Since we’ve moved into our home On Joel Lane, we really wanted to add faux built-in bookcases in our front living room. You see this IKEA hack everywhere in the home decor community. It feels a little Pinterest circa 2015, but I love it! Plus, we already had three out of five of these cabinets, making it a manageable project during the chaos of life. We optimistically decided to start this project right before I had to go on a week-long work trip to San Diego, but to my surprise, we were actually able to finish it.
We used three shorter bookcases and the two tall bookcases with glass doors to flank the wall. Cutting the carpet to add the base was probably the most nerve-racking part of this project because it was completely new to us (we also felt a little guilty because the carpet was installed brand new when we bought the house last year). The most difficult aspect was figuring out the trim to make it seamless. This is one of the main reasons we don’t set this up as DIY instructions because it really depends on your space. I could’ve added dimensions and trim specifications, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all. For finishing touches, we switched out the knobs and handles, hung rechargeable sconces, and added box trim. This is my own preference, but I love to mix metals. It’s my favorite. In a way, it feels liberating to intentionally add character as opposed to the matching builder-grade look. That’s what we all adore about Nancy Meyers’ films – the rooms are not just spaces, they evoke feelings of familiarity. Coziness, curated, thoughtful, and most of all – lived in. To achieve this, we went with neutral colors, mixed metals for hardware and picture frames, natural materials like rattan, and skirted covers for our chair and sofa.
This project was at the peak of our The Summer I Turned Pretty binge this summer. We watched the rest of Season 3 in this room with a glass of merlot. And yes, tears were shed during every episode!
Overall, we absolutely loved this project. We use these built-ins to store evergreen decorations, vases, board games, tablets, and computers. We are still figuring out this room. Right now, it’s a mix of my office, living room, and media room. We’ve even thought about adding a library in here as well. I know that as we continue to make this house our home, this space will not only be aesthetic but functional for our family.
During the Project
