Hi Ladies!

I’m assuming that I am the only male in the house at the moment! One commenter last week said “who let the boy in?” And I still need to read through some emails I have regarding the Domestic Divas. I’m not sure what that will entail, not sure I want to know!

Every home needs a contractor!

Even Blissful Home needs a contractor from time to time, right? So here I am, and I have a cool idea to share with you today.

I was researching for some upcoming posts and I came across a really neat idea! It really got my attention because I’ve been talking and thinking a lot lately about “small home” solutions. Check out this photo:

A Fit Anywhere Built-In

I thought this was an awesome use of space! I’d bet that 75% of homes have a place for something like this. Just look around you, there has to be some tiny spot on a wall between a couple of doors that could work!

This is easy!

To build something like this in a very basic manner is really very simple. If you have the means to cut some 1×10′s down, drill a few holes, and screw in a few screws, you’re all set.

If you want to go retro, you could use a handsaw and skip the screws and use nails…a saw, hammer, and nails. That’s a simple job.

Here are the steps.

(or at least the parts)

Here is an example of a place you might put something like this:

This is a real spot in a real house that I am currently working on some designs for. There is a place right there between the bi-fold doors and the entry door to the room (a boys bedroom) that could use these shelves.

It really isn’t complex:

There are a few ways to go about attaching all the boards to each other. But they really aren’t that important.

What matters is that you DO get them all attached securely and that they are level, square, and plumb.

The two largest parts are the side pieces. Shown below:

You might want to cut them first and put the whole unit together on the ground and then install it in one piece.

Fixed vs. Adjustable

The picture at the top shows adjustable shelves in the unit.

This drawing I’ve done shows fixed shelves. Fixed shelves are much easier to build. Adjustable shelves are certainly more flexible.

If you’re using fixed shelves you can space them evenly as I’ve shown, or you can space them to suit your needs or design. The construction is the same no matter how you do it.

It’s important to be sure you have a good connection to the wall.

You can use a store bought piece of hardware such as a small L-bracket. You could also make a small wooden block that you attach to the wall first, and then to the shelving unit to hold it secure.

This drawing shows all the parts involved. You might decide a little bit of crown molding around the top would look good!

Paint vs Stain

Paint, caulk, and putty can cover a multitude of sins. If you’re a beginner you ought to do a painted job the first few times. Once you get good at making your cuts and connections you can try a clear finished or stained job. Personally, I love painted shelves.

Great Videos and Tutorials on-line

I’m more of an idea guy than a detailed step-by-step tutorial producer, but you can find some great tutorials on-line if any parts of these steps are not able to be done by yourself.