Storing my books has been a problem over the years and this is probably the first time in about 20 years that all my books have been in one place. I have had hundrends stored in my parents loft for many years and in various other cupboards. Finally I have them all here leading to problems with having them all out. One day I will have floor to ceiling bookshelves (when I convert the garage in a few years, but until then I would like to be able to get at most of them without hunting through boxes.
This week my project was to build a nice bookshelf for a small selection of my books, out of cheap flat pack furniture, modified by my own fair hand to look a little better and more in keeping.
So I went through the hateful experience the is shopping in IKEA. Where else can you get a flat packed bookcase, nearly 2 metres high for £19.99? So home I came with a KILBY bookcase which was swiftly put together.
First thing that I added was a moulding around the top and down the sides....
As this is to mostly contain paperbacks, this bookshelf has a monumental amount of wasted space between shelves, so some extra shelves were needed. I cut these out of plain cheap white covered chipboard. Making it a much more respectable 7 shelf bookcase (8 if you count the top)
I then primed the whole thing...
and added some brown paint to the edges and corners..
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and finally gave it a couple of coats of cream paint (the same as the colour on the bedroom walls).
A bit of discreet sanding allowed some of the brown paint to show through a bit at the edges and corners...
The back was added (not sure I should have left that grey, but it can always be changed at a later date)...
Finally some of my books were put in and I think it looks much better than the original piece of flatpack that it was. The beading was the biggest expense coming in at £10, and the extra shelves cost me another £7 (although I still have enough particle board for use in another shelf in a future project.)
Now I have to come up with some more places to put more books, something for the kitchen I think.......
Stunning - well done :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, I'm very pleased with it.
DeleteHow inventive ! I would never have thought to add the beading/trim to it. It looks really good. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt was a very satisfying project too.
DeleteHi there love what you have done with the bookcase! my house is the same books everywhere ,my husband and oldest daughter is the cause of this haha .Like you i'd love floor to ceiling bookcases .
ReplyDeletelisa x
One day I am determined to have them, but won't be for a few years yet.
DeleteWell done, it has never occurred to us to add moulding etc to things we buy from Ikea, or even that you can paint them. Never too old to learn!
ReplyDeletePainting them is a doddle as long as you use a good primer first.
DeleteLove that you added the trim. I've never thought of that either. It sure dresses it up and makes it look like it was always like that! I like that you distressed it a bit with the white being sanded so some brown shows through. I'm going to have to remember that. Thinking of making some legs for a homemade coffee table and might to the same thing!
ReplyDeleteDistressing it does seem to give it an aged look which I rather like, I did it on the frame of a blackboard in my kitchen last year and it worked a treat so I thought I would try it on a bigger scale, pleased with the results. I'll never look at flat packed furniture the same way again!
DeleteSo brave venturing to IKEA :) it looks fab Dan, very talented. Cx
ReplyDeleteIkea was a pretty bad experience, especially because I didn't know that the Manchester one didn't open til 11 and I got there at 10. Just added to the frustration and made me feel that I had been in there for hours (actually I think I was).
DeleteLooks good. You can never have too many books.
ReplyDeleteLove from Mum
xx
Now I have to find a spot for those old Enid Blytons, lol.
DeleteHey, that looks very nice! Good job!! If you have more books to house you might want to consider converting your garage into an oldfashioned library. I always fancied having a library come reading room, but have no space in my house for that.
ReplyDeleteSarina, I have definitely considered the garage becoming a library - in fact, that is a bit of a dream, I've always wanted one. One day!!!!
DeleteVery nice job! Just found your blog and glad I did. I love that you use the same color as your wall, makes it look very custome...because it was!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my blog, I am glad you are enjoing it.
Deletethat's really great ! well done you
ReplyDeleteThank you, it actually looks better in person, the photo doesn't really do it justice.
DeleteGreat transformation, I'd never would have guessed it was a cheap flat pack to see it now.
ReplyDeleteThanks, I am looking at flat pack with different eyes now.
DeleteWow, this looks great. The trim at the top definitely makes the piece look custom - Hubby and I used a bunch of these ikea bookshelves and screwed them together with trim to make a media centre.
ReplyDeleteI thought that a few together with trim across the top would probably look good, while I was doing it. Glad to know someone else is doing it!
DeleteI must admit i thought nooooo! when i read ikea but you did an amazing job on it, looks really lovely.
ReplyDeleteGreat to see your wee seedlings all doing well too, happy gardening :)
ps no idea about the tree!
Hi, its loook great..!!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of paint do you use? And how many layers of it?
Actually it was just ordinary emulsion, it seems fine and none has flaked off, thanks to the primer. If you want it more hardwearing just stick a coat of varnish on at the end. I only did one coat, as far as I remember, but judge it by the look you want.
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