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DIY Bookcases for Bedroom - Final Reveal

bedroom makeover with diy bookcases


This is the third and final part of a series for building Bookcases in my bedroom.  For the first part click HERE.

At the end of the second post, this is how the bookcases looked.

The electric fireplace (affiliate link) had arrived and it was hung onto two 2x4's in the middle of the two bookcases.  It was time to make it look pretty.



I wanted to enclose the fireplace, so out of MDF a front face was cut, the inside of the cut-out was the perfect fit for the fireplace but the idea didn't work!  It was so tight fitting that it was impossible to hang the fireplace.  I wanted to be able to take the fireplace off the wall at any given moment, like if the lights for the flames burn out and I have to change them. This style didn't allow for that.  It was more like a permanent solution that I didn't want.


One extra problem I encountered was the flat trim I had previously attached at the front sides of the bookcases. Whatever I was trying to fit in between both bookcases didn't get in.  I took it off, it was a pain on the neck to get rid of it.  The glue had hardened pretty well, every time I managed to pray away an extra piece I promise myself to never put trim on the outside, before building the inside.  I think I learned that lesson. :/


Since the first plan for a "flat-front enclosed fireplace" didn't work, my next move was to build a small cubbie below the fireplace and a simple mantel above it.

This is how the cubbie was done:


This is the mantel.



On top of the mantel a chunky shelf was drilled in place.



The back was painted chalkboard black.  I also painted a 1/4" plywood to fit inside the cubbie.  If I change my mind I can take it off and is white again.



Finally, 1/2" MDF was cut in 3" stripes to give the overmantel a nice design and to cover the gaps on the sides and the electrical hole at the top (that top part was screwed in place to have easy access later on).
All the small moldings were the final touch.



Then I was in a paint marathon! I used Kilz 2 Latex to prime the whole unit.  Behr Swiss Coffee - Semi-gloss finish was used as the top coat.



And they were DONE!


Some accessories.

how to build a bookcase with electric fireplace


Remember the post about wood cuttings?  They were coming here.



HOW TO build a set of bookcases


This is how it evolved.
electric fireplace in between bookcases - diy


Until now.

how to build a set of bookcases with fireplace in-between.

This is the bookcases coastal look during Summer.
Bookcases dressed up for summer



The windows got all trimmed out too, you can read all about it on my first contributor post at Pretty Handy Girl.





75 comments :

  1. Oh my, just came across your blog!! I am so impressed. It is amazing. It is gonna take me awhile to get through all these posts but I am loving what I am seeing thus far. Well done and kudos to you for being such a DIY maven!!
    Awesome!
    Laura
    House Envy

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  2. Wow! You are too talented! You did a great job!

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  3. you outdone yourself Cristina!! ...as your usual. Friend, you have done a marvelous job!!

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  4. That's spectacular! You are like a powerhouse wrapped up in an itty bitty tiny body. That is a really cool fireplace. I can't wait to see how you trimmed out the windows, they look fabulous too!

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  5. You are amazing! Each post you amaze me more and more! I love what you did with the cuttings such a beautiful accent.

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  6. It is amazing!
    Beautiful space you got here.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Hope to see you on my blog:)

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  7. Cristina,
    Honestly, I am a bit speechless! These turned out amazing! Your do know that what you do with measuring, cutting, building, and creating is an art! They turned out beautifully and the change in your bedroom is perfection!

    Jemma

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  8. Cristina you really outdid yourself! I wish I had an ounce of your creativity! You need your own show!

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  9. This looks fantastic! You did an amazing job!!!
    Jamie @ somuchbetterwithage.com

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  10. I'm in awe at this entire wall - it is absolutely stunning! You've given me such fantastic inspiration for the built-ins I'm currently trying to build. Thankyou thankyou thankyou!

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  11. Amazing project, Cristina- You never cease to amaze me- xo Diana

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  12. Enhorabuena Cristina! Vaya trabajo! Es increible lo que haces, soy tu fan nª1.

    Sigue así

    Marina

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  13. Cristina, they look amazing!!! You have done such a beautiful job! You are an incredible woman and so talented! I love, love, love the way your new shelves turned out. The fireplace and logs was just the perfect final touch. Stunning!!!

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  14. Cristina que trabajo más maravilloso has echo. Me encanto la idea de los troncos .. Una pregunta los secaste al horno solo para que fueran adorno??? Yo tengo chimenea y te copiare la idea me encanta como se ve los tronquitos.
    Tu dormitorio me ha fascinado me encanta la combinación celeste con blanco. Y ese mueble genial... Te copiare el color para mi dormitorio !!! Me encanta
    Cariños

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  15. I am so impressed. You have amazing talents!! I am a tad jealous!

