Now that all the shelves, compartments and backing boards have been added, time to finally assemble the whole thing from top to bottom or in this case, bottom to top.
Bottoms up – first completely assemble the cupboard base unit, adding the doors, shelves and loose end panel. We didn’t glue this panel to the top section in the end but decided to re-drill the fixtures so that the locking nuts could be used to secure the panel instead. Genius!
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| Start with your base unit |
Next add the bookcase units. Slide in the one closest to the chimney breast first to make sure it clears the mantlepiece.
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| Add the first side of the bookcase |
Most people don’t notice that mantlepieces have a tendency to overhang the end of the fireplace. Damned inconvenient I say!
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| Has to be angled in to miss the sticking out bit of the mantlepiece |
Once the first unit is tightly abutted against all walls, slot in the second unit. Make sure both are aligned so that all front edges are flush.
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| Slot in the second side of the bookcase |
And this is where the smile gets wiped off your face.
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| Almost as big a gap as our bookcases |
Behold! A gap between both bookcases.
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| Rachel, how do I plug this black hole? |
Not a surprise as I had figured there would be when I measured up all the timber. Unless you can cut everything to within a gnats’ whisker, have the world’s straightest walls or paid NJ to bespoke your bookcase then there are always gonna be gaps. Fact.
But this is not the end of the world because like the Dutch boy who plugged the leaky dyke with a finger, gaps between bookcases can be plugged in a number of ways; either with a wooden trim over the top or a spacer in between.
As luck would have it, the gap between our bookcases is around 20 mm wide so we’re going with a spacer plank instead of the surface trim. I’ve painted the spacer edge black to co-ordinate with the rest of the unit and wedged it in tightly. Gap successfully plugged with the painted spacer looking like a piece of central trim.
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| Painted spacer plank slotted between both units to fill the hole |
With everything shoehorned into position like a hippo in an airing cupboard, time for the crowning glory; the top panel. Naturally sliding it into such a tight gap scuffed my lovely paintwork. Get that green paint out. Again!!
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| Top panel sits across both units screwed into central uprights |
Remember to secure both bookcases to the walls to prevent them falling on top of you. With minimal space available between the top of the bookcase and the ceiling, each unit has been secured to each side of the recessed walls with long masonry screws going through the wood into the brickwork.
All that’s missing is the top pelmet piece which has been made out of a length of thick 2 x 3 inch wood painted black. I've let the pelmet overhang the bookcases by about 1 cm so that it's stepped. It's also not secured down in any way just in case you ever have to take everything apart. Not like anyone's going to bump into it, are they?
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| Overhanging pelmet |
Now step back to admire. You did it! A beautiful bespoke bookcase for those treasured tomes.
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| Finished at last! |
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