Living Room Book Storage: The Plan

Thank you so much for all of your creative suggestions yesterday – it was so fun to hear all of your ideas! Of course right after I wrote the post, begging for help, I started thinking about “built-in” bookcases in the living room and things sort of took off from there. Here’s a weirdo Photoshop of what I’m imagining:

I couldn’t get an accurate shot of the sectional, so I’m just showing half of it here. Hopefully you get the idea.

Anyway, it seems that a lot of people have had success using Ikea’s Billy bookcases to fake built-ins, and with the extension pieces they just happen to be near-perfect in size for our wall (at least, up to the picture rail anyway). Plus, the doors on the bottom half will allow us to tuck away our less-pretty books and lots of other junk. I guess it’s fate or something. I don’t know. But for a pretty decent price, with extras like bangin’ hardware and trim along the top, I think we can achieve something moderately fancy.

As for color, as insane as it feels to paint two bookcases in peachy-pink, I think it’s the best option. I don’t want them to be too intrusive or busy, and the living room just happens to be peachy, yo. I have to embrace it.

Of course now I want this project DONE, like, NOW. The idea of two towering, peach bookcases with giant brass cabinet pulls thrills me. I mean, duh. I’m human.

P.S. Most of the bookcase fillers were lifted from Little Green Notebook – she’s got a fun method for organizing books here.