With our Book Club series, we hand over the proverbial mic to our Experts—letting them share their work, thought process, and best tips, all in their own words. The following is an excerpt from Kate Marker’s book Love of Home, published this month with Gibbs Smith.

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I’ll cut to the chase: this is not the sexiest topic.

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Talking about balance and function rarely is, right? Yet, ironically, the feeling of balance, of symmetry in our lives, is something we humans tend to crave.

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The adage “too much of a good thing” rings true. So we try to embrace the ride on life’s seesaw, toggling to find balance between work time and playtime, together time and alone time, all the while trying to support others’ schedules and not let our own get away from us. Working toward balance, while knowing we’ll never have it all figured out, is an invisible yet necessary part of life. I’d go so far as to say it’s a big part of what keeps us functioning and healthy. I’d argue the same for the proper placement of things in the design of our homes. Balance is the invisible structure that makes a space feel good, makes it all work. It’s what’s holding up the beautiful aesthetic we adore while keeping it all from chaos.

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When it comes to truly creating a space for every little thing, millwork tricks of the trade are where it’s at. The following subtle fixes are just a few examples of how my team and I bring function and beauty together behind the scenes—a winning combination every time.

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Pay Attention to Every Angle

Instead of visible continuous drill holes (to position shelving) down the sides of a built-in, my team and I have developed a special little panel that can be placed inside the built-in so that it looks beautiful from every angle.

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Let It Shine

Admittedly I’m not the biggest fan of glass shelves—maybe they’re just a little too contemporary for my tastes—but if I put a light at the top of a built-in, I want that light to shine all the way through the piece. So I’ve taken to lining the front of the shelf in wood, so what you see is a wooden shelf, but then leaving glass on the back portion of the shelves so that the light comes through beautifully all the way down and throughout the built-in.

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Add Little Luxuries

Lining the front edge of a kitchen trash pullout with a strip of metal—I typically use brass, stainless steel, or iron—not only keeps this highly used item from wearing down as quickly (not to mention easier to clean and thus more sanitary) but it looks beautiful too. Now, every time you do something as mundane as toss a piece of trash, you’ll get a happy little glimpse of this gorgeous piece of metal at the top of your drawer.

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Keep It Connected

A desk with a small brass-framed grommet hole built into the top offers a sleek way to hide cords from laptops, monitors, and other electronic devices. Nightstand drawers with cutouts at the back allow you to charge your phone at night while tucking away surface clutter (not to mention distraction from sleep).

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Creative, functional solutions that provide the “right place” for elements in our homes really do affect how we live in and feel about them. Achieving balance doesn’t always mean going big. Often it’s hidden in the little details.

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Order Love of Home for more tips, or book a consultation with Kate to get personalized advice for your space.