Want to build DIY fireplace built ins? See the play-by-play of how our craftsman style built ins were created using MDF, white paint, stone & marble tile.
One of the first changes I made to our split-level home was expanding the small kitchen. I made an open concept kitchen and living space. While the living room was cozy, it needed a little
Built-ins flanking a fireplace create synergy between form and function. Display spaces properly style a fireplace while also providing smart storage solutions. And custom built-ins allow ample room for showcasing your unique personality. Our collection
Brick Fireplace DIY Updates Don’t let that old brick fireplace be an eye sore anymore! Update your fireplace today with ideas that require little money and even less stress. 3 easy DIY updates to turn that old fireplace into a new accent to your space! 1. Built-ins: A great way
Easy step-by-step tutorial to build a fireplace. These free plans make this easy DIY fireplace so simple. Add a touch of cozy to any room...
A DIY Electric Fireplace surround with built-ins
Looking for a way to add built-in shelves & fireplace to your home without spending a fortune? Check out this IKEA hack to make the process faster
Take a look at the new custom cabinetry in my living room including cabinets, bookcase, fireplace mantel and surround.
Part 2 of DIY built in cabinets around the fireplace: Detailed instructions on how to build the upper bookcase part of built ins including trimwork.
The day our fireplace went in, I knew I’d made a mistake. After much deliberation (and if you know me well, you know I’m referring to stressed out, back and forth, franticly researched decision making) we paid extra to put a “doghouse” out the side of the house so that the fireplace didn’t stick too far …
BDIY ookcase Built-in's with Fireplace Insert by Remodelando la Casa
Hi friends! Today, I am sharing how we repurposed two old bookcases and turned them into built-ins for our hearth and mantel!
We recently bought a new house. Ever since I laid eyes on the living room, I knew I wanted built in bookcases along the back wall with the fireplace to make a functional focal point of room. Bookcases are my favorite way of storing toys/materials for the girls. Everything has its own place to live that's easy to access, and it forces you to not over clutter. Here's the before photo of the living room when we bought the place. So, along with the other projects we asked around for quotes on building the living room built ins (along with built ins I also have planned for our study and mudroom). We were met with disappointment when we were told that was going to be a large, expensive project. Several thousand dollars from the person who was cutting us an inside deal. So as is my personality, I started researching cheaper alternatives. That's when I came across the IKEA Billy Bookcase hack, and decided we would give it a go. So happy with how it turned out! Read below for a step by step guide! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The thing about the hack is you can use the IKEA Billy bookcases to give you a huge head start on constructing your bookcases. Then all you are left to do is frame them in so they appear built in. The IKEA Billy bookcases have a few sizing options to make customizing to your space a little bit more possible. The first thing thing you need to do is measure the space you are wanting to fill and determine which bookcase pieces to order to fit your needs. The Billy bookcases come in two standard widths 31.5 and 17.25 and are all 11 deep. We measured our space and each side of the fireplace from wall to mantel was 69.5 wide. I ran the numbers and quickly determined we could either have two wide bookcases on each side or one wide bookcase flanked by two skinny bookcases. I sketched it up and sent to Brad, and we both agreed on doing the two wide bookcases on each side of the fireplace. This was going to span 63 of the space on each side leaving a 6.5 gap to be covered by trim. The base bookcase is 79.5 tall with an add-on extension shelf option that is 14 tall, which would bring the total height to 93.5 just shy of an 8' ceiling. We have 9' ceilings so I ended up winging it and buying a second extension shelf in the hopes I could just secure another one on top (even though I couldn't find anything about doing that) bringing the height to 107.5 for our 108 ceiling. Thankfully, this ended up working out perfectly. There are other optional add-ons for the Billy bookcases including solid and glass doors. I am a huge fan of open shelving (largely influenced by Montessori-inspired spaces), but Brad insisted in cabinet doors across the bottom. We also agreed we wanted a place to hide all of our tech stuff like the cable box and router, and that one of the bottom cabinets (locked) would be the perfect place to do so. I will however be doing open shelving on the built ins in the study (this project turned out so well we plan to replicate in that space). Tip: If you can live without doors, it'll definitely save you some money. Each door front is $30.00, which added up to $240 just for the door fronts (8) in our living room; the priciest component of the built-ins. Based