Thank you all for your kind words about the bookshelves! Some of you commented on how lucky we were that the Billys fit perfectly in the bump outs that flank the fireplace. The true story is neither side was a perfect fit. On the right side, we had to cut off two inches of the outer most bookshelf, so that a pair would fit in that nook.
And then the bump out to to left of the fireplace was too big for a pair to fit snuggly. There was about about 16″ of leftover space that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with. I didn’t want to add more shelves because of the opening to the kitchen. Luckily, it was right around Michael’s birthday when we were trying to figure this all out. One of his presents was a vintage ukelele I ordered off eBay and when it arrived I thought the wood grain was so pretty that it was a shame to hide it. ((lightbulb!!)) So I grabbed a couple guitar hooks and a small one made for ukeleles at the music shop down the street, and while Michael was at work I installed the guitars on the wall in the nook space. His guitar, acoustic bass and the new ukelele fit perfectly, one on top of the other.
Michael is a really talented musician and I love having instruments around the house so he can keep up with his playing. This hook-hanging solution has been perfect because the guitars are protected, but they’re still easily accessible.
I also love how the three different depths here (the wall, bookshelf and fireplace) are outlined by the dentil moulding. I’m telling you, just putting up those 5.75 measly inches of cheapy crown moulding completely transformed this room. My mom and I both agreed that suddenly it felt like the house was an old brownstone and not a bad condo from the 70s. I’m dying to do the baseboards now and maybe some paneling like we talked about before. Also, I promise there’s a crown moulding tutorial coming soon. There was a bit of a learning curve for me in this first room, but now I’m tackling the garden level and I feel like I have some good pointers to share.
Your living room is so beautiful! Just came across your blog through Apartment Therapy and am looking forward to exploring it more thoroughly.
I would LOVE to hang my violin out for display–it is a really gorgeous instrument from 1910. But unfortunately its age also makes it more fragile and a violin maker has told me that displaying violins outside of their cases can cause subtle warping of the wood unless you have a very precisely controlled environment (which my drafty Boston apartment certainly does not). So sadly, it has to stay snug in its case under my bed.
Rob: I did end up cutting every shelf and the back, just with a handheld circular saw. It was a cinch. As for the supports, we talked long and hard about it and decided it was best to install two L brackets per shelf to give the whole structure extra stability. It was amazing how sturdy everything was with those brackets installed. We painted them white later and they completely disappear. Hope that helps!
Multitowner: Thanks! The rug was a find on one of my favorite sites – eSale Rugs. It's full of gems and they're always having a 50% off sale it seems like!
xx
thanks for share.