With so many of us spending hours every day in our home office – either as a home-based business or as a remote worker – having a functional space is important to productivity. As a designer for Valet Custom Cabinets & Closets, I needed a place to meet with clients and a place to work on the computer creating designs. But limited space meant I needed to combine my office with a family room. I wanted to be able to relax and watch TV after the workday was over.

With the winter solstice behind us and the holidays over, it may feel like spring is just around the corner. But for the next month or two, those long, dark winter evenings invite us to settle in, put up our feet, pour a tall glass of our favorite adult beverage and turn on a binge-worthy show. Or maybe you want to level-up on that new video game you got for Christmas, battling aliens or racing exotic cars against the kids. Valet Custom Cabinets & Closets can create a perfect built-in entertainment center to make those cozy evenings at home even better. Since in many houses, the home theater is also the main living area or the bedroom, the versatility that comes with a built-in media center means a peaceful atmosphere when the T.V. is off and cutting-edge viewing and gaming when the time is right.

Driving around in Pleasanton, you notice a few things. First of all, it's a great place for families, as all the people leisurely walking down Main Street let us know. USA Today even says it is the 4th-best place to live in the country (though residents might question why it’s not first). The second thing you notice is that construction of new houses is a booming business. Pleasanton homes tend to be roomy, with 3-and-4 bedroom homes having more square footage than the national average. Houses that size need a center, a focal point for family and friends. For many, and especially for families in Pleasanton, that choice is the room with the media center. It’s where you gather to watch TV, and where the kids can play video games, or watch a documentary that helps them with their homework. It’s a room that’s going to get a lot of use, and it’s important to get it right. Given that media alcoves in newly constructed homes range from 48-96” wide, finding furniture pieces to fit properly can be difficult, even if the space is already fully wired for power, internet and television. That makes custom cabinetry the perfect solution.