on our design, we ended up purchasing the following Billy bookcase components from IKEA. - 4 x Billy Bookcase Units (31.5x11x78.5) at $59 each = $236 - 8 x Billy Height Extension Units at $25 each = $200 - 8 x Oxberg Doors at $30 each =$240 Total = $676 plus $99 shipping because we don't live close to an IKEA. We ended up ordering the components of the other built ins I have planned and a Hemnes dresser for Heidi's nursery because $99 is max shipping for when they are basically sending a semi to your house. So, at least we were able to split up the shipping cost over several projects. Once the bookcases arrived, I spent an entire evening and afternoon nap assembling everything. They were actually not as hard to put together as I feared. I also found that I was able to batch the assembly since I was doing so many of the same pieces. Note: If you are planning to paint the bookcases (see my post on painting laminate) do this before you start assembling. It's a lot either to roll a bunch of flat boards than cut in at all the corners, nooks and crannies of an assembled bookcase. Once I had the bookcases assembled, Brad and I lifted and pushed them into place so he could plan out the trim work. We decided the best look and easiest course of action was to butt the bookcases against the fireplace and each other leaving an approximate 6.5 gap to each wall. To complete the built in look, Brad filled the gap between the bookcases and the wall, added molding on the top and bottom and added trim in the front where the two bookcases meet. He also secured the bookcases to each other and the walls in several places. To complete these steps, here are the tools you will need to own or borrow: - Drill (here is the one that Brad has and loves) - Table Saw - Miter Saw - Jig Saw - This Finisher Nailer - if you have an air compressor - This Finisher Nailer - if you do not have an air compressor - Here are the nails for the finisher nailers --> Link The materials you will need will vary based on your space and the look you are trying to achieve, so I have described those in the step-by-steps below. We ended up spending about $100 on the boards and trim, another $100 on the shiplap and another $100 on caulk, paint and paint supplies. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Before building in the bookcases, Brad did have to cut out a few spots in the backerboard where outlets and light switches were on our wall. He just marked exactly where the cuts needs to be and used a jigsaw to cut a small rectangle out to reveal the outlet behind. He used spacers to have the outlets come out further and account for the depth of the bookcases. After the bookcases were in place, he attached the faceplate from the front of the bookcases. If you are familiar with board sizes, you'll know 6.5 was a little disappointing of a gap because boards come in 2x6 or 2x8, so we had to size up and bought two 12' long 2x8s and Brad had to rip them on the table saw down to 6.5 to fit in the gap. We have crown molding, so he used the jig saw to cut out the shape of the molding on the board and butt it up against the molding as opposed to cutting and removing the molding. Brad said that if he were to do it again, he would recommend just cutting out the molding before starting the project and not worrying about trying to go around the molding. Next he secured the filler board in place by attaching a 2x4 to the whole side of the bookcases (also bought 12' long and cut down to 9' height of our ceilings) and then attaching the filler board to that. He also secured the bookcases to the wall and each other. He put the brackets IKEA provided on the top of lowest shelf and the bottom of the top shelf (so you couldn't see them), which attached the bookcases to the wall. He used screws at the bottom (to be covered by baseboard) to attach the bookcases to each other and also screwed them together at the bottom of the top shelf. After that he took baseboards and attached them along the base of the bookcases including the exposed sides at the hearth. This required using a miter saw to cut a 45* angle around the corners. For attaching the baseboards and all other finishing work, we highly recommend a finisher nailer. It made this process easier and quicker. And finisher nails are smaller than a regular nail gun so you don't have to worry about them splitting the particle board. It also makes the wood filling at the end easier because the nail ends are so small. Next he created a molding for the top to cover the small gap between the top of the bookcases and the ceiling making them truly attached floor to ceiling. We have crown molding in the living room, which would be extremely difficult to try and recreate. So, we decided to go a different direction and do more of a basic craftsman look like suggested in the Blesser House blog. To create this molding my husband attached a 1x1 to the top of a 1x4 (which he had to rip down with the table saw to line up with the height of our crown molding on the other walls) and then attached the 1x4 to the bookcase. Make sure to account for overhang on the 1x1 around any corners. Brad cut them the same length forgetting that that the 1x1 needs to