Offset Built-in Bookshelves

Several weeks ago, I installed a set off built-in bookshelves for one of my Asheville customers. They recently sent me a few photos of the shelves with books in them, which reminded me that I haven't shared them here yet!

The shelves have a nice offset pattern:

I started with a 2"x10" board which I lag-bolted to the ceiling joists. This ensured that the bookcase would never tip forward. (Normally I would also secure it to the wall behind, but this particular wall was made out of Styrofoam insulation board.)

I also built a "foundation" at the bottom to support the heavy weight that these shelves will eventually bear.

Next came the fun part: building the shelves. Naturally, I started at the bottom and worked my way up.

The picture on the right-hand side (below) shows the structure of the bookcase. The sides are comprised of two parts:

• The exterior frame, which is one long continuous board, and
• The interior framing. This is made from short boards which support each shelf.

I really like this layout because I can add lots of supportive structure which can all be hidden by face framing. It all comes together in a very tight fit.

"Face framing" is exactly what it sounds like: wooden strips which go on the front of the frame. They make the shelves look thicker, and they also make them stronger.

There was also QUITE a bit of painting on this project, and it was very tricky, because the wall was a different color than the shelves. Normally I would have put a backing on the shelves to make the painting simpler, but this room was very small, and it would have been hard to bring it in as one piece.

Of course I pre-painted the boards before installation, but they always need another coat once it's all put together. I had to borrow my wife's artist brushes to get into all the little corners.

But it turned out very well. The customer even left a great review on Google.

If you're interested in getting your own custom built-in furniture, check out my online furniture portfolio at www.ArtisanBuiltins.com.

Or you can still contact me in the usual way, and I'll be glad to assist you.

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