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Fireplace bookcases, media walls, window seats, office and mudroom built-ins, designed and built on site by owner Chris Muragas for homes in Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh.
Built-ins made for your wall, not a catalog
A pair of bookcases flanking the fireplace, a window seat with drawers underneath, a media wall that hides the cords, a home office built into the flex room: custom built-ins are the carpentry project Cary homeowners ask about most, and the one that changes a room the most for the money. HomePro Remodeling designs, builds and installs built-ins across Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina and Raleigh. Chris Muragas, a second-generation carpenter with nearly 20 years in the trade, scribes every piece to your walls, floor and ceiling so it looks like the house was built around it. Built-ins are part of our custom carpentry service.
Built-ins we build
- Fireplace built-ins. Floor-to-ceiling bookcases or cabinets on one or both sides of the fireplace, with a matching mantel and surround if you want the whole wall done at once. The single most requested project in Cary’s 1990s and 2000s two-story homes.
- Media walls and entertainment centers. A recessed TV, closed storage below for components, open shelving above, and cable pass-throughs so nothing shows.
- Home office built-ins. A built-in desk with a wood or stone top, drawers, file storage and shelving, sized to the room’s exact width.
- Window seats and reading nooks. A bench with lift-up or drawer storage underneath, flanked by bookcases, in a bay window or a dormer.
- Mudroom lockers and benches. Open or doored lockers, a bench with cubbies, hooks and a shelf, sized to the space by the garage door. See our carpentry page for mudroom and laundry cabinetry.
- Dining room and butler’s pantry cabinetry. Built-in hutches, buffets with a counter, and glass-front uppers that match your kitchen cabinets.
- Bedroom and closet built-ins. Wardrobes, bookcases around a bed, and closet systems in real wood with drawers and adjustable shelving.
- Bathroom linen towers and vanities. Built-in linen storage and furniture-style vanities to match a bathroom remodel.
How we build them
| Part | What we use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Painted built-ins | Paint-grade poplar face frames and doors, MDF or plywood panels, filled, sanded, primed and sprayed or brushed | Stays flat, takes paint cleanly and matches your existing trim color |
| Stained built-ins | The hardwood you choose, such as white oak, maple, cherry or walnut, with matching veneer panels | Shows the grain and can be finished to match floors or kitchen cabinets |
| Shelves | Three-quarter-inch plywood with a solid wood edge, sized so they do not sag under books | Store-bought units use thinner shelves that bow within a year |
| Hardware | Soft-close drawer slides and concealed hinges, adjustable shelf pins | Drawers that close quietly and shelves you can move later |
| Fit | Scribed to the wall, floor and ceiling, with filler and trim matched to your room | No gaps, no dead space above, no visible fasteners |
Lighting inside the unit, outlets in the cabinet for a TV or a lamp, and glass doors are all options we plan before the first cut.
Custom built-ins versus store-bought
A pair of flat-pack bookcases will cost less on the day you buy them. They will also leave a gap at the wall, stop a foot short of the ceiling, and sag in the middle. Built-ins are measured to the room, run to the ceiling, hide the cords and the baseboard, and get painted the same color as your trim, which is why a room with built-ins reads as finished in a way a room with furniture never does. Our article are custom built-ins worth it? covers cost and value in more detail.
Where built-ins pay off in a Cary home
Most of the homes we work in across Preston, Lochmere, Cary Park, Amberly and the Apex and Holly Springs subdivisions were built between the mid-1990s and the mid-2010s with the same floor plan features: a family room with a fireplace and a blank wall on each side, a formal living room or flex room nobody uses, and a laundry or mudroom off the garage with nothing in it. Those three spots are where built-ins earn their keep. A flex room becomes an office you want to work in, a family room gets storage for everything that is piling up, and the mudroom stops the shoes and backpacks at the door.
How a built-in project works
- Free in-home consultation. Chris measures the wall, checks what is behind the drywall, looks at the ceiling line and the trim profile, and sketches options with you.
- Drawing and written quote. You get a scaled drawing of the piece and an itemized quote before any work starts.
- Build. Cabinet boxes and face frames are built, then set, scribed and trimmed in place. If an outlet or lighting circuit is added, a licensed electrician does it and the town inspects it.
- Finish and walkthrough. Fill, sand, prime and paint or stain, then a walkthrough together before we call it done.
Most built-ins take a few working days on site plus finishing time, and we give you a schedule with the quote. Our process page explains what to expect while we are in your home.
Built-in questions we hear most
How much do custom built-ins cost?
It depends on the size of the unit, painted or stained, the number of drawers and doors, and whether lighting or outlets are added. Our guide to custom built-in costs and value covers typical ranges, and every HomePro quote is itemized for your room.
Painted or stained?
Painted built-ins matched to your trim color are the most common choice in Cary homes. Stained pieces in white oak, maple, cherry or walnut suit a study or a dining room. Either way we show you samples before you decide.
Can you match my existing trim and cabinets?
Yes. We match baseboard and crown profiles from stock or have them milled, and we can match the door style and color of your existing kitchen cabinets for a butler’s pantry or dining room piece.
Do built-ins need a permit?
Not on their own. If we add an outlet or lighting inside the unit, the electrical work needs a permit from your town and HomePro pulls it.
Can you hide the TV cords and components?
Yes. A media wall gets cable pass-throughs, ventilated component storage and an outlet inside the cabinet so nothing shows from the sofa.
Do you do small pieces, like a single window seat?
Yes. Single pieces are a good fit for the way HomePro works and are often how a client first meets Chris. Tell us what you have in mind.
Get a free estimate for your built-ins
Call (919) 758-3683 or request a free estimate. Chris comes out, measures the wall and gives you a drawing and an itemized quote.