come out even further, which resulted in a fun patch job later. The last piece of trim that Brad added was a 1.5 trim strip (he wandered around Home Depot looking for something exactly 1.5 wide, which is exactly the width of the sides two bookcase that are butted up against each other). Honestly this tiny piece of trim (which was an afterthought) pulled everything together perfectly. He used the finisher nailer to attach it and cover the seam making the bookcases look truly connected like one bookcase instead of two sitting next to each other. To tie both sides of the fireplace together, Brad decided to do shiplap on the exposed wall above and around the fireplace. We've done several shiplap projects now and love how they can take a wall up a notch on the designer scale without a lot of work. We always get primed tongue & groove shiplap boards at Lowes in the lumber area. Basically to hang shiplap, draw out where all of the studs are along the wall you are covering, cut the shiplap boards to the size of the wall you are covering, and use that handy dandy finisher nailer I mentioned above to nail them up in place. Side note: The first shiplap project we did with the help of my brother who drove all of the nails by hand. It took him all day, which takes Brad only an hour or two with the finisher nailer. You just need to be careful as you go that you are always mounting the boards level. The tongue and groove design helps you to adjust the boards as needed to achieve a level look. You can start at the top or bottom, depending on where you want to have a potentially smaller board (that you'll have to rip to size with the table saw). It's important to have the finisher nailer at the correct PSI to get the nails in far enough that you have small depression where the nail goes in that you will then cover with wood putty (otherwise you'll have to drive the nail in further). Once the putty dries, sand it and then paint over the whole thing, and you'll never know there are nails along the whole wall holding the boards in place. The other key part of the project to give everything a seamless look is caulk. Caulk is your best friend for filling inevitable gaps between everything. Brad bought this trim caulk to go over every seam. He also bought strips of caulk filler to stuff into some of the wider spaces so the caulk had something to adhere to. The final step for us was painting everything. If your house's trim is already white, you will just need to paint the trim pieces and go over the caulked areas. You can do this with regular trim paint. I suggest bringing in one of the bookcase shelves to have it paint matched. Because our house's trim work is cream, we had to paint everything including every inch of the bookcases, so that it would match the rest of the trim in the house. I wrote a separate blog post about painting IKEA furniture (which is tricky since it is laminate) here. We also bought different door handles for the Oxberg doors. So altogether we spent two weekends on this project (one for constructing and one for painting) and just over $1,000. We are so so pleased with how it turned out! It changed the complete look and feel of our living room. And now we have tons of storage as well! We loved it so much, we even did built-ins in our study/homeschool room with a window bench too! You may be interested in my post: What's on our Shelves at 9-12 Months? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This post contains affiliate links, which help support this blog and our family at no cost to you, so please consider shopping our links if these products interest you. Thank you! Samantha
I'm sharing before and after pictures of our built-ins surrounding our fireplace. A little bit of paint to turn these into gorgeous pieces!
Check out this easy step by step tutorial for how to build custom arched bookcase. #diy #archedbookcase #custombookcase
Take a look at the new custom cabinetry in my living room including cabinets, bookcase, fireplace mantel and surround.
This tutorial shows how I quickly and easily framed the wall and installed the electric fireplace for my fireplace built-in!
It all started about a month ago. My husband went to Ikea on a mission to pick up the two Billy bookcases I had told him about. He borrowed my dad’s truck so he could transport them home, whi…
I'm sharing before and after pictures of our built-ins surrounding our fireplace. A little bit of paint to turn these into gorgeous pieces!
This DIY fireplace makeover is a solution to an off-center fireplace. See how we built the DIY mantel and custom bookshelves to make this beauitufl unit.
Create a library of your dreams right in your own home with our Arched Built-In Bookcases. On top of adding an eye-catching architectural element to your space, these sophisticated bookcases are a functional and stylish solution to any storage dilemma. They are tailored to maximize your wall space, efficiently display your treasured book collection or other intriguing accessories and are sure to transform your room aesthetics. Explore our wide range of designs and discover how built-in bookcases can create refreshing, elegant spaces that showcase your personality and style.
