Three years after purchasing our house, we decided it was finally time to tackle the living room renovation. It was probably the room in the best condition in the house, which is why it took us so long to start the work. Naturally, we thought about the boxes of books patiently waiting in a corner of the attic. At first, we scoured thrift stores and checked out second-hand bookshelf online listings, but we never found THE bookshelf that would fit perfectly in our living room. That’s when we realized it was time to build the large bookshelf we had been dreaming of for years to house our books and vinyl records.
Table of Contents
Our Project: Creating a Bookshelf to Store Our Books and Vinyl Player
Our living room is basically divided into two distinct spaces: one small and one large. Originally, these were two separate rooms, later combined by the previous owners. In the smaller area, a bare wall—without any decor or window—gave the space a somewhat gloomy vibe. The previous owner had placed her television there, opposite a large leather sofa. Since we neither own a TV nor a big leather sofa, we felt the need to completely rethink this area and give it a new purpose.
We began by removing the two layers of wallpaper. So long to the white-and-purple-painted wallpaper with straw pieces, and farewell to the floral pattern hidden beneath—though my daughters did grow quite fond of you!
Specifications and Constraints
Dimensions of the Alcove and Challenges of Renovating an Old House
The wall in question is an alcove measuring exactly 2.4 meters wide—no more, no less—but with a generous ceiling height of 3.2 meters. The floor, composed of old parquet, has its quirks, including a few uneven planks that have slightly sunken over time. Despite this, we were determined not to renovate or replace the flooring.
For years, my husband and I had envisioned a bookshelf grand enough to accommodate our collection of books alongside his cherished vinyl records. We needed a design deep enough to hold a vinyl player while also offering ample storage for the records and our larger books.
Integrating the vinyl player into this bookshelf required considering two essential elements:
- The bookshelf needed to be deep enough to store 33 RPM vinyl records.
- Additionally, we had to include a mid-height shelf, similar to a kitchen countertop, to house the vinyl player, making it easily accessible and functional for use.
Why Did We Choose IKEA Kitchen Cabinets?
When we first moved into the house, I had found a solid pine buffet on Leboncoin that I hoped to transform into a bookshelf. Two years later, I had to give up on the project because I couldn’t find any cabinets that would match well with this piece. The buffet was too short, and the cabinets I had spotted didn’t have the same width as the drawers and doors of the piece. The lower doors and the shelves above wouldn’t have aligned properly. In short, we would have lost valuable storage space, and the final result wouldn’t have looked good at all.
For a while, I considered using IKEA’s Billy bookshelf units before ultimately abandoning the idea. These units weren’t deep enough for our project, and their widths didn’t match the size of the low cabinets we wanted to install.
Why Did We Choose IKEA Over other providers?
One of the main reasons we opted for IKEA cabinets is the lack of a crawl space under the lower units. This feature, of course, wasn’t necessary for our bookshelf project. Additionally, these cabinets are sold without legs—another option we didn’t need. Finally, the shallow IKEA cabinets (37 cm deep) were perfect for our project, both in terms of height and width.
Materials and Tools Used for This Project
What we bought:
- Beams for the base (replace the cabinet legs)
- Wooden battens
- 2 x IKEA base cabinet frames, white, 24x24x30″ or 60x60x80 cm
- 2 x IKEA base cabinet frames, white, 15x24x30″ 40x60x80cm
- 2 x IKEA high cabinet frames, white, 24×14 3/4×80″ or 60x37x200 cm
- 2 x IKEA high cabinet frames, white, 15×14 3/4×80″ or 40x37x200 cm
- 4 AXSTAD white matte doors, 12×30″ or 30×80 cm – We chose two 12 inches doors instead of one 24 inches door to make opening easier. Though slightly more expensive, this option is more practical because it reduces the swing clearance.
- 2 AXSTAD white matte doors, 15×30 “or 40×80 cm
- Extra Utrusta shelves, 40×60 cm
- White melamine shelf, 100×24″, 3/4″ thick or 250×60 cm, 18 mm thick (local hardware store)
- MDF boards, 3 mm
- Special primer paint for smooth surfaces
- Dark blue Paint
- Matte clear varnish
- Polystyrene Crown Moulding
- Brass cabinet knobs (purchased on Aliexpress)
What we already had:
- Metal brackets, plasterboard screws
- Miter saw for cutting beams and battens
- Laser level
- Stepladder
- Painting supplies
Steps for Building Our Large Bookshelf
1/ Assembling the Cabinets
At this stage, there are no surprises—your first task is to assemble the IKEA kitchen units. If you’re familiar with the brand, you’ll know the drill. Simply grab your screwdriver and follow the step-by-step instructions, complete with clear illustrations to guide you.
