Built in cabinetry adds dimension to the room

If you’ve ever thought about home improvement, remember these words of advice.  Calculate the amount of time you think a project is going to take and multiply that number by 10….or 100.  It will ALWAYS take longer than expected!  Such is the case with our built-in living room cabinetry, which is finally complete.  It literally took months to reach this point!

When we moved in, the fireplace was stand-alone, leaving the room without a focal point and more importantly, any sort of storage.  Joe and I purchased pre-made cabinet bases and built ceiling-height shelves to mount above them.  For the project, we used furniture grade plywood, which we trimmed with wood veneer and plenty of molding.  Each piece required 3 coats of paint (sanding in between) to ensure a smooth and durable finish.  We chose frosted glass for the cabinet fronts in order to disguise all of our electronics and topped them with remnant limestone.  The entire unit is finished with two pieces of chunky crown molding.

Finally, we filled the shelves with books, photos, a vintage bar set and Elise vases from Pottery Barn.  We couldn’t be happier with the finished result (and the fact that it’s FINALLY done)!