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  16. Just gorgeous and perfect for that space :)xo Kristin

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  17. It looks stunning Cristina! You have done an amazing job and I love your bedroom color. Popped over to Sawdust Girls blog to check out your window trim too. LOVE IT! Cheers to one of the most versatile and talented bloggers I know!!

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  18. Oops.....Pretty Handy Girls blog....both great girls! Cheers.

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  19. Cristina this is phenomenaly beautiful! It looks so prefessionally made! I had a feeling the wood cutting sould be going to you fireplace and I love it! Huge pat on the back for you for a job well-done!

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  20. Oh my! It is so beautiful! You did an awesome job, and I wish I had room for a fireplace in our bedroom!
    Just beautiful, and remarkable!
    Nancy
    http://wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com

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  21. Thank you so much, everyone! Decora Adora - Angelica, Los sequé al horno para deshacerme de animalitos que pudiesen estar adentro de los troncos. No son buena compañia en el cuarto :)

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  22. It looks amazing! I love the wood cuttings. It just makes it extra special.

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  23. Thoroughly impressed!

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  24. Wonderful job, Cristina! Looks so professional and just fabulous!!!!!!!!!

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  25. Wow wow wow! I am utterly speechless. I can't believe how good it turned out. I looove how you used the wood cuttings! That's my favorite part :) You are one talented lady!

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  26. Love it! I so wanted a fireplace in our bedroom I'm working on, but just couldn't make it work. Now I'm wanting to rethink it!!

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  27. wow, looks absolutely beautiful! You're so talented and fearless! Good job!

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  28. Another amazing project, Cristina!! You are so talented!! It turned out beautifully:)
    XO
    Christy

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  29. Ooooh Cristina this came out so beautiful!! I think I need to become better friends with my power tools or that you lived down the block and could come and show me the "how to's"! I am so jealous of all your creative skills!!! Can't wait to see what's next!
    Hugs,
    Pendra

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  30. Wow!! They look amazing! What a fab tutorial.. .and I love where the wood cuttings ended up. Great job! Thanks for sharing it,
    Krista @thehappyhousie

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  31. Stunning! You truly amaze me with your carpentry skills!

    :) Linda

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  32. Turned out great, Cristina. Love how it looks in the room.

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  33. Stunning. What a great job! I have to check out your older posts!

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  34. Wow! This looks great. Thank you for joining Home Sweet Home.
    Sherry

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  35. Wow Cristina! It looks amazing - I love love that fireplace! Beautiful job!

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  36. great job! I love how it turned out!

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  37. So beautiful, and utterly impressive!!

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  38. Ummm, not sure how I missed this post!?! I am utterly speechless! Truly you are so talented, this is just so beautiful! Professional and totally perfect! And I love the wood cuttings! Your husband must be so proud!!!!!! I am really loving and pinning!

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  39. Stunning. More than just a re-purposed or re-do, this is a makeover and a half! It is beautiful.

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  40. you have done a great job and the wood pieces look fantastic!

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  41. It is stunning! Great job! Would love it if you would link this up to Give Me The Goods Monday: 1 Party, 5 Blogs! http://www.rainonatinroof.com/2013/04/give-me-goods-monday-3-link-party.html
    Jenna @ Rain on a Tin Roof

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  42. What a beautiful transformation! If you get a chance, please link this up to my sunday linky party: http://suburbsmama.blogspot.com/2013/04/sunday-linky-party-2.html

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  43. I think it's awesome that you did this entire project yourselves! It looks just amazing! I love the fireplace and how you have styled the shelves. Great job! :)

    XO,
    Jane

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  44. You are a DIY Genius! SERIOUSLY! Totally impressed as always! XO, Aimee

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  45. It turned out beautiful! I'd love if you'd link up to The DIY'ers. http://homecomingmn.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-diyers-and-more-curtains.html

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  46. Hi, I'm visiting from Maria's link party and love what you have done with your bedroom fireplace. Wish I were so talented this way. Great job.
    Thanks for sharing,
    Helen

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  47. Wow! To come across someone's blog where you use Swiss Coffee is like a bolt of lightning! You see, I found that color years ago and fell in love with it, too! Just the right about of warmth to it without being overwhelming. Love your project and glad to see you at Tutorial, Tips and Tidbits linky party!

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  48. Those are fabulous, Christina. I am so late seeing these.

