The Golden State: Where & How to Live, Secure, Visit, Enjoy and Thrive in California
Built In Cabinets And Storage Walls
The why And How Of Built-Ins
WE MAY SAY, GENERALLY, THAT BUILT-INS REPLACE HORIZONTAL STORAGE WITH VERTICAL STORAGE. INSTEAD OF SCATTERING WORKING AND STORAGE SPACE AND OTHER ARTICLES over the floor, built-ins stack them up against or into a wall. For example, let us take three typical articles of furniture that may be found in most living rooms: a desk, a TV set and a bookcase. Each of these takes up or uses not only the floor space on which it stands but an additional area on each end which is wasted. These three pieces cannot be ranged along a wall without space between them or they would give the room the appearance of a warehouse or storeroom. They need space between them to set them off. Neither can this space be added to passage area or thoroughfare.. If the desk, for instance, were placed flush with a door opening, everyone would be constantly bumping against the corner. Aside from providing a place to lean a walking stick, these triangular back-eddies on each end of articles of furniture at best can only become untidy catch-alls, making more difficult the housewife's cleaning chores. The total floor space made useless by these three pieces is about 25 square ft.
But let us combine them in a built-in that reaches to the ceiling—a comparatively low ceiling of 90" or 7 1/4 ft. The total floor area utilized here is only 14 square ft., a saving of 1 1 sq. ft. or 44%. In addition, there is a large cupboard space of about 20 cubic ft. under the desk and TV set — far more than the desk alone could supply — and there are an additional 2 cubic ft. of shelf space above.
The following pages are intended to give some of the basic principles that should apply to all good built-ins. If these principles are adhered to, you can be confident that the resulting structure will prove efficient and g've satisfaction.
THREE VERTICAL ZONES OF ACCESSIBILITY. The most accessible space is that which can be reached without stooping or without having to get a ladder or chair to stand upon. This distance extends from 30" to 78" from the floor. In this space, shown as Zone 1 in the sketch, those articles which are in constant use should be stored. The space shown as Zone 2 — from the floor to 30" above it — should be reserved for those things that are less frequently used. The space in Zone 3 should be kept for the storage of seasonal articles or those rarely needed.
DOORS SHOULD OPEN FULL WIDTH AND HEIGHT. Wherever possible, doors should open the full width and height of the storage space. This is equally important for the small cupboard shown here, which traps and hides books at the sides and bottom, as it is for large walk-in closets. Cleaning is easier where doors open full width and height.
