Tag Archives: built-ins

The Big Reveal… Built Ins!

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I hope when you read this you imagine confetti going off and load music pulsing and t-shirt guns firing “Custom Cabinetry Rocks!” t-shirts at you and a big spotlight pointed at our dining room with a large black sheet covering it…

ARE YOU READY FOR BUILT IIIIINNNNS?

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I can’t tell you how exciting it was to finally get to display all our books and collectibles that I’ve been scavenging for the last few years. Antiques, fun finds, beautiful books…

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Photos of Jared and me…

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The log slice that acted as our wedding guest book for friends and family to “log in”…

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We love our home and all the work we’ve done but somehow that gaping hole in the dining room really drove us nuts. Thanks (again!) to Dad for working so hard on these lovely lovely built ins. They add so much to the house and make us smile every day.

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Before the Big Reveal

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It was a productive weekend here at the Swanson household. But before I get to the very exciting reveal of the built ins, I wanted to share their unique insignia.

As you know, my Dad has been handcrafting these built ins for us piece by piece. I shared with you the initial frame that came in last week, then the paint, and then the trim. But all at once the drawers and shelving were installed this weekend. And with every custom piece of furniture my Dad makes, he brands it with a signature stamp and penney to mark the year it was built.

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Very careful not to damage the paint job, he made this custom plaque to go inside one of the drawers. We love it. It’s a treat to have a custom piece like our built ins in a home but it’s even more of a treat to know (and love!) the carpenter who built them. Thanks again Dad!

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Now, don’t miss tomorrow’s post. I had entirely too much fun staging these built ins not to share them with you all!

Picking the Pretties

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This is post from back in August but I feel it’s time for a refresher on styling now that we are just two steps away from filling those beautiful built ins!

 

There are tons of guides out there for styling bookcases and built-ins but one of my favorite blogs- the Glitter Guide- has assembled some of the key points.

1. Group books by color or hue. It’s simply more pleasing to the eye. If your books happen to be all over the rainbow, try this trick you’ll see in Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware catalogs- flip your books binding side in. It may be a little harder to find them but they sure do look purdy! And if that’s the case, you could group by subject and then you’ll just have to remove one stack to find the book you’re looking for. And besides, we’re talking about pretty shelves like for a dining or living room, not so much functional shelves for an office.

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2. Paint or cover the back of your bookshelves with a contrasting color or texture. For our built-ins, we will be painting them white but the back of the shelves will be painted the same deep navy blue that we’ll use in the half bath. The color is Newburyport Blue by Benjamin Moore.

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3. Choose a style, theme, or color scheme and stick with it. I love these blue tones or the combo of ivories and pale greens and blues.

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4. Create balance with books, large pottery pieces, and small accessories. Nothing is more boring than a packed shelf of books all in a row. Place your large items in first and compliment with smaller pieces. And just like everything in your house, don’t keep it unless you love it. Sherry over at Young House Love is famous for her collection of quirky ceramic animals. Check out their perfectly balanced built-ins and see of you can spot the rhino, bird, horse, squirrel, frog, and fish!

yhs-built-ins

Singing the Newburyport Blues

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Ready for phase two of the built ins? Blue! Not just any blue. Benjamin Moore’s Newburyport Blue and just on the back. The rest will be painted the same pearl finish white as the rest of our trim.

It’s the same blue we are using in the half bath and we are so in love with it. It’s such a beautiful matte navy blue. Almost looks like chalkboard paint. It’s gorgeous and adds so much depth to the built ins.

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Stay tuned tomorrow for phase three!

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The Week of the Built Ins

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We’ve been waiting for this moment a long time now… it’s the week of the built ins! Hold for applause… OK, so yes, it’s very exciting. These built ins in our dining room are a huge feature of the house. I’ve been talking about them for a while and dreaming of them for even longer (yes, I dream of custom cabinetry).

Remember the gaping hole?

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Well last weekend, Dad brought over the three base units that will house a total of six deep drawers.

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And then this weekend came the top units that will have three to four shelves in each. In they came, three giant boxes at a time.

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I should mention now that we are just so incredibly lucky to have my Dad helping us. Not only through this entire renovation, but especially at this stage of the game. Dad is an exceptionally talented carpenter but in particular when it comes to these finishing details. These built ins will be so well made and look original to the house with gorgeous trim and those rosettes found throughout the house at the top. It’s a crucial part of the entire renovation.

I know how hard Dad has worked on these and we so so so appreciate all his efforts. This truly is ‘The House that Rene Built.’ Thank you Dad.

Beautiful Built-Ins

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With the table saw out of my kitchen and the messy construction wrapping up, I’m getting obnoxiously excited about finishing touches just around the corner. Allow me to have a total girly moment and let’s talk about PRETTY THINGS!

One of the pretty projects I’m most excited about is styling the built-ins in the dining room. Right now they look like this. Just three gaping holes in the wall.

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But with all of our beautiful design books along with some fun accessories and framed art, I’ll have these shelves styled up in no time. That is, after they are built. As for design, the shelves will look much like this photo below except with drawers rather than doors at the bottom.

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There are tons of guides out there for styling bookcases and built-ins but one of my favorite blogs- the Glitter Guide- has assembled some of the key points.

1. Group books by color or hue. It’s simply more pleasing to the eye. If your books happen to be all over the rainbow, try this trick you’ll see in Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware catalogs- flip your books binding side in. It may be a little harder to find them but they sure do look purdy! And if that’s the case, you could group by subject and then you’ll just have to remove one stack to find the book you’re looking for. And besides, we’re talking about pretty shelves like for a dining or living room, not so much functional shelves for an office.

neutral color books

2. Paint or cover the back of your bookshelves with a contrasting color or texture. For our built-ins, we will be painting them white but the back of the shelves will be painted the same deep navy blue that we’ll use in the half bath. The color is Newburyport Blue by Benjamin Moore.

Built Ins WWABBuilt Ins 2 WWAB3. Choose a style, theme, or color scheme and stick with it. I love these blue tones or the combo of ivories and pale greens and blues.

Blue TonesBlues & Greens

4. Create balance with books, large pottery pieces, and small accessories. Nothing is more boring than a packed shelf of books all in a row. Place your large items in first and compliment with smaller pieces. And just like everything in your house, don’t keep it unless you love it. Sherry over at Young House Love is famous for her collection of quirky ceramic animals. Check out their perfectly balanced built-ins and see of you can spot the rhino, bird, horse, squirrel, frog, and fish!

YHS Built Ins