When I walked through this house for the first time last summer, I immediately envisioned a wall of custom bookshelves in this room. But after gutting the entire first floor of the house last summer, and spending the past year rebuilding it, I had definitely run out of steam. And money. But not to worry! The next best thing was just one IKEA trip away. This built-in Billy bookcase project gave me an affordable way to create a custom-cabinetry feel for our home library. I had seen many an IKEA Billy bookcase hack out in the blogosphere, so I knew how good those composite and laminate shelves could look after a little dressing up. My favorite Billy bookcase hacks include this chic painted bookcase by Malcom Begg, Jenny Komenda's arched bookcase creation, and this built-in Billy bookcase hack complete with a ladder. My own bookcase project ended up being a bit of a team effort. Phil assembled the IKEA shelves, I built the additional structure around the shelves, and my dad had the nail-biting task of applying crown moulding to the top. (Nail-biting for me, not for him. Which would be why I asked him to contribute his compound-angle-cutting skills!) Check out how we did it below! Room Before & AfterHow's that for a before and after?! The bookcases really give this bland little room quite a lot of personality, along with some snazzy new furniture. A more monochrome look felt right for this space, as my uncoordinated book collection would be making quite a statement of its own. I wanted the color and furnishings of the room to feel cozy and chic, but also allow the books to remain the center of attention. I chose the seasalt gray Burrard sofa from Article and the smoky quartz womb chair and ottoman from Rove Concepts to add a sophisticated mid-century vibe to the space. Monochrome statement pieces, like the amazing vintage coffee table I got in a swap with my friend Susie, as well as the minimal globe floor lamp (also from Article) add their own elegance. I added more product links at the end of this post if you're interested! Billy Bookcase SelectionI chose to use the 15 3/4″ wide Billy bookcases, because they neatly fit on the wall space on either side of the window. I used four units on the left, and three on the right. The three bookcases on the right side of the window didn't go all the way to the corner of the wall, but I'll address how I deal with that later in step seven. I've seen other DIYers use a combination of Billy bookcase widths, such as a wider unit in the center surrounded on either side by more narrow units. Others have chosen to put some space between each bookcase and cover up the gaps when framing the units at the end. And another option would be to keep the bookcases tight together as I have, but leave spaces on the sides of the completed unit, again covering up the gaps at the end when framing the completed unit. Materials To transform my Billy bookcases into a built-in unit, I used the following materials. If you plan to do this same project, you'll most likely need different quantities to suit your project requirements.
Tools
How to Make a Built-In Billy BookcaseStep One: First, I built a base for my bookcases. A base elevates the shelves from the floor, and gives the entire piece a feeling of substance. The base is built out of a 2×4 frame, with interior studs to support the plywood top of the base. Step Two: Cut a piece of plywood to cover the top of the 2×4 base frame. Any type or thickness of plywood would be suitable to use here, but I used the same plywood that I used for my vertical pieces in the next step. I mentioned this in my tools list, but I used a circular saw to cut all of my larger pieces of wood. Before cutting, I mark my cutting line and my clamping line, then clamped a straight edge so that the circular saw can push against the straight edge, ensuring the blade perfectly cuts the edge of the line. Step Three: Mark where the vertical parts of your base unit should be positioned. These marks should exactly match the verticals of the bookcase that you will be stacking on top of it. I measured my bookcase's spacing, and marked those lines on my plywood base here, using a carpenter's square to make sure they were perfectly perpendicular with the edge of the base. Once the lines for your verticals are drawn, drill three pilot holes in each section, where you will attach the verticals in the next steps. Step Four: Begin screwing your wood screws into the pilot holes that you drilled in step three. Make sure they have gone through the plywood completely, but aren't sticking out beyond its surface. Step Five: Now flip the plywood base to its side so you can attach the vertical pieces using the screws you started in step four. If you have trouble driving the screws into the vertical boards without the verticals pulling away from the plywood base, you may want to clamp the pieces together before screwing. A little muscle holding the pieces together should do the trick. If your screw heads are stripping as you struggle to drive them into the plywood verticals, you may wish to use self-tapping screws that drive their own pilot holes as you screw them in. Step Six: Now that the base is complete and in place, flip the Billy bookcases upside down and position them on top of the base, matching up the verticals. At this point you will want to anchor your bookcases to the wall. If you can, choose a place which will be covered with trim, such as crown moulding. If you can't find a spot that will be covered by trim, then choose somewhere inconspicuous that will most likely not be visible after filling your bookshelves. Step Seven: Fill any gaps between walls or bookcases with blocks that help secure the bookshelves to the wall, but also serve as nailing boards for the next step. Use several blocks along the height of your gaps so you'll have various places to affix the framing pieces. Step Eight: Frame in the completed Billy bookcases by gluing and nailing wood strips to the front of the bookcases, covering where each bookcase meets each other. I started at the bottom of the unit with a 1×6 that I ripped to fit the exact thickness of the bookcase base (which ended up being just a hair too wide for a standard 1×4 to cover adequately). Then I attached a 1×4 to the top of the bookcase. In between the top and bottom