Ever feel like there’s some wasted space in your house that could be utilized better? Wondering if a built-in bookcase or built-in bookshelves may help? Read on for more details of how a built-in bookcase or built-in bookshelves can not only increase functionality but also increase your home’s value.
In the pictures on this page, which are also on my portfolio page, my client had a nook in a recreational living space that no existing furniture fit. The two sides were walled around structural support for the house, so taking the side walls out and making it one big flat wall was out of the question.
Sorting through some collections of things that had been unpacked since the move but had never really found a home, the idea came to put some floating shelves to display some of their favorite display items. Then the shopping started for floating shelves and with it came the realization that it was going to be very expensive to get anything near the right size, even before factoring shipping.
I was asked if I had any ideas, and after taking a look at the space I realized I could make custom shelves to fit the space. They would maximize the display space and give my client exactly what she wanted- the perfect size for the space, custom-fit to the three walls, and with the exact desired finish.
It started with deciding how many shelves she wanted and then exactly where each one would go to allow her to display the items she wanted. Because these were bigger size display shelves, initial framing was done with stock wood sizes, which is just a way of saying less trimming or planing of the wood had to be done, saving some steps.
Since walls are rarely straight, each front and back piece was cut exactly to size, and even though the rear support piece was attached to several studs, there was also nearly a pressure fit because each piece was “made to measure.”
As you can and will see, I’m a stickler for things being level, even though there are tons of places in most houses that are not. However, some decent drywall work, paint, and carpentry can make a world of difference.
Keeping in mind the added height that the shelf top and bottom would add, we set about having three total shelves equally spaced apart.
As you can see, I had already finished the top shelf with a stain grade plywood. Whatever you use here is your choice, and you could save money with a lesser grade plywood if this was purely going to be for storage, for instance. Also, different woods take different stains in…you guessed it…different ways. In this case. we used a small piece of scrap ahead of time with three or four different stains. Ultimately, the client decided on using the same stain as on their front door, which was a nice bit of consistency in the house.
Finishing up all three shelves, I then sanded and stained the shelf at least twice (it may have been three times; I’m not 100% at this point) and then finished with either two or three coats of polycrylic on the top surface for extra protection and durability, adding a very light sanding between coats. In some cases you may want a polyurethane instead; it depends somewhat on use case as well as personal preference. More on the difference between polycrylic and polyurethane here.
Ultimately, the client was very happy with the result, and even called me around the holidays to thank me again as some of the space was utilized for some Nutcrackers in addition to the regular display items.
If you’re interested in a similar project, or just a consultation on some options, contact me today to set up a consultation for adding built-in bookshelves or a built-in bookcase to increase your home’s value and functionality.