The Finished Bookcase

The bookcase is finished! It’s been painted, assembled, patched and we put up the finishing trim at the top and bottom. I absolutely LOVE the way it came out.

It’s been a long road to get here, and this has been the most complicated building project that Mike has tackled - I’m very impressed by my handy husband! First Mike cut the pieces to size and then primed and painted everything. He pre-drilled pocket holes for the screws, then brought everything into the nursery to assemble. The boards are securely attached to each other and the wall. The radiator cover in the middle is still freestanding and both the top and front can easily be removed to reach the radiator.

As I mentioned once before, we hit a few building snags when the bookcase pieces were all straight and level and nothing in the room (or house!) is. But Mike was able to work through it and got everything installed beautifully. He was even able to make all of the shelves adjustable by sitting on pins - if we ever want to move the shelves, all we have to do is drill new holes with a template he created. Easy!

Once everything was up, Mike filled the pocket holes with wood filler and we adhered veneer tape to the front edges with an iron for a smooth clean look. Then all of the patches and veneers were painted and we did any necessary touch ups. Caulk was applied around the edges for a smooth clean look.

The veneers before being painted white

I’m really pleased with how this came out, I love it when projects fit the space and house so well. It feels like a built-in bookcase was always meant to go there and now it’s like it has always been there. The amount of storage and functionality this brings to the room will make a world of difference. It also makes the room look taller and wider. I can’t wait for the paint to finish curing so that I can start putting things on it!

The shallow shelf allows the closet door to open fully, but creates a fun space for display