Tip Based Project (TBP) #1 Request: To design a bookcase and reading niche. Total budget: <$10,000
Built-in Bookcase and Reading Nook
Everyone dreams about or already knows at least one oddity that they want in their home. For me, the bottom three treads of my staircase will be wider than the rest. That way whatever clutter is put at the bottom, to remind people to carry it to the top, can be more easily stepped over, I mean will not interfere with the means of egress and people can more freely travel up and down the stairs without restriction or potential tripping hazard. For this particular client, an author, and our first attempt at a tip based project, they wanted a large built-in bookcase and reading nook installed in their home.
The built-in bookcase and reading nook stretch from the rear wall of the home, through the living room, and joins with the kitchen cabinets to create continuity within the space. The niche, framed by a backdrop of 12" deep shelving, bumps out to slowly transition the builtin to standard cabinet depth before bumping out again at the fridge for vertical storage. The builtin was painted the same color as the base cabinets in the kitchen and done in the same shaker style for design consistency. Using reclaimed lumber as an accent for the small nook carries the eye from kitchen to living space to seemly blend the transition of the two areas.
Final Design