Let's take a trip back in time, shall we?
Before we moved into the house, the front room looked like this.
Ceiling to floor wood paneling, ewww.
It had some real potential though, and by that I mean it had a working fireplace and was therefore worth saving. After a few hours with a sledge hammer, a lot of wires, a dozen electrical outlets, drywall and spackle, we had a workable room.
We put a coat of primer on the walls and ceiling, moved Dan's desk and file cabinets into the room, and basically left it alone for the past 4 years or so. DVD cases moved in, a bookshelf ended up in there, but we had a vision for a better future.
A real library.
In February, we put in motion a plan that took us nearly an entire summer to conclude. We drew up designs for what we wanted the room to look like and hired a master craftsman to build us our dream room. We bought a ridiculous number of oak boards from a local lumber mill, and I spent most of the spring and early summer staining and polyurethaning.
We went from blank walls ...
... and empty corners...
To this.
Corner shelving between the windows for DVD's,
CD's, and Daniel's toys.
L-shaped window seats that function as storage
compartments for Daniel's camera equipment.
Antique brass hinges that match the rest of the
hardware in the house.
Eventually, there will be cushions on these, and I
will have myself a cozy reading nook!
Shelving with recessed lighting over Daniel's
desk for display.
A gorgeous mantle built right over top of the other.
Funny story, we couldn't actually remove the other
without damaging the fireplace, so our carpenter did
an awesome cover-up job with the new wood.
And a little something for me. Something to make my fellow bibliophile's hearts beat a little faster.
Floor to ceiling bookshelves.
Solid oak with fancy support pieces.
I am so in love!
It's not every day that a girl gets to design her own library and have it become a reality. I cannot think of a better gift for my 30th birthday than to have a real library in my home.
Someone find me a rolling ladder, please :)