frame pieces I fit 1x2s that were trimmed length-wise to fit very snugly in place. The gap to the right of the bookcase in the corner was covered by a 1×6 nailed to the blocks I put in place during step seven. I covered the sides of each bookcase with pieces of lauan, which is a very thin and inexpensive plywood material. The reason I added lauan here is to cover the gap between the Billy bookcases on top and the plywood addition I built below them. I also added 1x2s on the sides of the bookcases to give it more of a finished look. Step Nine: Fill all nail and screw holes with spackling and then sand smooth. At this point you'll also want to fill any cracks with paintable caulk. My dad was so helpful in trimming out this bookcase. I really wanted to finish the built-in look of these Billy bookcase units with crown moulding, giving it that ultimate custom-cabinetry feel. But as I learned from past experience of cutting moulding, compound angles are very confusing to cut, and it's very easy to ruin entire lengths of expensive moulding! Thankfully my dad is quite experienced in carpentry, and also generous with his time. He was able to help me out here without wasting any long pieces of moulding in the process. Thanks, dad! Step Ten: Prime and paint the bookshelves. This is a bit more involved than just slapping paint on a piece of primed wood. But don't worry-I'm about to tell you all about it! (You can also see some behind-the-scenes videos in my Instagram story highlights labeled “The Study.”) All About Painting IKEA Billy BookcasesWhen considering painting your IKEA furniture, you need to focus on two things: 1. Prepping the surface for painting and 2. What kind of post-painting abrasion you can avoid. Prepping the laminate for painting: IKEA furniture is made out of composite wood finished with a laminate material that is very resistant to paint. You should lightly sand down the laminate with a high grit sandpaper, such as 320 grit paper before priming. This will help the primer bond with the laminate. Wipe down the shelves with a slightly damp cloth to remove any dust from sanding. Then prime with a shellac-based primer. You cannot pour shellac-based primer into a spray can and spray it on, or the primer will become very dusty as it dries. If you want to spray the primer, you will need to do so with the spray cans sold in stores. Otherwise, you'll need to brush on the primer. (Don't forget to buy paint thinner or mineral spirits to clean your brush after painting with a shellac-based product.) I recommend doing 2-3 coats of primer to ensure good coverage over the laminate and a welcoming surface for paint. Avoiding rough abrasions after painting: Even after you've prepped the laminate properly, used a high-quality satin or gloss paint, and have allowed the paint to cure for several days, the painted unit will still be susceptible to scraping that may damage your paint job. You'll need to be realistic with what kind of abuse you expect your paint job to stand up against, just as you would with any type of painted wood furnishing. You should also take precautions and not place rough-bottomed items onto your shelf that will be slid around during use. For instance, even the buttery-smooth wooden boxes on my lower shelves have felt pads on the bottom of them-just in case. Avoid this major mistake of mine! Something major that I failed to plan for when painting my bookshelves was how difficult it would be to place my repositionable horizontal shelves after painting. Because my bookcases had already been installed tightly with absolutely no wiggle room, I had to jam each horizontal shelf into its place. And when I say jam, I mean really jam into place with a lot of hammering, and yeah, a lot of sweating. (The sweating may have been a result of the anxiety I felt by what happened next.) As each shelf was pummeled into place, the edges scraped off the paint I had meticulously applied to the interior walls of the bookcase. Oh, the humanity! I believe this same scraping issue would've happened if my bookcases had been regular ol' painted wood and not laminate. It was just that violent shoving each sharp-edged shelf into place. So, if you learn anything here today, it should be this: You must position your shelves into place before painting the Billy bookcases! Sure, committing to shelf placement right away and then painting inside each little cubby will be a bit more tedious. And sure, your shelves will really no longer be repositionable … But hey, at least you can fill those rows of unsightly holes inside each bookcase, since you won't be needing them any more. After painting, and yes, after touch-up painting, I allowed the paint to cure for a week before filling the shelves with all of my pretties. A week seemed to be long enough, as I've had no issues with sticking or scraping since then. I will say, the formula of the paint you use makes a big difference when curing is concerned. Years ago, I used a brand (which shall not be named) to paint the inside of wooden kitchen cabinets at my brother's house. To this day, the cups and plates still stick to the paint! That paint had been semi-gloss-a finish which I've used from other brands for similar applications with no such issues. I've been really happy with Benjamin Moore paint, so I used their satin paint in the color Oil Cloth for this project. We're so excited to finally have all of our books unpacked and displayed in the newly completed bookcases. Rather than using doors for the bottom shelves, I made custom boxes which slide into place on the bottom two rows of shelves. They're a great way to neatly corral children's books and office supplies, and can easily be carried about. Stay tuned for a blog post about how to make those simple plywood boxes! Thanks for following along with me on my home renovation journey! – Mandi
If you want to learn more about this room makeover (I'm calling it “The Study”), check out this blog post for more details on furnishings and the installation of the board and batten wall treatment. I worked with a few brands to gather some items for this space. I noted those items with a c/o in the list below to signify that they are gifted “courtesy of” items. Material Sources:
Credits: Author and Photography: Mandi Johnson. Photos edited with A Color Story Desktop.
