Monday, November 29, 2010

MORE BOOKSHELVES

I replaced a too-wide set of shelves between the doorways to the kitchen and the attic, then added an over-door shelf: Dinner dishes hadn't made it to the dishwasher yet, oh dear.
I had to leave room for the light switch, which made room for some other items:Cordless phone on a quickly-built angled stand, notepad, CO detector, the spot where I routed a shelf support, thinking the switch was a foot higher on the wall.... Oops! That gray thing is not a firearm; it's a solid-plastic training aid. But it couldn't stay there, as even it was too much temptation during junk phone calls. The other gadget is a tiny, French-made telegraph key. Quite a nice little key, in fact. Here, perhaps it will be handy if we receive any telegrams.

I put the short shelf, the vertical that supports it and the two shelves it is connected to together as a unit before proceeding with the rest of the assembly. This simplified the process considerably, though I am starting to think I need two more 4' long pipe clamps. (You can never own too many clamps).

There are two more doorways to bridge and I will have encircled the room. (And two boxes of books to be shelved). However, the shelves on the opposite wall are only temporary; it has an archway into the living room and my plan is to build new shelves on each side and at least one shelf along the wall above the archway. At least one of the temporary shelves will be moved to the living room: with the science fiction all shelved, there will still be science, technology, biography and history books in boxes, plus some mysteries (Sherlock Holmes, Travis McGee, Amelia Peabody) and a few others.

I'm considering a frieze of toy soldiers along the molding over the kitchen door; or is that too quirky?

8 comments:

  1. You must arch the shelf over the arched doorway. It's a moral imperative. At the very least, an arched skirt under the shelf.

    Seriously... how cool would that be? An arched shelf, with books climbing the arch, and a 'keystone' in the middle.

    I can think of several ways to do it, starting with a steam box and a pine board.

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  2. I second the arched shelf idea. You could make it in short steps as it rises, with a few books on each. That would mean you'd have to use it for books on or about Russia, of course - the home of the steppes!

    :-)

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  3. Green Army Men guarding the portal to the kitchen!
    I love it.....

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  4. Forget green plastic army men.
    Find yourself reproductions of the classic metal British, French, and Russian soldiers from the period when Napolean was making folks actually respect the republic's might.

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  5. Is it just me, or does that room have a serious list to starboard? :-)

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  6. The photo is shot at a skew angle -- but Roseholme Cottage was built in 1924, lightly built at that, and has suffered serious roof leaks at some time in the past (I had to replace the entire floor in the room we use as an office) plus some "growth" in the chimney that also serves as a support. As a result, the floors are not quite level and most door frames are not entirely square, some more than others.

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  7. I've always wanted to have a place like this: http://tywkiwdbi.blogspot.com/2010/12/nice-library.html

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  8. Next project? http://librarianista.tumblr.com/post/2367771296/lovelyhomes-secret-door

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