Learn how to make DIY floor to ceiling bookshelves. This easy to follow tutorial lays it all out for you and makes the process easy.
Looking for a way to add built-in shelves & fireplace to your home without spending a fortune? Check out this IKEA hack to make the process faster
The perfect place to shake off chilly weather.
I am very excited to feature this awesome DIY project. Why? Because it was done by my amazing sister Holly and brother in-law Brian (and obviously because it is an awesome DIY project)! Check out their new DIY Built In cabinets and shelving surrounding their fieldstone fireplace! Holly and Brian live in Michigan, so I heard by phone that Brian had been working on some built ins (it still kills me I can't see this stuff in person). Then just a couple of weeks ago she sent me a photo of the finished product... I was amazed! It was too good to not share on the ol' blog, especially when she told me that Brian had photographed his progress! Hammers and High Fives to Brian for the sleek and stellar DIY spirit (I'm sure they're going to think I am an idiot for that one, tee-hee)! Here is a picture of Alex, myself, Brian and Holly from their 4th of July visit to Minneapolis. Funny story, we all dressed for the red, white and blue theme, and Brian wore a shirt that said Germany :) Fun fact: my sister is a whole head taller than me, I think she and Brian are sitting in this photo. She never requires high heels like I do! We actually all got married in the summer of 2009, not at the same time though of course- that would have been weird! After things settled down they decided it was time to build the house of their dreams. Long story short, they bought their land in January, started working on plans in April, dug the first hole in July, then finally moved in to their brand new home on Halloween in 2010. Their house is beautiful! They made sure to add some detail and character that you would commonly only find in older arts and crafts/ craftsman style homes. This detail shines through in their arched hallways and thoughtful woodwork throughout the house. Maybe I'll get to show you more someday (wink)? Since Brian is pretty handy, he did leave a few projects for himself instead of having the builders do them. This was the case for their built ins around the fireplace. Here is a 'before' photo: They knew they wanted some nice cabinets and shelving for storage and decor. Here is Brian's list for this DIY project: Combination of 2x4's/MDF for the base structure. MDF for the cabinet bases and side pieces of the vertical shelf unit and base cabinet shelves. Poplar for all the trim (including face frames, door frames, crown molding, upper shelf frame) Maple Plywood for the shelving with a Poplar piece for the front edge trim. 1/4" maple plywood for the door inserts (and side of right cabinet to get the "panelized" look) Note: All shelves and cabinet base top edging was routed with a 3/16" router bit. Brian got started by framing in a base for the DIY built in using 2x4's and MDF. He then built each cabinet section separately, here is a closer look. Next, the cabinet frame went into place. With the cabinet bottom in place, he built in (get it?) the top of the shelving unit using more 2x4's and MDF....Just look at the progress! With the bones of the left side complete, Brian started in on the right side with the same process. Hmmm, I wonder what they were watching? Anyway... Here is a look with both base cabinets built Then he added the shelves on both sides. Here you can see he added the 1/4" maple plywood to the exposed right side for that 'panelized' look. He framed the 4 sides of the panel in with the poplar trim. Here is a closer look at the 1/4" maple plywood 'panel' before he added the poplar trim to all sides. Ooohhhh.....Aahhhhh Then he placed the rest of the poplar trim on the front of the shelves and top of the unit. Looking good right? Lastly, it was time to bust out the trusty blue painters tape and paint them white. Almost done... Now before I show the 'after' again, we have to look back at the 'before' for dramatic effect! So here was their fireplace before... ...and here it is after Brian's big crazy DIY project! Gorgeous right?!?! Now Holly just has to get creative and go crazy decorating the shelves! The total cost of their DIY built ins was around $400.00. Which is less than half of the $1,000.00 they were quoted from their contractor, pretty awesome savings right? I hope you enjoyed this DIY journey! Special thanks to Holly and Brian for letting me share their project on our blog! If you love their new built-ins be sure to tell them in the comments!
Looking for ways to elevate your fireplace with built-ins on each side? Check out these design ideas ranging from rustic to modern!
Get inspired today! Discover a variety of home ideas, tips and home solutions for every room, shop our curated design feed, and more.
DIY build in bookshelves from Ikea Billy bookcases with fireplace and shiplap. Billy bookcase hack. Large blank wall ideas. How to add bookshelves to a wall. DIY faux fireplace ideas. How to incorporate an electric fireplace. How to decorate bookshelves. Cottage living room decor and decorating ideas.
Looking for a way to add built-in shelves & fireplace to your home without spending a fortune? Check out this IKEA hack to make the process faster
Materials: (2) Stock Wall Cabinets (36in x 30in x 12in) (1) Birch Plywood (3/4in x 4ft x 8ft) Edge Banding (1) Pine Board (1in x 3in x 8ft) (6) Furniture Legs (I bought 2 packs) Furniture Leg Hardware (I bought 2 packs) Hardware Tools: 1 1/4in #8 construction screws 2in brad nails Miter Saw Table […]
Top / Jeans / Espadrilles Reunited with Noodle! I can’t even tell you how much I missed her. We ran circles around each other for a good 15 minutes. Despite having a blog and several social media accounts, so many of the photos I take on my phone get lost in the shuffle. Selfishly, I love “Life,
This page may include some affiliate links, meaning that at no cost to you, I could earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Learn more. As always, I only link items that I personally use and recommend. Thank you for your support by shopping through my links. In Arizona, it’s not that common […]
When it comes to hacking beautiful storage, no other IKEA product works a room like the Billy bookcase. Here are some of the best Billy bookcase builds.
My wife has been asking me to build her some built ins shelves and cabinets. I am excited to share the finished project! The cabinets are Pre-built from Lowes with spacers in between to give it a custom built in look. Baseboard and crown molding was also included for built in look. The shelves were … Continue reading "Built Ins Shelves | Built In Bookcase DIY"
Step-by-step tutorial on how I created bespoke looking built in alcove units using IKEA furniture.
Southern Yankee DIY : DIY Built In Bookcases With Bench Storage : Home Tour : Built-In Bookcases & Bench Project! Complete with Cut List!
We recently bought a new house. Ever since I laid eyes on the living room, I knew I wanted built in bookcases along the back wall with the fireplace to make a functional focal point of room. Bookcases are my favorite way of storing toys/materials for the girls. Everything has its own place to live that's easy to access, and it forces you to not over clutter. Here's the before photo of the living room when we bought the place. So, along with the other projects we asked around for quotes on building the living room built ins (along with built ins I also have planned for our study and mudroom). We were met with disappointment when we were told that was going to be a large, expensive project. Several thousand dollars from the person who was cutting us an inside deal. So as is my personality, I started researching cheaper alternatives. That's when I came across the IKEA Billy Bookcase hack, and decided we would give it a go. So happy with how it turned out! Read below for a step by step guide! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The thing about the hack is you can use the IKEA Billy bookcases to give you a huge head start on constructing your bookcases. Then all you are left to do is frame them in so they appear built in. The IKEA Billy bookcases have a few sizing options to make customizing to your space a little bit more possible. The first thing thing you need to do is measure the space you are wanting to fill and determine which bookcase pieces to order to fit your needs. The Billy bookcases come in two standard widths 31.5 and 17.25 and are all 11 deep. We measured our space and each side of the fireplace from wall to mantel was 69.5 wide. I ran the numbers and quickly determined we could either have two wide bookcases on each side or one wide bookcase flanked by two skinny bookcases. I sketched it up and sent to Brad, and we both agreed on doing the two wide bookcases on each side of the fireplace. This was going to span 63 of the space on each side leaving a 6.5 gap to be covered by trim. The base bookcase is 79.5 tall with an add-on extension shelf option that is 14 tall, which would bring the total height to 93.5 just shy of an 8' ceiling. We have 9' ceilings so I ended up winging it and buying a second extension shelf in the hopes I could just secure another one on top (even though I couldn't find anything about doing that) bringing the height to 107.5 for our 108 ceiling. Thankfully, this ended up working out perfectly. There are other optional add-ons for the Billy bookcases including solid and glass doors. I am a huge fan of open shelving (largely influenced by Montessori-inspired spaces), but Brad insisted in cabinet doors across the bottom. We also agreed we wanted a place to hide all of our tech stuff like the cable box and router, and that one of the bottom cabinets (locked) would be the perfect place to do so. I will however be doing open shelving on the built ins in the study (this project turned out so well we plan to replicate in that space). Tip: If you can live without doors, it'll definitely save you some money. Each door front is $30.00, which added up to $240 just for the door fronts (8) in our living room; the priciest component of the built-ins. Based on our design, we ended up purchasing the following Billy bookcase components from IKEA. - 4 x Billy Bookcase Units (31.5x11x78.5) at $59 each = $236 - 8 x Billy Height Extension Units at $25 each = $200 - 8 x Oxberg Doors at $30 each =$240 Total = $676 plus $99 shipping because we don't live close to an IKEA. We ended up ordering the components of the other built ins I have planned and a Hemnes dresser for Heidi's nursery because $99 is max shipping for when they are basically sending a semi to your house. So, at least we were able to split up the shipping cost over several projects. Once the bookcases arrived, I spent an entire evening and afternoon nap assembling everything. They were actually not as hard to put together as I feared. I also found that I was able to batch the assembly since I was doing so many of the same pieces. Note: If you are planning to paint the bookcases (see my post on painting laminate) do this before you start assembling. It's a lot either to roll a bunch of flat boards than cut in at all the corners, nooks and crannies of an assembled bookcase. Once I had the bookcases assembled, Brad and I lifted and pushed them into place so he could plan out the trim work. We decided the best look and easiest course of action was to butt the bookcases against the fireplace and each other leaving an approximate 6.5 gap to each wall. To complete the built in look, Brad filled the gap between the bookcases and the wall, added molding on the top and bottom and added trim in the front where the two bookcases meet. He also secured the bookcases to each other and the walls in several places. To complete these steps, here are the tools you will need to own or borrow: - Drill (here is the one that Brad has and loves) - Table Saw - Miter Saw - Jig Saw - This Finisher Nailer - if you have an air compressor - This Finisher Nailer - if you do not have an air compressor - Here are the nails for the finisher nailers --> Link The materials you will need will vary based on your space and the look you are trying to achieve, so I have described those in the step-by-steps below. We ended up spending about $100 on the boards and trim, another $100 on the shiplap and another $100 on caulk, paint and paint supplies. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Before building in the bookcases, Brad did have to cut out a few spots in the backerboard where outlets and light switches were on our wall. He just marked exactly where the cuts needs to be and used a jigsaw to cut a small rectangle out to reveal the outlet behind. He used spacers to have the outlets come out further and account for the depth of the bookcases. After the bookcases were in place, he attached the faceplate from the front of the bookcases. If you are familiar with board sizes, you'll know 6.5 was a little disappointing of a gap because boards come in 2x6 or 2x8, so we had to size up and bought two 12' long 2x8s and Brad had to rip them on the table saw down to 6.5 to fit in the gap. We have crown molding, so he used the jig saw to cut out the shape of the molding on the board and butt it up against the molding as opposed to cutting and removing the molding. Brad said that if he were to do it again, he would recommend just cutting out the molding before starting the project and not worrying about trying to go around the molding. Next he secured the filler board in place by attaching a 2x4 to the whole side of the bookcases (also bought 12' long and cut down to 9' height of our ceilings) and then attaching the filler board to that. He also secured the bookcases to the wall and each other. He put the brackets IKEA provided on the top of lowest shelf and the bottom of the top shelf (so you couldn't see them), which attached the bookcases to the wall. He used screws at the bottom (to be covered by baseboard) to attach the bookcases to each other and also screwed them together at the bottom of the top shelf. After that he took baseboards and attached them along the base of the bookcases including the exposed sides at the hearth. This required using a miter saw to cut a 45* angle around the corners. For attaching the baseboards and all other finishing work, we highly recommend a finisher nailer. It made this process easier and quicker. And finisher nails are smaller than a regular nail gun so you don't have to worry about them splitting the particle board. It also makes the wood filling at the end easier because the nail ends are so small. Next he created a molding for the top to cover the small gap between the top of the bookcases and the ceiling making them truly attached floor to ceiling. We have crown molding in the living room, which would be extremely difficult to try and recreate. So, we decided to go a different direction and do more of a basic craftsman look like suggested in the Blesser House