built-ins on a budget

I am working with two different clients right now who would like to have built-in shelving on the media walls in their living rooms. There is no better way to create a focal point in a room than by creating a spectacular wall of shelving around a fireplace and/or TV. In addition to the fantastic storage it provides, it allows our big modern TV sets to blend better into the room and it draws the eye to the whole wall and not just the big black box. 

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Custom built-ins, however, are expensive. But with a little creativity and a weekend of getting your hands dirty, you can do it yourself and create a custom look using inexpensive materials.

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First, figure out your storage needs, and whether you need room for junk that you want behind closed doors, or if all-open shelving will be ok.

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 Second, try reusing what you already have. Can you incorporate existing freestanding bookcases, dressers, or sideboards into the design? One of my clients is using an antique dresser/hutch as the centerpiece that the TV sits on, and will build shelving around it. 

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Third, measure your wall and sketch out what your shelving would look like. Then measure each section and use in-stock cabinetry and shelving units from the hardware store. Often these can work perfectly size-wise. 

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Finally, use trim to tie all of the pieces together to create a seamless and custom look.  

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Or, who says they need to be joined together? Freestanding bookshelves on either side can also look amazing. 

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For detailed instructions, check out this page at HGTV.com or this one from ehow.com.

Shelving around your media wall or fireplace adds warmth and functionality to the room. It takes some work, but I think it is worth it. Do you?

are books as a design element a thing of the past?

                                                                     Source: homedit.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

Last week The Economist broke the story that IKEA will be revamping its classic Billy Bookshelf by making the shelves deeper. Perfect, the article states, for "ornaments, tchotchkes and the odd coffee-table tome—anything, that is, except books that are actually read." The article goes on to explain that e-books have overtaken hardcover sales and that the Swedish furniture company is adapting to a future with fewer physical books in our homes. 

Say it isn't so! OK, I can (maybe) understand why people are indeed opting for the convenience of an e-book while standing on a commuter train or crammed into a tiny airplane seat (though I still love the feel and smell of a real page), but I can not and will not accept that books will no longer serve as a prominent design element in our homes. Yes, I may be more of a bookshelf enthusiast than some, but you have to admit that books, whether stacked on the bedside table, organized masterfully in a bookcase, or piled precariously high on the floor beside a chair add a warm and interesting feel to a space. Displaying books is the easiest decoration trick in the book, and it personalizes a home. The colours and sizes and textures profuse a room with a cozy and comfy and welcoming feel. 

                                                                    Source: beautiful-libraries.com via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

                                                                            Source: google.ca via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

                                                                         Source: google.ca via refresheddesigns. on Pinterest

So I was incredibly relieved to read Reluctant Habits' interview with IKEA PR gal Marty Marston, who said, "I hate to dispel those who think the bookcase is dead. We do not see it that way. We really see books as decorative. Books will still continue to be something used to adorn. They’re rich and they’re textured.”

Whew. Books in design are not a fading trend. OK, I guess I can fish my IKEA catalogue out of the recycle bin. Or I could just bookmark the online version.