Thanks - I said to him the other day to make a fixed shelf the same height as the windowsill (stool) for continuity, and definitely an adjustable/removable under that, and then I have to figure out how many above. I want the adjustable ones to vary by about 3" (don't know if he'll do continuous rows of holes or a recessed standard, those details are up to him) so I can fit big picture books and smaller novels (paperbacks? Though we don't have many) and then when DD is past the picture books we can adjust the shelves lower and fit more normal-sized books. The folding bookshelves we have have the shelves set 12" apart, have plenty of room for most things but not the big picture books, coffee table books, or 3-ring binders (which I don't know how often we'll store downstairs, they belong in the office, but who knows?). Do you think 10.5" - 14.5" between shelves is good? I would have the bottom of the bookcase at 4.5" above the floor with 3.25" baseboard wrapping around, then adjustable shelf at 10.5" - 14.5" above that (15" - 18" above floor), fixed shelf at 27" from floor (so 9" above highest position of lower shelf), then from there to top (about 94" from carpet - he'll have to measure from subfloor) we'll have 6 more shelves adjustable in 10.5" - 14.5" increments with I'd say a 5" frieze board (middle arched) at the top. I'll have him play with the frieze board height after I find some pine CM I like. We can always cut the number of top shelves to 5, for a total of 6 adjustable and 1 fixed shelf plus the bottom of the bookcase would give us 16 linear feet (varying heights) of shelf space per bookcases. Think a fixed shelf a little lower than 1/3 height will be stable enough considering 1/2" plywood back screwed to the stud at open edge, and wall anchors on the other side (butted into corner)? I think 32 lf of shelf in one room would be enough considering that between the study and DS's room (not counting his headboard or printer stand) we have 35 lf and that held all of DH's and my books before we moved, DD now has 4 lf with the Goodwill bookcase and she can also use her nightstands (about 1.5 lf each) if she is keeping books in her room, but most of her stuff ends up downstairs. If I prime and paint the plywood before he puts the backs on (I'll see if he can do the sides, top and bottom and the fixed shelf, then let me stain it before he puts the back on) it shouldn't be too hard. It's just going to be repainting it in place that'll be tough, but hopefully the FR will stay this color for a long time and we won't even see scuffs inside the bookcase if we fill it. Do you know if I can use my latex wall paint over an oil-based primer? I don't want to use latex primer on plywood and have it bubble and peel.

Jjam!! OMG - I was eyeballing that very same bookcase in my latest Ballards catalog....was thinking that the openess of the shelves wouldn't compete as much with the ET. But, DH has made me made some decisions :( - outside patio work or inside & with spring in the air I am choosing working on our patio!! (there will be pics soon & many questions - yall are so great!!) Sooooo, I am going to keep the curio cab that is there......I would like to get 2 stools or chairs to flank each side (that could be pulled up when we have guests) How do yall feel about these chairs from Pier 1? They are on sale.... Too much wood or should I go for a bench? Kilm stool - 17" high Thank you for the compliments....there is still something not quite right in here - I think it feels a little stale - looking for something to kick it up a notch or two!! Ting - the rug is Karastan English Manor Kensington. I looked on the Macy's website for it....not seeing it there. I have been soooo happy with this rug - nervous about the lighter background but it cleans up like a workhorse. DH burned our grass last week & came in with TONS of soot on his shoes, of course he walked right on the rug but it cleaned up perfectly. 3 dogs & kids, too. Smiles:) Here is a link that might be useful:

Florantha, I am planning a bookcase almost exactly the same dimensions as yours (30" wide by 84-90" high depending on what looks eye sweet at the time.) I have built zillions of bookshelves in my day, and if you use full 1" or 1 1/8" dimensional lumber for shelves up to about 30", you can usually avoid having to have a vertical in the middle. Having the shelf without an extra vertical in the middle looks better, IMO, unless you are going to having a second unit next to it. (And anybody who already has that many cookbooks may need another case soon, what with the way books breed when you're not paying attention......) A couple of things to think about: do you want adjustable height shelves? These allow for later adjustment when your collection grows, but they are not as sturdy as shelves that are fixed from the start. It's possible to have some of each, too. I also advise having at least some different height shelves, in order to maximise the books you can store. A case in which all the shelves are the same height is boring to look at, IMO. In general cases look best with wider spacing on the bottom, gradually moving to shorter heights above. But you can have a couple of tallish shelves underneath a single shelf that's even taller at about waist or windowsill height, followed by the rest of the shelves being shorter. Sometimes it looks better (in case of taller shelves X2 or 3, below the tallest shelf) to have the bottom shelves a few inches deeper, then have the case step-back a couple of inches, sort of like hutch, at the level of the floor of the tallest shelf and from there in upwards. Be sure to have the bottom shelf several inches off the floor (I usually do about 6">; floors are not good places for books. It can also look good to have doors over the lower couple of shelves in a hutch-style step-back case. This is great storage and good for those messy-looking papers. If you paint the shelves, you'll need to let them cure for at least a couple of weeks, preferably a month, before loading the books. Book edges have a fatal affinity for un-cured paint (even after it seems dry, it is not cured). They may stick, tear, and discolor if stored on or even near, fresh paint. Even after a month, I always lay down a liner of that polypropylene stuff that they use to cover dust jackets on library books. (You can order it from library supply houses like DEMCO.) For strength I usually have a cleat nailed along the back of the case underneath the shelf. Along the sides, another cleat can be nailed, as long as it kind of fades away before reaching the front, sort of like a very narrow corbell. But your cabinet maker may have ideas, too. The key thing is to not skimp on the thickness of the shelf boards. Properly sized boards will stay true and level, no matter how many copies of Gourmet and Mark Bittman you plunk down on them. When you have a plan (shelf height and widths) get some large newsprint paper and draw it, full scale and stick it up and see how you like it. As for lighting, it's hard to tell what will work for you. I plan to have a reading chair by my shelves in a corner of my kitchen near a french window. I'll probably have a floor lamp, because my chair is meant for reading, not just decor. Keep in mind that sunlight is hard on books, as is the light from CFL bulbs. I don't know about LEDs, though. I plan to put UV resistent covers on my favorite cookbooks as they will get sun during the winter, alas. To my mind a reading nook by a window is a kitchen essential, (more essential to me than a window by the sink, for which I am getting prodded on my current layout critique thread). But then I think a reading nook is essential in every room. My dining room is a dining room by grace of a table in the middle of a library, with a sideboard thrown in for effect. I think if you're a book lover/fiend then rooms without books look nekkid, in ways that mystify non-book people. Face it, it's a disease, for which there is no easy cure. Oh, yeah: books and steam and grease are not happy companions so make sure your venting is good. There are also some books devoted to pictures of (whate else?) bookshelves, perhaps your library has some. I can hunt about and get some titles if that will help. Nancy

Paint the whole room a light, neutral color. Take the woodwork white. Paint the bookcases to match the wall color so it blends into the wall. Limewash the fireplace and add lights on either side if at all possible. Add a decorative screen as well. Switch out the ceiling fan for a large diameter drum shade light that is flush to the ceiling on a dimmer. Look at putting a graphic wallcovering on the tv wall. Computer area under pass-thru to kitchen or create a small reading. See attached floor plans for conceptual ideas since I don’t have actual dimensions.