Nothing insurmountable. The main challenge, in my opinion, lies in the size of the cabinets, which makes them difficult to handle once assembled.
2/ Building the Base with Beams
Using beams allowed us to easily level the cabinets without having to adjust the legs individually. As I’ve mentioned, our floor is made of old parquet, which isn’t perfectly flat. Building a beam base made the task much easier. The front beam also serves as a baseboard, which we were able to paint directly—no need to install a kitchen baseboard that would come loose in a few months!
We installed beams across the sides of each bookshelf unit to ensure even weight distribution across the base.
I forgot to take photos of this step, so you’ll have to make do with my explanations and images of similar projects you can find online. Here are links to two projects we found online that inspired us. The articles are in English, but you can see the beam base in the pictures:
3/ Attaching the Lower Cabinets and Installing the Melamine Shelf as a Work Surface
Next, we placed the lower cabinets on the beam base. The cabinets were secured to the wall and to the beams as we went along..
Once the cabinets were securely fixed, we moved on to installing the shelf. We debated using a traditional kitchen countertop for a long time. Typically, these countertops are available in thicknesses of 28 or 38 mm, which makes them thicker than standard bookshelf shelves. I feared that this height disparity might create an aesthetic imbalance. So, we explored other options. Eventually, we found a large melamine shelf at Weldom, measuring 2.5 meters long, 60 cm wide, and 18 mm thick, all for about fifteen euros. This was the solution we chose! After adjusting the length of the shelf, we installed it like a work surface on the lower cabinets.
You might be wondering if such a shelf will be strong enough. It’s a question we considered carefully. First, it’s important to note that we’re not installing a kitchen, so our shelf won’t be subjected to the same heavy-duty use. Additionally, the weight of the upper cabinets and their contents will be distributed optimally: 1) thanks to the vertical supports of the lower cabinets, which align perfectly with the upper units, and 2) through multiple fixation points in the wall. So, we’re confident, and my father, a seasoned DIYer, agrees!
4/ Attaching the Upper Cabinets to the Wall
Next, we positioned the upper cabinets above the lower ones. We made sure that the cabinets of the same width were perfectly aligned with the ones below. My husband secured these cabinets to the wall using the pre-existing fixation points located in the corners at the top of each unit. He also anchored each unit to the wall at several points using metal brackets.
You’ve Probably Noticed, We Installed the Fiberboard Panel Upside Down at the Back of the Cabinets. This wasn’t a mistake but a deliberate decision. We thought it would make the painting process easier by having a smoother surface. In hindsight, however, I realize it was unnecessary and even counterproductive. The seam in the center of the panel is more visible on this side than on the other, so we had to fill it, which caused us some issues. Additionally, this made the painting process more complicated than anticipated. The material is very porous, so it absorbed a lot of paint. As a result, I had to apply two coats of primer instead of just one.
If I were to do this project again, I would install the panels the right way up but would lightly sand them before integrating them into the cabinet so the paint adheres better.
5/ Installing Fillers on the Sides for a Custom Bookshelf Effect
Next, my husband installed pieces of beams and battens flush with the cabinets, at the top, bottom, and even at the ceiling. We then attached a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) panel onto these battens to fill the gap and create the look of a true custom bookshelf.
For the upper part near the ceiling, it wasn’t a big deal if the filler didn’t perfectly touch the ceiling, as we planned to install a crown molding. This would add character to the room while also concealing any small imperfections.
My husband drilled two holes in the large mid-height shelf to allow an electrical cable to pass through. This allows us to plug in our vinyl player or a lamp inside the lower cabinets without unsightly wires running along the front of the furniture.
For cutting the MDF panels, we made things easier for ourselves by having the cuts done directly at our hardware store (Weldom).
My husband drilled two holes in the large mid-height shelf to allow an electrical cable to pass through. This enables us to plug in our vinyl player or a lamp inside the lower cabinets without unsightly wires running along the front of the furniture.
At this stage, the construction process is almost complete. I’ll soon be able to start painting, my favorite step! You’ll be able to see the finishes and our fully completed bookshelf in a few days.
See you very soon for the next part of this project!
