Page 15 - Real Estate Now May-June 2022

Create a window seat
You might be able to transform a window in your house into a cozy oasis with a few kitchen cabinets. If you have a
recessed window, you’ll be able to create a built-in window seat with some sturdy, ready-made kitchen cabinets and a
few 2x4s or 2x6s as a base. Light demolition is necessary as you’ll need to remove the baseboards in the area to ensure
the cabinets are flush with the wall. Watch this informative video about how to build a window seat with IKEA Nordli
Hack: https://youtu.be/h53PIs8lXYU

Maximize your storage
Framing a window, desk, or TV with built-ins adds instant gravitas to the room—and gives you heaps of storage. As
with the fireplace, open bookcase built-ins will allow you plenty of space to display sentimental or decorative items. If
you have things to hide, or prefer to keep things out of sight, try using woven or wooden baskets. Prefab wardrobes
can be a great option if you have larger or longer objects like coats and vacuum cleaners that you want to store.

If you have dead space, a nook, or a gap around an architectural feature, but not enough room for a full bookcase
built-in, take advantage of floating shelves for a DIY built-in look without any reno and only a little bit of measuring.

A divine home library
If you’ve ever admired the wall-to-wall bookshelves of a beautiful home library on Pinterest, you’re not alone. Bookcase
built-ins bring an opulence to the room that’s hard to beat but can be attained through a few matching cases.
As with the window seat, remove the baseboards first so the bookcases can sit flush to the wall on all three sides (that
is, if you’re doing one entire unbroken wall). Make sure everything’s secured and isn’t at risk of toppling by drilling
a few screws through the back of the case into the studs. This is a vital step for all tall built-ins, especially the half-
cabinetry, half-bookcase ones.
To make sure it doesn’t look like you’ve just aligned several bookshelves along the wall, fill in all the little holes with
caulk or putty, use trim to cover the joins between cases, and then get out your can of paint and paint the entirety
of the shelves to match your wall colour. Follow these step-by-step instructions about how to make basic bookcases
look built-in: https://youtu.be/16fcdcZQ5aE ■

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