Furniture Design

Built-in/Stationary

When built-in furniture is carefully inte­grated with its surrounding space, it can enhance the continuity of the architec­ture. Built-in casework and millwork require on-site installation and mechani­cal attachment to a floor, wall, or ceiling.

In these situations, designers must con­sider ways in which relatively imperfect or irregular existing conditions will receive precisely fabricated elements.

Reveals, shims, and scribed edges must be incorporated in the design of built-in casework. Plaster and wallboard parti­tions are rarely flat. Floors and ceilings are seldom level. What lies behind inte­rior surfaces is often a mystery. In addi­tion, the placement of built-in millwork and stationary furnishings are critical in

regard to their impact on the circulation of the surrounding space, as illustrated in the built-in study carousels of Exeter Library designed by the architect Louis Kahn (Figure 3.39).

Wall-mounted panels and cabinets attached to interior partitions are generally sup­ported by French cleats, which are interlocking hardware devices—one applied to the panel, the other secured to the wall. French cleats are conventional means of supporting heavy wall-mounted panels, cabinets, and display systems.