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Did you know that Rebecca Wright from Spouses Cleaning Houses is a massage therapist?Mike and Trisha Fox, owners of Splash Designworks recently had the privilege of talking to Rebecca and finding out some interesting and fun facts about her. Let's meet Rebecca!
Rebecca Has Always Loved Cleaning! When asked if Rebecca had always liked cleaning, she had this to say: “Actually I always cleaned since I was a little girl. I was the maid of the house, so they called me Cinderella. I had no problem with cleaning. It was something my mom instilled in us about how to clean. So when Ed's friend had brought the idea to us, about doing cleaning for the military housing, I was like, 'Hey, let's jump on it. I'm down for it. I have no problem with the cleaning.'” Rebecca Transitioned From Massage Therapist To Full Time Cleaning Before coming to Middletown called La Vita, she had worked for many years as a Massage Therapist prior to transitioning to her and her husband's full time cleaning business. She says she wasn't nervous about the transition because it was something she was already used to doing. She had absolutely no problem cleaning in front of clients. “Cleaning was always just something that came naturally to me,” Rebecca says. “So I really wasn't that nervous.” She Loves the “Field Work” and “Hands-On” Part Of The Job She mentioned that she likes working in the background and being a supporter. She's more of the “field work” type person – she is more hands-on in that way. She enjoys working with the employees and things of that nature, and she enjoys being supportive to her husband. She says, “I just jumped right into it, no questions. That's just me – whatever comes, I just go for it. I deal more with the field work stuff. I deal more with the employees, the cleaners, hands-on. Ed deals more with the office. You know, the admin stuff.” Loves the Middletown Area Rebecca has been used to the Annapolis area, but also mentioned that she loves the Middletown area. She likes the atmosphere and diversity – she says it's new and refreshing to her. She also mentioned she loves the family/community atmosphere there. “I love it! I told Ed, I really love it. It's very family-oriented. The people there just love you. We really love Middletown.” More Facts About Rebecca When asked to tell a little about herself and what she likes to do, she said: “I'm a giver. I always have been a giver. I'm a people person, a nurturing person. I do like to go out and shop somewhat – I don't do too much shopping, but I do like to go shopping sometimes. I like to go on vacation, spending time with family.” She also mentioned that she's not into sports as much. Family Is Important! Ed and Rebecca just celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in June. Rebecca loves being supportive to her husband, and they enjoy working together. They had 5 kids but now have 4 after tragically going through the loss of a son in 2017. They have 7 grand-kids that are full of life and are keeping them young. Her Favorite Vacation Spot! Rebecca said that one of her more recent favorite vacation spots she'd been to was the Dominican Republic. She said, “The place I enjoyed the most of the recent ones was the Dominican Republic. There was an all day tour that we went on that was just phenomenal. I really enjoyed that. To get to explore the Dominican, and the history of it.” What Makes Spouses Cleaning Houses Different From Other Cleaning Services? Rebecca explains what makes their company different from other cleaning service companies: “We're different from a franchise. Having that personal touch is key. Because we still have original customers that have been with us from the beginning, so having that personal touch is key vs. franchises that have a very high turnover. That's what makes us different.” Spouses Cleaning Houses Is Now ServingSpouses Cleaning Houses has been serving the Annapolis, MD area for over 20 years. They have recently added services in the Middletown, DE area as well. They offer a wide range of services that can be scheduled as a recurring service, one time service, move in/move out service, etc, They can accommodate almost any cleaning requests, so just ask!
