I am a huge fan of built-in furniture. It is one of the most minimal ways to obtain multiple benefits from a single design. You can customize pieces specifically to the needs and uses of the inhabitant, and they are one with the architecture of the building. I love that built-ins reduce the amount of free-standing furniture pieces floating in the room, and allow the architecture to stand alone and shine. This is an excellent example of a built-in dining banquette with storage by the LA-based firm, Marmol Radziner:
