We all know that there are questions you should ask yourself before investing in built-in bookshelves.
If you’re not going to be in the house for a while, or if you can’t afford a GREAT carpenter just yet, you might want to investigate nice freestanding options, of which there are many.
Once you’ve met the criteria for built-ins, however, and you’ve decided what style they should be, built-in shelving can transform a space from large and looming to cozy and friendly (and practical).
This was a client’s family room when they first moved in.
We decided that shelves along the window-free wall would be practical and beautiful.
And although the family room adjoins the kitchen, which has darkish stained cabinetry (you can catch a glimpse in the lower right corner of the above picture), we wanted the family room to have its own identity. Thus the painted shelves. We also wanted to keep the room bright.
Our primary concern, actually, was that the room was so bright that the sunlight would make watching TV difficult during the daytime. We started out with some blackout liners on the Natural Woven Roman Shades, but it made everything look too heavy. So off they came, and they can watch TV just fine.
Built-in shelving also can make a room more purposeful. This was going to be the default piano room.
It’s a decent-sized room…almost too big to have only one function. With the shelves, it’s now a library that – bonus! – happens to have a piano in it.
Aren’t they beautiful? Both sets of shelves were architect and bossy color-designed and carpenter-built, and you can feel the quality. The shelves are solid and adjustable, and they fit into the cases perfectly. Everything is straight. The crown moulding and trim fits in with the adjacent rooms.
Holding these shelves below the ceiling was a brilliant idea – not mine, unfortunately, but this is why it takes a team sometimes. It was the right decision to bring the family room shelves all the way to the ceiling. But in this case, it enabled us to put that bridge over the top of the window; there’s a light in it for the window seat.
We’re still working on the rugs and furniture, but I just couldn’t wait to show these to you. Enjoy!
