Should I paint the wood bookcases in my library?
mctruett
6 years ago
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seeking opinions on these bookcases for the library
Comments (36)loribee and Connie, thank you for the kind words. Connie, I just spent some lovely time on your blog, totally captivated by your new kittens and your roses. (I'm a new native gardening.) I love seeing what people have done with customizing other pieces but we're just not DIY folks at all. Hubby has ZERO interest and my abilities are limited. So mostly we either have to buy ready to go or pay someone to do things. One other reason to replace these is that I can then move some of them into my office which has shorter shelves and into hubby's office which also has shorter shelves. We need a lot of bookspace. les - no, the store won't come out here and it's not custom as in them building various sizes. Plus the store is an hour away. The fitting is pretty basic - I have 67" on one side of the fireplace and 73" on the other. All bookcases are 12" deep and there is 33" and 46" wide one to be used. So 12" + 46" = 58 with 9" left on one side and 15" left on the other because of course the fireplace isn't in the middle of the wall. :) Those gaps are too wide on either side of the fireplace to look decent and if I use these cases, I can't really make something to fit the small space and match. If I use the pine ones I have more widths to choose from, 24, 30, 36, 48 so I could do a 24 and 30 on one side and 30 and 30 on the other side which, when I add in the 12" depth for the cases from the other wall, gives me an inch to spare. But I need to figure out the heat registers and look at the case bottoms better today to see if we can cut the fronts for registers or mount them on bases of some kind. I tell you, I'm exhausted by all of this. Watching them demo the ceramic tile for the wood floor is going to be a piece of cake after this. :) The other think you might consider, and I dont know for sure what would be cheaper, would be to have the bookcases made of stain-grade plywood, or paint grade that you do in a deep black brown, or a white to match the fireplace. I spent another couple of hours looking at the various manufacturers on the stores website and found a couple of entertainment units that should work. I'll ask about them when we go today. Hubby is picky. We need something for the TV, no problem, but then the 4 components (DVD, TiVo, subwoofer and CD player) need a space that is open on both the front and the back. He won't use glass or cloth doors and wants an open back. (We'll just cut what we need from the back if it doesn't come open.) But like I said, I think there are a few pieces that would work and the handyman came by last night and said that he could do the bridge stuff I wanted. It's the heat registers to solve now. And can I just say again, thank you to all of you who read and comment and hold hands through this process? I don't have anyone local here to bounce this stuff around with so I really, really appreciate it....See MoreUrgent! What paint color for my library/office?
Comments (12)Whoa, that's some room! Thanks for posting the additional photo, jqchen... completely changes my initial impression of the room. You say you want to have the whole house painted before moving in, which is practical, but from a decorating point of view, it makes life harder for you. You say you don't have furniture for this room yet. If you choose a color first, you will then have to choose everything else -- rugs, upholstery, furniture, drapes -- based on that color. That approach limits your options so much! "I fell in love with these chairs / this rug / this whatever / but it doesn't go with the wall color..." Is it possible to postpone choosing the wall color for awhile? It's so much more fun shopping for furniture and rugs when you're not constricted by wall color. The painters will always tell you to paint the walls before bringing in furniture -- because it makes life easier FOR THEM. Not for YOU. I gotta ask, what's going on with that ceiling? Is it a chambered ceiling? A tray? Are there other windows? LOOOOOVE THE ROOM, by the way. Are you keeping the wall-to-wall carpeting?...See MoreShould I paint my wood panelled walls?
Comments (7)Mmmmm, I love that panelling, it appears to be very good quality, and I would definitely keep it as is. It appears that you have plenty of light to keep the room from being dark. Wood-panelled walls along with wood flooring was a staple of the bungalows of the early 20th century as well as for hundreds and hundreds of years in Europe! Personally, I think having some contrast between the floor and the wall panelling is a good idea; using an inlaid border is a great way to transition from one color of wood flooring to another. Area rugs, window treatments, upholstery (get some more color in there besides the brown leather), and artwork will add color and break up the wood tones....See MoreShould I paint the front of the book shelves the same as wood mantle
Comments (13)You don't need ONE wall to be a color. The room has four walls. You don't have high ceilings, so what??! I have no clue what you mean by " The front of shelves." The biggest mistakes made are those that come from over thinking the space, the colors, the POPS , the accents. One color on the front and another on the back You want teal? Paint the BACKS the bookcases in teal. change the tile to a simple light tone stone or tile. Maybe a soap stone surround, if you want something darker. . Paint the mantel white.Then? Minimally add the teal in other accents. A rug with a dab of it..... art ...etc. The point here is you give the room a POINT of view. Design is editing. It's to pick a loose thread from a sweater and follow the unravel . It's a combo of no fear, and a little restraint, all at the same time. I am not a fan of the half way I can't make up my mind/ I can't commit look. : ) If yu want the backs painted? Echo the color elsewhere. or WRAP the room in a color ( no, not teal )...See Moremctruett
6 years agomctruett
6 years agoamykath
6 years ago
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