Built-ins are not just “details,” although they’re often referred to by that term. Rather, as any old-house enthusiast can attest, they are what make old homes charming, functional, and hard to replicate in new construction.
Throughout architectural history, built-ins and freestanding furniture have jockeyed for position. Manor houses during the Middle Ages had built-in features, such as settles, that likely predated the creation of their freestanding counterparts. America’s great contribution to the ascendency of built-ins was the concept of the closet. While Europeans clung to their armoires, built-in closets became the norm in late 19th-century America. In the 1920s, German and Austrian modernists debuted the “Frankfurt” kitchen, which replaced freestanding hutches and cabinets with fitted cabinetry and continuous counters—still the standard today in American kitchens.
The golden age of built-ins occurred during the Arts & Crafts era. Built-in settles and inglenooks harkened back to the Middle Ages. But as floor plans became more open, Arts & Crafts bungalows began to showcase built-ins in modern ways.