Built-ins help

Check the New Yankee Workshop archives.

John Flatley Jacksonville, Florida

nothing I could find had details, like I am looking for...

You might try to research who built the cabinets in the photos and ask them how they were made. There are hundreds of moulding profiles available and thus probably thousands of possible combinations of profiles. If it's not possible to contact the builder of the bookshelves in the photos then go to a moulding supplier and get a catalog or look at what they have in stock. Some of the profiles made be custom made as well. Router bit manufacturers or shaper knife manufacturers usually have photos that show the profiles that their bits will cut. Try doing some mock ups with short lengths to try to match the photos. I don't know your skill level but built-ins like those in the pictures require advanced skills.

Looks like a standard baseboard molding we see around here. Should be available in paint grade poplar or MDF.

Hard to tell.. My guess is plywood (or mdf) box with rail and stiles added to the front perhaps routed or molded inside. It's possible that the lower units are actually a few inches apart as the columns on the lowers look to be added or applied to the face of the cabinets.

No.

Again, hard to tell but you need enough width to get the rails and stiles for the panels. I'd say 6-8"

Some kind of rounded edge that we would probably make with a router or shaper.

If you notice the upper cabinet on the left, the shelves do no go very far behind the column. My guess is that the boxes (bookcases) are built and the column face is added to separate the bookcase units.

It seems to me as though the top of the columns are wrapped with what looks to be a chair rail molding or similar. The ceiling crown may be more than one piece but..... did I mention it's a little hard to tell.;-) You should be able to buy the crown and or pieces to get the look.

One thing to remember when trying to build something from a picture....you don't have to construct it exactly as the one you see. Your goal is to make it look like the picture. Use the materials and the skills you have to reproduce the look. I've had a lot of customers hand me a picture of a fireplace surround or an entertainment center they want me to duplicate. I don't care how it's constructed......chances are I won't build it the same way that guy did anyway. When it's finished, it will look like the picture...then I can go out back and make a little bon fire out of their pictures.;-)

Mike O.

My guess is the at the "columns" are faux columns put on afterwards. The basic recipe is easy, and if I had photos, I'd point to the similar one I made for the livingroom. It consists of two boxes, with two more sitting on top. The bottom ones are cabinets with inset panel doors. The are fastened together, and fastened to the wall. The shelves above were built as two complete units, then slid into place between the ceiling and the tops of the lower cabinets. All the finish trim was applied afterwards.

Bob

Check out Tom Plamann's project, it may help you:

Try looking at the library. They usually have some pretty good books. Some of the Older ones have more projects with elaborate detail than newer books. Also check them out for "Fine Woodworking" or "Fine Homebuilding" magazines. Some great info in those two books and usually pretty highbrow styles.

GL,

Byrd

Tom Plamann has a great step by step