The centerpiece of a post-war home gets larger and brighterProject: Add space to a small kitchen in Manhattan Before: When Jane bought her post-war, one-bedroom apartment in Washington Heights, the home was in dire need of a gut renovation. The biggest challenge was to open up the small, pokey kitchen to the rest of the living space. The original and inefficient layout had a large foyer space that provided entry to other sections of the apartment-living room, bedroom, and kitchen. The kitchen was mostly walled off except for the entry, and inside were the original '50s cabinets and vinyl flooring. With the rather decrepit oven abutting the sink, the design had no functional counter space between the two. Jane posted her project and enlisted an architect from Sweeten, a free service that links renovators with vetted general contractors and architects. After: Despite the apartment's critical state, the Sweeten architect Jane chose had plenty of good news. The wasted foyer space meant some wiggle room to expand the kitchen's size. Here, the architect was able to design more cabinet and counter space and bring the kitchen from 76 square feet to a total of 91. They also scooted the oven over to add about a foot of very useful counter space between sink and oven. The wall separating the kitchen from the foyer wasn't loadbearing and could be removed. This allowed for a continuous flow into the foyer and living space with a bar, making it a perfect area for breakfast or pre-dinner drinks. A large kitchen window meant there would always be plenty of light. To capitalize on this, the Sweeten architect used a light color palette. The top cabinets, countertop, and backsplash were a bright white, while a light gray was chosen for the bottom cabinets to make the space feel larger. A butcher's block material and wooden shelving near the window added some warmth to the overall look. The wood countertop also extended to the window on the barstool-side of the peninsula, but Jane and her architect “thought it would be nice to add a design element [a single light pendant], where it would be easy to forget the corner existed,” says Jane. A streamlined custom radiator cover by the window replaced one that was metal and slightly corroded. “I'm very pleased with my new kitchen,” Jane says. “I wanted to take advantage of the natural light. The peninsula is great because it allows me to entertain guests in the kitchen and in the living area.” Bonus: Even with more space, the countertops were still rather shallow. The architect used a fridge with a shallow depth dimension so it wouldn't jut out past the counter. Style finds: DesignCraft mission flat-front upper cabinets in White Icing and base cabinets in Islander Sheer in the kitchen: Park Slope Kitchen Gallery. Lansa hardware: Ikea. Floor tiles and backsplash: Nemo Tile & Stone. Quartz countertop in Blizzard: Caesarstone. Faucet: Grohe. Refrigerator: Summit. Lighting inside kitchen: Flos. Single light pendant above peninsula: Schoolhouse Electric. Wall and ceiling paint color in Cloud Cover: Benjamin Moore. - Got big plans for your space? Find out the answer to the question “When do you need an architect?” here. Refer your renovating friends to Sweeten and you'll both receive a $250 Visa gift card when they sign a contract with a Sweeten general contractor. Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project's location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you're ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten. The post The '50s Give Way to a Chic New Kitchen appeared first on Sweeten Blog. The centerpiece of a post-war home gets larger and brighterProject: Add space to a small kitchen in Manhattan Before: When Jane bought her post-war, one-bedroom apartment in Washington Heights, the home was in dire need of a gut renovation. The biggest challenge was to open up the small, pokey kitchen to the rest of the living space. The original and inefficient layout had a large foyer space that provided entry to other sections of the apartment-living room, bedroom, and kitchen. The kitchen was mostly walled off except for the entry, and inside were the original '50s cabinets and vinyl flooring. With the rather decrepit oven abutting the sink, the design had no functional counter space between the two. Jane posted her project and enlisted an architect from Sweeten, a free service that links renovators with vetted general contractors and architects. After: Despite the apartment's critical state, the Sweeten architect Jane chose had plenty of good news. The wasted foyer space meant some wiggle room to expand the kitchen's size. Here, the architect was able to design more cabinet and counter space and bring the kitchen from 76 square feet to a total of 91. They also scooted the oven over to add about a foot of very useful counter space between sink and oven. The wall separating the kitchen from the foyer wasn't loadbearing and could be removed. This allowed for a continuous flow into the foyer and living space with a bar, making it a perfect area for breakfast or pre-dinner drinks. A large kitchen window meant there would always be plenty of light. To capitalize on this, the Sweeten architect used a light color palette. The top cabinets, countertop, and backsplash were a bright white, while a light gray was chosen for the bottom cabinets to make the space feel larger. A butcher's block material and wooden shelving near the window added some warmth to the overall look. The