The Kitchen Bookcases - Finally Done

[DerbyDad03]

Some of you may remember that I posted a few questions related to the bookcases that I was building for the kitchen. Chamfering the shaker style doors, paint options, etc.

I think I initially put blade to wood back in January. Since then there have been a ton of delays, some by choice, others forced upon me. The need to replace all of the trim, including the window trim, where the bookcases were going, the removal of an old corner cabinet, patching the walls and floor, painting most of the kitchen - twice. (Bad choice of color the first time). I hate painting.

Toss in the death of my Dad (expected, but sooner than expected), Mom going into hospice (and then recovering), the emptying of their apartment, (300 miles from me), a few weekends away with SWMBO, and every day life in general.

Oh..yeah. Did I mentioned that I hate painting? I often found ways to avoid the painting so that prolonged the project too.

Well, ~6 months later, they are done and in place. SWMBO has just started loading up the bookcases and playing with different set-ups. Neither of us like the current set-up so ignore the books for the most part. So far all we've agreed on is that she has a lot of cookbooks!

Here you go...

The backs of the bookcases are painted the same color as the walls. After I had already dado'd the sides to fit the backs, SWMBO saw some "open back" bookcases in a magazine and liked the look. We compromised and I painted the back panels to match the walls.

The walnut and maple Cribbage board on the right hand base cabinet is one that I made for my Dad about 30 years ago. We've played hundreds of game with it over the years, so many that the stain on the pegs is worn away in spots.

[-MIKE-]

They look great. Nice and simple-- a Shaker would be proud... well, no... humble. He would approve. :-)

Sorry about your Dad.

[Sonny]

Well worth the wait. Better to do it right, than fast. Good job.

Sonny

[Leon]

Looks great and probably vintage appropriate.

If you were to do a little more, I would suggest a short bump out wall to act as a room divider, just to the right of the cabinet where the paint color samples are at. As it is it appears that the furniture is too/wide for the room.

The books, turn them all up right, IMHO laying some down always looked staged. I like to display things on a shelf, not just fill the shelf for the sake of filling it. Books up right on a shelf look like they should be there.

Great job! The cabinets look appropriately proportioned, doors, rails, stiles. Except for the right side where the right cabinet is blocking the opening to the other room. IMHO that opening should be made smaller so that the cabinet dies not appear to block the opening.

[Leon]

One more thing. The tops of the cabinets look unfinished. Look at the bottom cabinets, their tops that extend past the fronts and sides. The tops should have trim to extend past the fronts and sides too. A 1x2 laying flat on top of the perimeter of the cabinets would make the tops look complete. Nothing fancy, just something to finish off the tops.

[DerbyDad03]

Simple they are. I offered SWMBO some options for dressing up the top of the bookcases, but she opted for plain. The plan is to make matching doors for all of the kitchen cabinets. When they are done, they will be sent out for painting. Did I mention that I hate painting?

There is one thing about the design that has bothered me for a while. Should the tops of the base cabinets be thicker? Somehow that 3/4" panel just seems a little wimpy.

Thanks. It's actually OK. His lungs were failing from too much exposure to methyl bromide early in his career as an entomologist for the USDA. His need to lug around an oxygen tank hit the 24-7 mark and he absolutely hated it. We all knew the end was coming within a year or two (pulmonary fibrosis) but he contracted pneumonia and passed while in re-hap. Of course there is sadness, but there were very little tears. He wasn't happy, he couldn't help my mom anymore and he really hated all the fuss related to his care. If the saying "It was time" ever really applies, it certainly did here.

[DerbyDad03]

See my reply to Mike re: the tops. SWMBO is reserving the right to add a shelf across the top of the window. I'll toss some 1 by's up there and see what she says.

[bnwelch]

I like what you have done. I also prefer a slightly thicker top, maybe a 5/4 rather than 4/4 with a very simple edge detail.

[DerbyDad03]

That has been considered. In real life, they really don't look too wide as there is a couch just out of view. There is also a floor lamp that usually stands between the bookcase and the couch so it all sort of blends together.

There used to be a board up the wall where the paint samples are and a built-in, open, 3 shelf book shelf thing that extended from that wall as a "divider" between the rooms. It really looks much better without it. I had to patch both the floor and the carpet when I removed it. (Don't move the couch. I had to steal a piece of carpet for the patch. The carpet is getting replaced after we paint the living room this fall.)

I agree. Do you want to tell SWMBO for me? ;-)

[Leon]

Did you draw this in Sketchup? And if so did you draw that wall and window?

Almost always I draw the room for a piece I am going to build. You get to see what the results will look like before cutting wood.

[Leon]

LOL, designers think books are art objects. Sorta like a guy redoing his favorite vehicle and bolting a brake rotor to the side of the hood. The brake rotor belongs on the car but not like that, IMHO same with books.

[-MIKE-]

Leon's suggestion is a perfect solution to that.

[DerbyDad03]

No, and no.

Hey, as it was it took me 6 months to build this simple project. Imagine if I had to learn SketchUp first? I ain't getting no younger, ya know. ;-)

Speaking of the window...I'm glad I measured the both sides of the wall before I started building. That window is not centered. The left side unit is about 1.5" narrower than the right. That gave me a matching gap between the window sill and the walls on both sides. Even though there is not a full wa ll on the right hand side, there is that short section that hangs from the ceiling. I matched that gap with the gap at the other wall.

If I ever do build a divider wall there, the gaps will be even all around.

The PITA was that I basically had to make 2 "different" units. Any parts related to "width" had to be measured, set up and cut separately.

[Leon]

Not an excuse, I'm 64 ;~) Seriously, if you have accurate plans building goes much much faster. You build it when drawing so actual building is like doing it the second time.

In my office I had a similar situation, the 6' wide window was not centered on the wall. Fortunately the double door entry into the office was centered.

[Michael]

Great job on the bookcases. Sorry for your loss.

[OFWW]

It that isn't the truth! The "second time" part.

[OFWW]

Sorry to hear about your Dad, and all the extra things involved, thanks for posting this, it generated some fine comments and thoughts, so I learned indirectly from it all. While I agree with the comments after reading them all, I still appreciated the work you put into these things.

Yes, Paint and all. :)

[Puckdropper]

Leon wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Have you built up a library of some of your most common components?

Puckdropper

[Leon]

Actually, yes and no. I have a library of full extension slides that I downloaded from the warehouse but I seldom use them. It is easier to simply draw a rectangle with depth to represent the slide.

BUT I did draw one of the steel adjustable feet that I use on almost all of my cabinets. The bottoms of the cabinets have to be at a certain height to hide the feet so I use the foot component drawing to double check fit for the real thing.

And I have the drawer/cabinet pull components that I designed and make out of wood.

IF I were using the pro version I would be using dynamic components and I would probably have a larger library.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Looks good. I don't care for open back but your compromise is a good idea.

We have chairs the same style as yours. Bought them over 40 years ago as part of a dining set of Bennington Pine. A bit larger they called them Admiral's chairs.