Building Built-ins in our Den

Hey, y’all!

I hope you are having a great week so far!  :)

Today, I wanted to share with you the new bookcases we built in our den!  

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We have had this project completed since last fall, but I never got around to decorating them the way I wanted and taking pictures. MAYBE because I spent a good bit of time in Los Angeles last fall, plus traveled across the world for our adoption.  If you follow my blog, you know that it was cray-cray in the Hutcherson House last year!  :)

I found some o”before” pictures that I snapped on my phone, and I wanted to show you where we started.  Sorry for the poor quality.  

We had this blank wall right beside our staircase that was kind of awkward.  I tried putting some furniture there, but it looked weird, so I thought I would do a gallery wall instead. 

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But I never got around to doing a gallery wall, and then when I was looking at it one day, I said to Cy, “Honey, I think we need to tear down that header that we just built last year and build some bookcases.”  (I’ll leave out his response.)  ;)

But after I showed him some inspiration pics from Pinterest, he agreed it would be a good use of space, and we got to work!

 

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Cy built a frame for our built in bookcases…

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I wanted some picture lights on the top of my bookcase, so we left some room on top for wiring. 

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This is what it looked like before we added the shelves and painted…

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And this is what it looked like painted without the lights installed yet, and random stuff from around the house thrown on the shelves.

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I ordered some brass picture lights online and Cy installed those, so our built in bookcases now look like this….

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I am SO happy with how they turned out!  I love how they fill that awkward space up and look like they were meant to be there.

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I went around the house and collected anything that I had that was navy blue or aqua.  I found several blue books that I could add to my shelves as well.

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Then I tried to stay with other pieces that were warm and had texture like baskets and candles.  I also added a lot of little touches of greenery.

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I know I will enjoy decorating these shelves throughout the seasons.  This was a very difficult project, but I think it made a big difference in the look and feel of our den.

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What do you think?  Do you like them?  Is there a space in your home that you would like to build some built-ins?

Have a blessed day!

 
 
*This post was sponsored by Lowe’s.  All ideas and opinions are 100% mine.

31 Comments

  1. It really brought the space into the room and made it much more functional. Taking out the header was the right move. Good job!

  2. They look amazing! You would never know they were added later because they look like they are meant to be there! Love them and I love the way you have them styled – so fresh and clean!
    Great job!
    Shelley

  3. Your built-ins look like they belonged there all along. They are wonderful. It will be so fun to fill them for the seasons and holidays. Enjoy!

  4. Boy, they really look terrific! Very professionally done. You must be very proud of you and hubby! Was the header not needed for structural support or did you do something else to compensate?

  5. LOVE those bookshelves but even more I love the half-dressed boy on the couch behind the pillow! I miss my children being all over the house in various stages of undress. So adorable, and so typical. :)

  6. Yes, they are more than lovely, such a nice addition! Yes, I was wondering about the white upholstery as well. Happy mid-week to you!

  7. What a great idea…just perfect for that space! All the pretties you placed look wonderful…how fun it will be to change up for seasons and Holidays…

  8. I love the framed saying — where did you get this — I am in the process of redecorating a room with this same color pattern. Love your blog!!

  9. looks awesome ! I’m sure all would agree, your home is HOMEY… stylish and filled with LOVE.. by the by, are the sofas ekthorp ?

  10. I agree with everyone else – looks fantastic and just fits the space perfectly. And YES, I would love some built ins for my family room – when can I get Cy to come and install? LOL!!! :) Eli is just cute as can be and I spotted that sweet fur baby in those pictures just waiting to hop on that sofa when you weren’t looking!! LOL!!

    Have a great weekend.

    Marilyn C.

  11. I would love to build book shelves on the wall on each side of my fireplace from the floor to the ceiling and I have high ceiling. I think it would dress up my living room immensely. Love your shelves.

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