wood countertop also extended to the window on the barstool-side of the peninsula, but Jane and her architect “thought it would be nice to add a design element [a single light pendant], where it would be easy to forget the corner existed,” says Jane. A streamlined custom radiator cover by the window replaced one that was metal and slightly corroded. “I'm very pleased with my new kitchen,” Jane says. “I wanted to take advantage of the natural light. The peninsula is great because it allows me to entertain guests in the kitchen and in the living area.” Bonus: Even with more space, the countertops were still rather shallow. The architect used a fridge with a shallow depth dimension so it wouldn't jut out past the counter. Style finds: DesignCraft mission flat-front upper cabinets in White Icing and base cabinets in Islander Sheer in the kitchen: Park Slope Kitchen Gallery. Lansa hardware: Ikea. Floor tiles and backsplash: Nemo Tile & Stone. Quartz countertop in Blizzard: Caesarstone. Faucet: Grohe. Refrigerator: Summit. Lighting inside kitchen: Flos. Single light pendant above peninsula: Schoolhouse Electric. Wall and ceiling paint color in Cloud Cover: Benjamin Moore. - Got big plans for your space? Find out the answer to the question “When do you need an architect?” here. Refer your renovating friends to Sweeten and you'll both receive a $250 Visa gift card when they sign a contract with a Sweeten general contractor. Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project's location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you're ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten. The post The '50s Give Way to a Chic New Kitchen appeared first on Sweeten Blog. The centerpiece of a post-war home gets larger and brighterProject: Add space to a small kitchen in Manhattan Before: When Jane bought her post-war, one-bedroom apartment in Washington Heights, the home was in dire need of a gut renovation. The biggest challenge was to open up the small, pokey kitchen to the rest of the living space. The original and inefficient layout had a large foyer space that provided entry to other sections of the apartment-living room, bedroom, and kitchen. The kitchen was mostly walled off except for the entry, and inside were the original '50s cabinets and vinyl flooring. With the rather decrepit oven abutting the sink, the design had no functional counter space between the two. Jane posted her project and enlisted an architect from Sweeten, a free service that links renovators with vetted general contractors and architects. After: Despite the apartment's critical state, the Sweeten architect Jane chose had plenty of good news. The wasted foyer space meant some wiggle room to expand the kitchen's size. Here, the architect was able to design more cabinet and counter space and bring the kitchen from 76 square feet to a total of 91. They also scooted the oven over to add about a foot of very useful counter space between sink and oven. The wall separating the kitchen from the foyer wasn't loadbearing and could be removed. This allowed for a continuous flow into the foyer and living space with a bar, making it a perfect area for breakfast or pre-dinner drinks. A large kitchen window meant there would always be plenty of light. To capitalize on this, the Sweeten architect used a light color palette. The top cabinets, countertop, and backsplash were a bright white, while a light gray was chosen for the bottom cabinets to make the space feel larger. A butcher's block material and wooden shelving near the window added some warmth to the overall look. The wood countertop also extended to the window on the barstool-side of the peninsula, but Jane and her architect “thought it would be nice to add a design element [a single light pendant], where it would be easy to forget the corner existed,” says Jane. A streamlined custom radiator cover by the window replaced one that was metal and slightly corroded. “I'm very pleased with my new kitchen,” Jane says. “I wanted to take advantage of the natural light. The peninsula is great because it allows me to entertain guests in the kitchen and in the living area.” Bonus: Even with more space, the countertops were still rather shallow. The architect used a fridge with a shallow depth dimension so it wouldn't jut out past the counter. Style finds: DesignCraft mission flat-front upper cabinets in White Icing and base cabinets in Islander Sheer in the kitchen: Park Slope Kitchen Gallery. Lansa hardware: Ikea. Floor tiles and backsplash: Nemo Tile & Stone. Quartz countertop in Blizzard: Caesarstone. Faucet: Grohe. Refrigerator: Summit. Lighting inside kitchen: Flos. Single light pendant above peninsula: Schoolhouse Electric. Wall and ceiling paint color in Cloud Cover: Benjamin Moore. - Got big plans for your space? Find out the answer to the question “When do you need an architect?” here. Refer your renovating friends to Sweeten and you'll both receive a $250 Visa gift card when they sign a contract with a Sweeten general contractor. Sweeten handpicks the best general contractors to match each project's location, budget, and scope, helping until project completion. Follow the blog for renovation ideas and inspiration and when you're ready to renovate, start your renovation on Sweeten. The post The '50s Give Way to a Chic New Kitchen appeared first on Sweeten Blog. |
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January 2019
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