It’s been a while since I had my own space. And I’ve never had my own library / home office that wasn’t used for any other purpose.
My dream come true!
So of course the first upgrade that needed to happen here after setting up my computer was to get my beloved books on shelves.
Inspiration
We discussed A LOT of different options for built-in bookshelves and almost went with something a bit more custom and fancy. In the end, because Jay doesn’t have a table saw yet and because I’m super picky, we decided to keep it simple for now.
But here are some my favorite inspiration photos for more built-in, custom shelving down the road.
First up…
Built-In Wood Framed Bookcases
I really like the way these have wood all the way around the inside and back. A very pretty look. This is what I was leaning towards, which would require building walls out on either side of the window, etc.
A bit more labor intensive than hanging tracks and plugging in brackets!
Here’s another example of that style…
And… another example! But this one has a white painted back instead of wood. I like this look too. A little more casual. And the contrast of white walls with pretty wood is one of my favorite decorating combinations.
Obviously for our house the fireplace will be a window. So whether to place shelves above the window and below is still up for discussion!
Built-In Bookshelves Around a Window
Here are some design ideas that go around the window completely.
The beauty of this design is that it sometimes allows you to have a window seat too.
Like this one…
OK. I realize this next one doesn’t actually have bookshelves. But I still pinned it for this project because you can imagine the cabinet as shelves, right? I knew you were imaginative! 😉
Completely Custom Built-In Shelves
This next one is serious eye candy.
I look at it frequently and drool.
We actually considered doing something similar to this with the fancy trimwork and whatnot. But again… no table saw puts a damper on a big project.
We can still drool though, right?
The Dream Home Office Library
And finally…
Because I want to make your heart hurt…
The dreamiest home office library that ever did exist…
Sigh.
In the End…
So what did my bookshelves end up looking like and how did we build them?
Watch this video to find out. You can also see our supply list in the description of the video.
Enjoy!
Finally…
There you have it! I love the way these look. They cap off the end of my space, and I can see my bookshelves while I’m working on my computer or lying on my red velvet sofa…
Oooo… red velvet sofa, you say?
I did say! 😉
My next post will be a “before and now” discussion of my whole home office library along with a video of before and after!
So come back soon!
If you have any questions about this project, just ask below. Always happy to help and offer advice for your project!