blog. To create this molding my husband attached a 1x1 to the top of a 1x4 (which he had to rip down with the table saw to line up with the height of our crown molding on the other walls) and then attached the 1x4 to the bookcase. Make sure to account for overhang on the 1x1 around any corners. Brad cut them the same length forgetting that that the 1x1 needs to come out even further, which resulted in a fun patch job later. The last piece of trim that Brad added was a 1.5 trim strip (he wandered around Home Depot looking for something exactly 1.5 wide, which is exactly the width of the sides two bookcase that are butted up against each other). Honestly this tiny piece of trim (which was an afterthought) pulled everything together perfectly. He used the finisher nailer to attach it and cover the seam making the bookcases look truly connected like one bookcase instead of two sitting next to each other. To tie both sides of the fireplace together, Brad decided to do shiplap on the exposed wall above and around the fireplace. We've done several shiplap projects now and love how they can take a wall up a notch on the designer scale without a lot of work. We always get primed tongue & groove shiplap boards at Lowes in the lumber area. Basically to hang shiplap, draw out where all of the studs are along the wall you are covering, cut the shiplap boards to the size of the wall you are covering, and use that handy dandy finisher nailer I mentioned above to nail them up in place. Side note: The first shiplap project we did with the help of my brother who drove all of the nails by hand. It took him all day, which takes Brad only an hour or two with the finisher nailer. You just need to be careful as you go that you are always mounting the boards level. The tongue and groove design helps you to adjust the boards as needed to achieve a level look. You can start at the top or bottom, depending on where you want to have a potentially smaller board (that you'll have to rip to size with the table saw). It's important to have the finisher nailer at the correct PSI to get the nails in far enough that you have small depression where the nail goes in that you will then cover with wood putty (otherwise you'll have to drive the nail in further). Once the putty dries, sand it and then paint over the whole thing, and you'll never know there are nails along the whole wall holding the boards in place. The other key part of the project to give everything a seamless look is caulk. Caulk is your best friend for filling inevitable gaps between everything. Brad bought this trim caulk to go over every seam. He also bought strips of caulk filler to stuff into some of the wider spaces so the caulk had something to adhere to. The final step for us was painting everything. If your house's trim is already white, you will just need to paint the trim pieces and go over the caulked areas. You can do this with regular trim paint. I suggest bringing in one of the bookcase shelves to have it paint matched. Because our house's trim work is cream, we had to paint everything including every inch of the bookcases, so that it would match the rest of the trim in the house. I wrote a separate blog post about painting IKEA furniture (which is tricky since it is laminate) here. We also bought different door handles for the Oxberg doors. So altogether we spent two weekends on this project (one for constructing and one for painting) and just over $1,000. We are so so pleased with how it turned out! It changed the complete look and feel of our living room. And now we have tons of storage as well! We loved it so much, we even did built-ins in our study/homeschool room with a window bench too! You may be interested in my post: What's on our Shelves at 9-12 Months? (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This post contains affiliate links, which help support this blog and our family at no cost to you, so please consider shopping our links if these products interest you. Thank you! Samantha
Y’all I am so excited to be tackling my next DIY project! As I have said in the past, we have been striving to make our downstairs area more enjoyable and esthe…
Our DIY built-ins are coming along. Here's how we built the DIY bookshelves to rest atop the base kitchen cabinets.
Our living room built ins are finally done and they look amazing! The last time I showed them on the blog, they looked like this: And now here they are all complete: A lot better than what we had j…
Learn how I installed these beautiful DIY Fireplace Built Ins from Ikea Billy Bookcases. I've included a detailed tutorial with pictures to help you.
Link to tutorial on how to turn a bookcase into a built-in. Includes pics of Christmas Living room with a planked wall and pair of built-in bookcases.
Hi friends! Today, I am sharing how we repurposed two old bookcases and turned them into built-ins for our hearth and mantel!
One of the first changes I made to our split-level home was expanding the small kitchen. I made an open concept kitchen and living space. While the living room was cozy, it needed a little
