Operation Office: The Bookcase

See this bookcase?

Yeah, I built that. NBD.

I mean, sure. It wasn’t exactly difficult but I’m also not exactly handy. So it was a pretty proud moment for me. (DAD, ARE YOU READING THIS?! ARE YOU SO PROUD?!)

We’ve needed a larger bookcase for quite some time (see this post to see what I mean). I didn’t want a traditional bookcase though – I was picturing something more industrial. A little rougher. When I found this shelving unit on the Home Hardware website, I knew it was perfect. 

We took a bit of a chance because they didn’t have one in store. We had to order online sight-unseen and just hope that it would be sturdy and attractive. Luckily, it was both!  

The shelves themselves are just particle board. I think we’re going to attempt to stain them. (Side note: Can you stain particle board?) If that doesn’t work, we also might just replace them with stained plywood or maybe some vintage barn board. We shall see… 

For now, these shelves are all styled up with a mixture of books, magazines, pretty file boxes and storage boxes (both from Target!), the boyfriend’s work awards, and some random miscellany. I think I’m going to pick up 2 more acrylic file boxes for that bottom shelf, and that stack of magazines on the third shelf is just a placeholder for now. We’re planning to put some kind of cool lamp there to cast light on the professor chair (yes, that’s ACTUALLY what it’s called haha). I think we’re liking this one from IKEA right now.

If you’re keeping track of Operation Office, we’ve painted and conditioned a chalkboard wall, painted the remaining walls, painted the trim, and bought a new-old desk. What’s left to tackle? A rug (previous thoughts here but I think we’re heading in a different direction now), two office chairs (considering something like this), hanging our degrees and some art, possibly adding a little side table and/or footstool for the chair, making/finding some curtains, installing new overhead lighting, and replacing the door with a french door. No small feat but it’s coming together!