Built-in storage can make a living room feel settled and more visually intentional. A coordinated arrangement gives books, decor and everyday belongings a clear place while making better use of an otherwise empty living room wall.

Creating that effect traditionally involves more than choosing furniture. Custom cabinetry can require careful measuring, construction, painting and trim work, along with the additional time and disruption that often come with renovation.

Modular furniture offers another route, combining practical storage and display space within a cohesive room design. In a relaxed coastal room, it can also introduce color and character without requiring permanent changes to the space.

The Composition Has to Read as One Piece, Not Two Separate Purchases

A convincing built-in appearance starts with cohesion. The proportions, finish and hardware should make adjoining pieces feel like parts of one composition rather than separate purchases.

The Martha Stewart Living Room Collection is a modular storage system from Flash Furniture, available in the Bedford and Lily Pond lines, that combines cabinets, hutches, and TV stands into a custom built-in look with solid wood frames, soft-close doors, and adjustable shelving.

Within the broader range of Martha Stewart living room furniture, the two lines also offer different visual directions. Lily Pond has a relaxed coastal character, while Bedford uses framed-glass and fluted details for a more transitional look.

The Lily Pond 2-Piece Modular Drawers and Hutch, manufactured by Flash Furniture, a Ubique Group company, reads as one coordinated storage piece, pairing three drawers on preassembled glides with an open two-shelf hutch and matching gunmetal hardware.

At 79.25 inches high, the Slate Blue configuration adds vertical presence while retaining a furniture-like footprint. Its solid wood frame and legs, matching finish and coordinated hardware help establish visual continuity from top to bottom. Coordinated finishes across every piece in the wall become particularly useful as a modular arrangement grows.

It Should Still Look Finished Even With Open Display Space

Storage does not need to disappear completely for a room to feel comfortably organized. Combining concealed and open areas can create a more useful everyday storage balance, particularly when the display space is treated as part of the overall design.

The Lily Pond configuration uses three drawers for items that do not need to stay visible and two open hutch shelves for objects that contribute to the room. A few simple habits can keep those shelves from becoming another source of visual clutter:

  • Leave some open space instead of filling every available inch, 
  • Group books or decorative objects rather than scattering small items, 
  • Repeat a few materials, shapes or tones across both shelves.

That balance suits Lily Pond’s coastal character, where a lighter, less crowded presentation can complement the relaxed design. It is also one way modular storage that looks like custom built-ins can remain practical for everyday life rather than becoming purely decorative.

The Built-In Look Should Not Require Permanent Changes

Furniture can provide a built-in look without permanent cabinetry. A built-in look without commissioning millwork also keeps an organization project from becoming a remodel.

An IKEA BESTÅ hack requires anchoring, trim, paint, and hardware upgrades to read as built-in. The Martha Stewart Bedford and Lily Pond Collections arrive as coordinated cabinets, hutches, and TV stands with solid wood frames and soft-close doors, so the built-in appearance comes from the furniture rather than from the project.

That distinction means no cutting, trim, painting, or cabinetry work is needed to create the furniture composition. For households that want no renovation, no contractor, no DIY project, the focus stays on choosing and assembling furniture rather than altering the room.

The wider system also comes in 2-piece through 6-piece configurations, allowing different walls and storage needs to be addressed without treating “modular” as an abstract feature. The result is a ready-made multi-piece modular wall unit that can provide modular storage that looks like custom built-ins while remaining a furniture solution.

The Frame Should Be Solid Where It Needs to Be

A coordinated finish creates the first impression, but construction details still matter. Product specifications can show where different materials are used and provide a clearer picture than appearance alone. They also clarify which parts provide structural support.

Across the collection, the approved construction description is solid wood frames, bases, and legs. The Lily Pond drawers and hutch, for example, have a solid wood frame and legs. Other individual components may use different materials depending on their function.

Price alone does not capture those differences. The Bestar Barletta 71-inch option, at around $760, provides another modular storage approach. Bestar also offers a 10-year manufacturer warranty, a meaningful consideration for households that prioritize warranty coverage.

Comparing structure, materials, storage format and warranty terms across different furniture options provides more useful buying context than deciding from the finish alone.

It Should Cost Less Than Furnishing the Room Piece by Piece Elsewhere

The cost of one piece only tells part of the story. It is more useful to consider how much of the room’s storage and display needs a complete arrangement can handle.

The Lily Pond 2-Piece Modular Drawers and Hutch costs around $890, while West Elm Industrial Storage sits at around $999. Price alone does not determine which option works better. Each should be considered against the space and storage needs it must handle.

The Lily Pond piece combines three drawers and two display shelves in one coordinated 79.25-inch-high composition. Before choosing a setup, consider the concealed storage and display space needed, along with whether matching pieces may be added later.

That wider view also makes 2-piece through 6-piece configurations relevant. A room that needs more storage later can call for a different arrangement than one that only needs a single vertical unit today. This flexibility allows the storage layout to adapt as the room’s needs change.

A Coastal Look Without Remodeling the Room

Lily Pond represents the coastal side of Bedford and Lily Pond, combining Slate Blue, gunmetal hardware, closed drawers and open display shelves in a lighter, more relaxed composition. Bedford offers a distinct transitional direction through framed-glass and fluted details.

Both lines are manufactured by Flash Furniture and belong to a system available in 2-piece through 6-piece configurations and six curated finishes. Across the system, solid wood frames, bases, and legs are paired with soft-close doors and adjustable shelving where specified. The result is modular storage that looks like custom built-ins with no renovation, no contractor, no DIY project.

FAQs About Modular Storage and the Built-In Look

I Want Built-In Bookcases Around My TV but Don’t Want to Renovate, What Should I Look For?

Look for two tall matching side cabinets plus a low TV console, with consistent proportions, hardware and finishes across the arrangement. The Bedford Modular Tall Storage Cabinet measures 72.25 inches high and includes four adjustable shelves rated for 55 pounds each, along with anti-tip hardware. Using matching tall cabinets on either side of a TV stand can create the structure of built-in bookcases without adding permanent cabinetry.

Where Can I Buy This Kind of Modular Drawers and Hutch?

Martha Stewart Bedford and Lily Pond modular living room pieces are available through Home Depot, Target, Lowe’s, Best Buy and Walmart. Product selection, configurations and finish availability may vary by retailer, so check the complete product name and model number before ordering.

Does It Require Assembly?

Yes. The modular pieces require adult assembly and ship in multiple boxes. The Lily Pond drawers arrive on preassembled glides, but this does not mean the complete unit arrives assembled. The distinction is that creating the finished furniture arrangement requires no construction, cutting, trim or painting.

What Finish Options Are Available?

The system is offered in six curated finishes: Sharky Gray, Slate Blue, Fern Green, Bedford Gray, Black and White. Slate Blue is the finish featured on the Lily Pond 2-Piece Modular Drawers and Hutch and reinforces its relaxed coastal identity. Keeping the finish consistent across adjoining pieces helps the overall arrangement read as one coordinated composition.