daybed, window seat or storage cupboard, call it what you like, is one such versatile piece of built-in joinery. It’s a couch to sit on when you have a multitude of friends visiting; it’s a daybed to relax on, read a book and enjoy the summer rays; and it’s a storage box hiding every conceivable item, all hidden under the upholstered cushions.

Home theatres have become more common with the advent of sophisticated viewing platforms such as large TV screens and projectors. Rooms are now designed to house and integrate technology once only reserved for movie theatres. However, unlike going to a movie house, you don’t have to be seated in row after row after row.Why not have custom built-in joinery incorporating storage and seating such as that constructed in this home. Movie for two? No problem – sit and relax in the two-seat upholstered couch, or if you plan to have more family members, gather around the abundance of seating that surrounds the perimeter. Unlike the living room, you can be more restrained with the amount of storage you enable, as the real highlight here is the viewing screen.

Built-in joinery doesn’t have to be relegated against a wall but can act as a wall in its own right, too. Sydney architect Andrew Benn has designed a versatile space at the top of a staircase where the joinery acts as a wall divider. Open shelves display various items and allow you to see through them to the space beyond. They act as both a storage solution and a balustrade to the open void of the staircase. Unlike a piece of stand-alone furniture, which is limited in size, floor-to-ceiling joinery allows you to house more items and with a limited floor footprint, reserving the rest of the space for living.

With space becoming a premium in homes, clever design solutions that incorporate a multitude of functions in the one space are now being sought after by homeowners who are eager to accommodate their family’s needs without having to expand their homes.Built-in joinery is one way to limit the footprint that a piece of furniture would otherwise take. The designers of this Malvern home have been able to accommodate a kitchen, dining room, living space and a hideaway home office secretly behind orange sliding doors, in a compact space. All the joinery is integrated to its particular role and colour coordinated to give individual appeal.In my introduction, I mentioned that the amount of removable furniture can be limited by incorporating joinery that remains with the house when sold. As you can see from this photo, the only pieces of furniture required to make the room complete is a couch and dining table. How easy will it be when you have to pick up and move to another home with a whole new set of design considerations.

Joinery sometimes needs to be really simple, like this open shelf unit above the bed. It houses – and displays – a mix of personal items. However, the real hero of the bedroom, is the room to the side that houses a built-in robe. It has been cleverly designed to appear as a piece of joinery, a box within the room, where the walls are clad in timber, disguising what would normally be a plastered and painted finish; and the walls stop short of the ceiling allowing you to appreciate the overall original size of the room. It’s a great way to introduce a contemporary element into a period room setting without destroying its integrity.

How about two rooms in one? This Balmain house, uses joinery even beyond its intended brief. In its open position, the bed folds down to create a bedroom for its occupants. Fold the bed away and it’s out of site and hidden, making room for a home office during the day. Integrating clever design ideas like this not only give you flexibility for a growing family but also give you an additional space to work with for visiting guests. No need to build a seldom-used additional bedroom or find a place to house a foldaway bed…

Just when you thought that joinery could only be relegated to the inside of your house, architects have come up with new design solutions for those alfresco spaces that are now cropping up in almost every new home and extension. The Australian way of life dictates that we love to live outside, therefore why should our newly-created outdoor kitchens be neglected in their design and aesthetic appeal? A concrete bench housing a barbecue and sink at a lower level that becomes a built-in seat at the upper deck level. Under-bench storage houses outdoor upholstered seats as needed.TIP: If you plan to have your own outdoor joinery, it must be made of durable weather-approved material such as this concrete bench. There is also a material available called alfresco laminate, which is weather resistant and suitable for constructing joinery units.