The Great Bookcase Project Continues (Part 1)

I finished painting the bookcases and they look really nice and clean and free from spiders. haha Lowes cut some white laminate shelves for me, though I still need to take the circular saw to them and cut them back so they aren't so deep. But that'll add 6 more valuable spots for storing supplies.

Before we do that, however, there's a few tweaks we have to make to ensure we do this project "the right way." As you can see in the picture below, we have an extension cord running behind one of the book cases. It's one of the few 3-prong outlets in the house and currently powers my computer in the living room. We need to upgrade some of the outlets in the living room so we can use them without running this big extension cord through the house.

In addition, the baseboard and quarter round around the front room causes the book cases to sit about 1 to 2 inches away from the wall, which isn't a very nice look. We would like to cut notches out of the back of the book cases to fit against the baseboard so the back of the book cases are flush with the wall. This will help them look more like actual built-ins. Also, it'll make it easier to anchor them to the wall at the top to ensure stability.

I upgraded the hardware on the doors. I found a set at Target that matches the knobs I put on our built-in dressers in the master bedroom, except in a darker finish that pops against the white furniture and gold walls. Installing the new hardware was actually a little tricky because the doors were so thick. The screws wouldn't reach the knobs through the wood, so I had to take a drill with a bit that was larger than the screw heads and drill out pockets for the screws to rest in. I also replaced the original pulls with knobs, so I had to putty the second set of holes for a seamless look.

Haven't got around to hanging the curtains yet. But you can see the color and pattern of them draped over the treadmill. haha This view is looking out toward the front porch through the window. You can see the living room through the doorway. I also bought extra valances to cut up and make panels for the doors to add a splash of color to the all-white book cases. More on that to come.