If you’re thinking it will be costly, you’re right. Interior designers and contractors will charge you a lot for custom bookshelves, and rightly so, because it takes design expertise and carpentry skills to build a flawless and professional wall of shelves.
However, if you’re pining away for a forever home for your books, it’s definitely possible to build your own on a budget with a little know-how. Kristin Cadwallader built these for less than $600, for example.
As long as you’re willing to learn some basic building skills, acquire some power tools, and give up some weekends to build your project, you are totally capable of adding a beautiful wall of shelves to your home that you can be proud of. To start, ask yourself what type of built-in you want: an entire wall covered in shelves? A combination of shelves and cabinetry? If you’re dreaming of a project like the little unused triangle under the stairs, or a wall with multiple windows or doors, just be aware it will take more advanced skills and experience. For beginners who are interested in how to build in built-in bookshelves, I suggest starting with the simplest project: a blank wall which you can cover from end to end with built-in bookshelves. Read on for a basic tutorial on how to do this.
How to Build Built-In Bookshelves: What You’ll Need
Materials
Self-assemble bookcase of your choice; I like Ikea’s Billy Bookcases because they come in various sizes and offer an extension shelf to get your bookcase all the way up to the ceiling Filler board, such as plywood or MDF sheets Crown and base molding to match your existing molding Patching agent Wood Glue Primer: If you’re painting a factory finished surface, make sure you use a really strong primer Paint: Vaspar Dove White matches the Ikea Billy in white.
Recommended Tools
Power Drill Nail Gun Circular or Table Saw (optional). Miter Saw (optional).
How to Build Built-In Bookshelves: Directions