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  49. Cristina, you absolutely ROCK!! This was definitely worth the wait. It looks FABULOUS!! I love everything about it, including the trim around the windows and the color on the walls. You are a true professional. Wow wow wow. You go girl!!! I'm so proud of you!!

    Debbie

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  50. Really awesome! I love that little cubby for wood you included, too! =)

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  51. Fantastic project! Your wall unit came out great and I love the added wood chippings.

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  52. Um... you left me speechless! I love every bit of it!! Thanks for sharing this with us this week at Monday Funday!

    Take care,

    Trish

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  53. Great project! Thanks so much for sharing at Monday Funday. I will be sharing it this week on my Facebook page! Take care, Laura

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  54. Laura at Finding Home posted this on Facebook so I popped over and WOW! I am very, very impressed! I love the problem solving you did along the way.

    http://northislandcottage.blogspot.com/

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  55. Visiting from Monday Funday. I'd like to invite you to my Friday Flash Blog, where you can share your best blog entry of the week! The party goes on ALL weekend at thejennyevolution.com. And who knows, you may just get featured next week.

    Jennifer
    thejennyevolution.com

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  56. Fabulous job, Christina! They're beautiful, such impressive work!

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  57. Love it!! They turned out SO great!!! I would love to do something similar :)

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  58. Christina, your blog is wonderful. I love that you share your mistakes so that we can learn from them as well as you did. I thought I was the only one that had to rip things out & do them over! I am a 59-year-old grandmother who loves woodworking & sewing (they're very similar pursuits), who also dabbles in paper & mosaic art, as well as concrete objects (big, HEAVY spheres) for the garden. I started working with wood as a young bride on a budget. If I needed something, I had to build it, since we didn't have the funds. When I was 35, I asked for a miter saw for Mother's Day (I already had a circular saw, a couple drills & a good staple gun), and that same year my hubby got me a finish nailer & compressor for Christmas, & somewhere along the way I picked up a router. I, too, love Kreg jigs, & have recently bought one of their saw guides for cutting large sheet goods. (We have a table saw, but I'm afraid to use it for this because of kickback.) I have been so inspired by your posts that I have convinced my hubby that I need to spiff up the house a bit. (I have mostly built just furniture up till now - tables, a bed, drawer units for under a desk, floating shelves & bookcases.) Now, I am itching to build a range hood (I, too, think those awful things should be outlawed!), along with enclosing the tops of our cabinets. Thank you, girlfriend, for all that inspiration. Incredible!

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  59. Thank you so much everyone for such nice comments! Laura, reading your story is like reading mine, we must be twins separated at birth :) I need to get a table saw but I'm also extremely afraid of the kickback :D My challenge now is to build some drawer units (somehow those slides and precise measurements scare me!), but you just have inspired me to go ahead and give them a try.
    Thanks a lot for your beautiful words!

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  60. I love your room, I have a wall in my living room I want to try this on. Can you share with me where you got your fireplace and the model it is? Does it give off a realistic flame look? Thanks for the inspiration.

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  61. Hi Christina,
    Found your Best Projects post via Mindy Carwin's MyLove2Create link party. Those bookshelves are an incredible accomplishment! You've done such a professional job! Thanks for sharing your "mistake stories" along the way, they're entertaining!
    All the best in 2014,
    Val @ artsybuildinglady.blogspot.ca

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  62. OH Christina - I just saw this on Not just a Housewife - and don't know how I missed it - but this is magnificent - really really gorgeous!!!
    XOX

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  63. Just happened upon ur site (pintrest led me) AMAZING!!! ive a useless husband and so im inspired by ur work, thanks for the detail and pics, brilliant. Lex for Ireland xx

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  64. Hello, you did a great job on this project! I was wondering how wide each of the bookshelves is? Thank you!

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  65. Hi Cathy,
    Thanks! Each bookshelf is 30" W. I made them that size because I planned on re-using the doors of a couple cabinets I had in my bathroom. I think I never said that on the blog :/

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  66. Can you tell me where the fireplace itself is from? I have been looking but some are either too large or too permanent for the space I need.

    Thanks!
    Dana @QueenofmyCastle3.blogspot.com

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  67. one of my all time favorite combo: white and natural brown/wood elements. Looks fresh and relaxing

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  68. Amazing job!! I know this is an old post but I was hoping to find out where you got the chandelier?

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Kristen! The chandelier was a lucky $40 flea market find. I have no idea who the manufacturer is. The chandelier doesn't have a logo or anything for me to know where it came from. Sorry about that. :/

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