In 2021 Nick and I walked into this home for the first time during an open house on a very cold winter day. From the moment we walked into our living room I always envisioned built-in bookcases on this wall of the living room. The home originally had one bookcase on the left side of the window, and to me it never felt complete (see image below).
If you are looking for a step by step tutorial for how we built these this is definitely not the post for you. This project was made 100% possible by my parents. My dad took measurements of our walls and I sent pictures to my mom of what I wanted. My dad then built the book shelves (top parts) back at their home (2hrs away) and brought them to our house to install. What I can share, are the materials that he/we used to put everything together. Head to the very end of this blog post for that complete list.
I had two main goals when we started this project.
1. Create symmetry when looking at this wall. Our window is not centered on the wall but I wanted to created a sense of symmetry with bookcases on both sides of the window. We did this by having 2 columns of shelves on each side and putting similar bottom cabinets closets to the window.
2. Storage. Added storage is always a major benefit to have. We were able to do just that by reusing cabinets from our mud room project. These bottom cabinets are a great addition for board games. We put a bench under the window for storing blankets. I’m sure this bench will become a prime sunning spot for the pups during the summer months.
3. (BONUS Goal) An incentive for reading. This might be lame reason to some people but reading for me is not a strong suite. Looking at our bookshelves right now, I’m excited to fill these shelves with more books over the years to come.
Project Materials & Links
Bottom Cabinets - we repurposed our cabinets from a prior project but linked are similar ones
Top Book Shelves 3/4 in. partical board, bead board,
Paint color: North Woods by Behr Paint
Cabinet Top, Shelves & Bench Top.
Stain Color: Special Walnut by Varathane
Cabinet Knobs
Comments