Can I see your built-in bookcase/ent centers?
Comments (13)
janetta_d
16 years agoHi Suzy...
I've been a GW member for several years now, but stopped posting or even lurking for the last year because I was so tired of all the cat fights. Well, I miss the wealth of knowledge and incredible talent on this site, so I am trying to learn to ignore the kitties. I've been lurking here for a few weeks, and just couldn't pass by your request. I was in your same situation last year, as I was trying to formulate some sort of plan for built-ins.
Anyway, here's the first set, put in a couple of weekends ago. This shot was taken the day they were installed, just before I started priming. I love my cabinets. The right side is set up for my little boy's computer (still a couple of years away), with a pullout keyboard drawer. The left side is for tv and other electronic gear. Oh, and there are shelves that you don't see in this photo, one long one on the left, and two on each side of the right hand cabinet.
I only had photos collected from the web when the man came to bid the job. He knew immediately what I wanted and made a quick sketch. A few days later, I received a professional drawing and an estimate. Once I chose this cabinet shop, I set up a time to visit the shop and see their work firsthand. I also chose a door style then. We are extremely happy with our cabinets and I am anxious to get started on the next set in the great room.
Good luck. Hope this helps!
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Your ideas about how to arrange this built-in bookcase, please?
Comments (34)This is probably way too late, but if not....I was flipping the channels the other night (be so glad when the writer's strike is over) and came upon the last few minutes of HGTV's Color Splash, with that David guy. (He's very talented, but can only take so much of him.) The segment was "Dramatic Den Makeover" - (the number for the episode is HCLRS.304 and it will be aired again on January 28 at 8:30 ET. Anyhow, he transformed this space to a gorgeous libary setting. Took prefab bookcases and added crown molding and it was phenomenal! You might find it interesting....See Morebuilt-in bookcases and electrical outlets
Comments (4)First rule...as was already mentioned, you can't have any junction boxes buried in a wall or behind a bookcase without providing access to that box. They all need to be accessible. I've done what you're describing many times. There are a couple of options to think about if I'm reading your situation correctly: If you can bring the existing outlets forward and incorporate them into the back of the bookcase, on the bottom shelf, that's great. The easiest way to do that is to match the location of the junction box with a hole on the back of the bookcase. Then remove the screws that hold the outlet to the existing box and pull the outlet through the hole in the back of the bookcase so the outlet is now in the bottom shelf area. Then use a box extender to increase the depth of the existing box to bring it flush with the back wall of the bookcase and then remount the outlet to the box extender. If you need to add more outlets in the bookcase, you can extend the circuit off any one of the existing boxes as long as you don't exceed the fill capacity of that box. That normally won't be a problem, as the box extender will increases the volume of the box. You can make that extended run out of romex (or conductors in conduit) and run it, properly secured, either through the toe kick of the bookcase, or even up and along the top of the bookcase. You can even run it down through the floor, into your basement, then back up through the floor to where you need it to be. You can make fishing space between the back of the bookcase and the existing wall by screwing furring strips through your drywall and into the wall studs. Then screw your bookcases to the furring strips....See MoreBefore & After Pics Built in bookcases from stained to painted -
Comments (36)msrose the product i used on the fireplace is called DAP All-Purpose Stucco Patch. It's in a red, black and white container. My husband had it in the garage from our old house which was stucco on the outside. It is in a 32oz container. I have no idea if it comes in larger sizes. It's very thick. I actually rubbed it on with my hands and wiped it off. Very messy technique. I wouldn't recommend it. But, I didn't want it really thick. Wanted some of the brick to show. The other reason I did it by hand was because of the grout lines. I felt like i had to rub it in there really good. There is probably an easier way but as thick as that stuff was, I don't know. I just did it on a whim. I am no professional (LOL) for sure (Im in the IT business, definitely not a decorator). I then painted over it with really watered down flat paint to tint it off white. Hope this helps. Sorry I don't know any more about it. Some of the pros on here may be able to add some suggestions to this. I am so glad i did it! I have gotten a lot of compliments on it in person. Here are some additional pictures below. The floor brick you can see in the 2nd one is what it looked like before I put the stucco on it....See MoreBuilt in book cases versus book cases from Crate and barrel or ?
Comments (2)Glad to hear your girls like fairy tale characters. The book was rather difficult with a jillion characters to keep track of but maybe someday they will tackle that also. As far as a pic of the room, it doesn't exist except in my mind. Right now it is filled to the ceiling almost with stuff moved out of our kitchen which has been demolished and any furniture now in the room such as a loveseat and coffee table,etc. will be given/donated away. I'm even not absolutely sure of the arrangement in my diagram but so far I'm tending in that direction. May have to close the wall a bit between living room and dining room because I think a little less openness there might add some coziness and also give me room to put a corner cabinet in the dining room that will kind of be hidden but still useful for storage which is what this house has least of. Obviously, I don't have this all together but I do best one step at a time so if I could make up my mind about the bookcases, I think it would help me move on to the next step of deciding the rest of the furniture/room. Even the fireplace is unfinished and covered with cement backer board ready for marble (which we haven't picked out yet) but I think the bookcases because they will be first thing one sees when they enter the room should be decided first. Thoughts? The house though small is quite nice even if I do say so myself - especially once we get the kitchen remodel finished. (Though we also have a big job ahead of us doing the hardwood floors plus other tasks by contractors - this is not diy). The house is 75 years old but as I continue on this journey of remodeling, it seems my tastes have definitely moved from vintage/eclectic to modern/eclectic. Hence the reason for my indecision. I think the builtin bookcases will definitely bring me back from my modern direction. And I've heard it mentioned here that some think builtin bookcases give a room character. We are very fortunate that our house has so much character that it is not a major concern to add more. Though guess it never hurts. (sorry I'm rambling, it is late , will stop here...)...See Moregk5040
16 years agoHere is ours, we just had it made to match the kitchen cabinets. The family room and kitchen flow right into each other.
a href="http://s122.photobucket.com/albums/o243/gk5040/?action=view¤t=2008_0319_182610-1.jpg"; target="_blank">
karenforroses
16 years agoMy husband built new bookcases and cabinets on either side of the fireplace and we got ride of the old entertainment center. All of the sound equipment went into the cabinets and the T.V. was moved downstairs (we hardly ever watch T.V. so we don't miss it in the living room anyway). This week's project is putting up all new crown molding in the living room and dining room - I'll post pictures when we're done with that part. It's shaping up nicely.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
tracey_b
16 years ago
fnmroberts
16 years agochiefneil
16 years agoI'm not sure this is what you're looking for since it's from my den, but maybe some of the elements will be helpful. It has a lot of small details that help to kick it up a notch.
tracey_b
16 years agofnmroberts
16 years agofairytalebaby
16 years agoUser
16 years agohockeymom4
16 years agoHere are some more. The first one is ours - we're still working on the room. The fireplace is under construction in the picture. The others are pictures we used for inspiration.
fnmroberts