DIY project with Scribe (front landing library)

scribe

Adjacent to the second floor bedroom area at the top of the front steps we have a large area that we didn't know what to do with. As a front landing it made sense to make it into a sitting area for the bedrooms but try to avoid making a second family room with sofa, etc. We thought it would make for a great library to read, etc. before bed.

So I decided to go ahead and close off a closet door in the middle of one of the walls to create a continuous unbroken wall area. To do this we decided to combine closets into a long Alice In Wonderland sort of a closet beginning at the door to the left of the bookshelves, ending in my daughters bedroom to the right of the bookshelves.

Once I prepped the area out via sheetrock, tape, plaster, and paint, I took some dimensions and went to work on drafting up a plan. First my friend made the boxes in the shop which I brought into the space and installed in the area. To these, I added all the trim work designed to mimic the original door moldings (seen in the pictures, stripped and ready for re-shellacing). This was perhaps the most difficult and costly aspect of the project. I took a sample piece from the door moldings and had them remilled from scratch as they are no longer available at even the most exotic dealers. I made other more simple parts with the router in the basement.

Next up was painting. We decided to paint them instead of shellacing them to match the moldings. We figured the whole thing would appear overwhelming for one and the expense of clear pine throughout is prohibiting. There were some 30+ shelves to paint alone and it was brutal. I am a very quick painter but it was still 3 hard days work with other's sanding and prep. The fun part was installing the copper antiqued finish grommets and shelf pins. Over 700 of them! The fun part was the wifey did those. Then installing the adjustable shelves and loading up books. As it is I believe we have only filled perhaps 10% of the shelves.

I have yet to order the doors which will number six of them for the back wall stretch of the shelves at the lower two shelf portion of the cabinets. That area will be for blankets and things we don't want to look at. I think the doors will help keep the bookshelves from appearing overwhelming in the room.

Chromatic-Knight · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:12 pm Post subject:

Those are terrific. Great project.

I just finished removing my modules from "D" ring binders. They look much better bagged and boarded.

Third row from bottom used to be all binders.

tfm · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:46 pm Post subject:

That's disgusting! You guys are truly amazing.

Adam, do you have any architectual antique stores around? They can solve some of those replacement problems for older homes. When we lived in Lincoln there was one down town--they have some really cool stuff.
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scribe · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:25 pm Post subject:

scribe · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 8:26 pm Post subject:

Damn, Mike. That is alot of books. Laughing

I don't get to put any of my books in this library. I have been banished to the attic. Which isn't really so bad! I will try to post some pictures of what will be my personal library.

TheShield · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:02 pm Post subject:

That's usually when I regret not to be "very gifted" with my hands... Nice work, Adam, to say the least !

I count 8 Fiend Folio on Mike's shelf, I thought there were only one printing. Wink

Chromatic-Knight · Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:10 pm Post subject:

tfm · Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:18 am Post subject:

Regarding Fiend Folio, just look at the spine. One has an ISBN number on the bottom and one has an ISBN number plus a 394 number printed above it. Given TSR's record of consistency, there are probably others.
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"This is cool."