Bookcase project

[Travis Porter]

Here is a rough (and incomplete) sketchup drawing of bookcases I am doing for a friends house on each side of a fireplace. I have drawn the lowers, but not sure what to do with putting a mantle on it and whether to bring the cabinets out flust with the sheetrock.

This is a gas insert with sheetrock. They are going to put granite around the front of the fireplace, and as you can see have a ledge for a mantle. They want to use maple for the book cases and they will not go to the ceiling. THe ceilings are 9 ft and the book case will probably stop around 8.

The lower units (which are half drawn) will have doors and the upper units (which I haven't drawn)will be open. He plans to put a flat screen TV above the mantle and his stereo components in one of the upper unit bookcases.

So, again, thoughts, suggestions, questions, comments? All are welcome and appreciated.

 

[scsmith42]

From a "practical" standpoint, he should consider putting the TV in a cabinet adjacent to the fireplace instead of over it. You really want your TV to be located at eye level (unless you only watch it rarely).

Many fireplaces are "standalone" - ie they are the center of attention in the room. If I was installing cabinets adjacent to my fireplace I would want to design them so as to not take away from the fireplace; potentially putting the fireplace further out into the room so that the front of the cabinet appeared to be in the same plane as the front of the fireplace.

SS

 

[NZAPP1]

I am looking to build book cases around my gas fireplace and was thinking about setting them back 3 to 6 inches from the front edge of the fire place.
Scott my flat screen is above the fireplace and my seating is back far enough that it is very comfortable to watch.
Just my $.02

 

[Travis Porter]

I am thinking backsetting the bookcase/cabinets is probably the way to go. I was considering tying them into the mantle/fireplace, but I am now thinking not.

Scott and Nick, thanks for the input!

 

[ToeNailer]

Travis......setting them back is definitely the way to go, but you could still plan on incorporating them into the manle. You could bring the mantle and any other mouldings around to meet them with a return. They could transition into some type of similar element on the uppers. There is a nice flow that way. Good luck.

 

[rhett]

I agree with setting back the cabinets. Tops approx half depth of bases with a wooden top. If they are also frameless like the kitchen, will you have fillers between the box and the wall or will you build them onto the fronts? As far as the mantel goes, it should stop with a return on the wall. To wrap it around both sides leads to a detail where the depth of the mantel shelf protrudes into the front of the bookcase, leading to very wide inside fillers on the upper bookcases.

 

[Travis Porter]

I agree with setting back the cabinets. Tops approx half depth of bases with a wooden top. If they are also frameless like the kitchen, will you have fillers between the box and the wall or will you build them onto the fronts? As far as the mantel goes, it should stop with a return on the wall. To wrap it around both sides leads to a detail where the depth of the mantel shelf protrudes into the front of the bookcase, leading to very wide inside fillers on the upper bookcases.

Plans are to go frameless on the bookcases and use fillers of approximately 1inch. This is my first time doing frameless so I am not sure if the fillers will look odd or not on built in bookcases like this. The lowers will have doors, and I was planning on going about half the size on the uppers, but he wants to put his stereo components/satellite receiver in it.

I will say it is nice to draw it up in sketchup before cutting the wood. Hopefully, I will have more drawn tonight or tomorrow to give more perspective.

 

[Travis Porter]

I think I have the bookcases (at least the first set of bookcases) figured out.
I have just found out that I have more bookcases and a desk to build as well. :-(

Again, comments suggestions are welcome and appreciated.

 

[cpowell]

I took a look at our fireplace/mantle/built-ins in the living room. Pic below.

The fireplace wall is 82" long, mantle top is 57". Built-in recess area is 47 inches wide. The fireplace is a focal point. I like the way the shelves are set back and the crown ties in the mantle shape.

I like the mantle height on my FP, perfect for hanging stockings, but I couldn't imagine putting a flat screen on the wall above...I think it'd be too high. I wouldn't want the mantle any lower, it fits in nicely with the adjacent shelves. The room has cathedral ceiling, somewhere around 20 ft high. The fireplace and built-ins "fit" the space of the room.

I would make the mantle as high as you can get away with and try to add some fancy details/edge profiles/fluting, etc to accentuate the FP area. Of course, the customer is always right.

I think less is better on the built-ins (I think that's where you are with the design). Let the TV and FP grab the attention first, then the built-ins are just extra eye candy.


Chuck

 

[mkepke]

Travis - I am also against the TV-above-the-fireplace thing, but it works for some people. I would suggest to your client that they take a piece of cardboard and put it in the planned location and see if it makes for comfortable viewing.

The other comment that I'd make is that while flat-screen TVs are a fashion-statement today, they won't be in a couple of years when they are commonplace. Then they will be that-large-black-object-sucking-the-life-out-of-the-room, just like tube TVs were/are.

-Mark

 

[NCPete]

yeah, I like the idea of being able to hide the TV, and one can't do that over the fireplace. often this is much too high for viewing comfort, and, tho LCD's and plasma's have a far better viewing angle than they used to, the best perceived image is when the TV is at eye level for the viewer. In my store, I have a row of recliners in front of my tv wall so that my customers may sit to view the lower level of TV's without looking down at them

 

[Travis Porter]

I tend to agree with all on the TV placement, and will comment to him. The bad part is, they have changed their minds, wait until the last minute to give me information, and are not sure what they want.

I do want to clarify one thing. To me, client implies that I am making a profit. I will be making ZILCH, ZERO, NADDA, NOTHING!!!!!! The neatest thing about all of this is I get to try out and use a 13 spindle line boring machine I borrowed. I can see that I will be wanting one of these!!

What started out as kitchen cabinets and vanities has grown. It is now kitchen cabinets, vanities, 2 built in book cases, desk/bookcase/drawer unit to cover about 12 feet of wall space, and over washer dryer cabinets..........

 

[DavidF]

I tend to agree with all on the TV placement, and will comment to him. The bad part is, they have changed their minds, wait until the last minute to give me information, and are not sure what they want.

I do want to clarify one thing. To me, client implies that I am making a profit. I will be making ZILCH, ZERO, NADDA, NOTHING!!!!!! The neatest thing about all of this is I get to try out and use a 13 spindle line boring machine I borrowed. I can see that I will be wanting one of these!!

What started out as kitchen cabinets and vanities has grown. It is now kitchen cabinets, vanities, 2 built in book cases, desk/bookcase/drawer unit to cover about 12 feet of wall space, and over washer dryer cabinets..........

All that and you're making nothing on the deal!!!! now that doesn't seem fair

 

[DavidF]

All that and you're making nothing on the deal!!!! now that doesn't seem fair

But if they want it for free I guess that absolves you of the need to get it right..:wsmile: