DIY Built-in Bookcases

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This is our biggest project to date. My husband bought all the tools we would need to build our built-in bookcases. He learned each tool as we needed to use them. You can read all about each tool at LindaHomeisWhereMyHeartis.com.

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We bought kitchen cabinets from Habitat for Humanity ReStore.

Two coats of primer and trim paint.

Butcherblock countertop from IKEA. I stained it a dark walnut, Then three coats of polyurethane.

We built each bookcase section separately. We cut dado cuts for the shelves.

Three of the sections out of a total of six sections (three on each side of the desk in the center).

I painted all the bookcases.


I knew I wanted lights in the bookcases. We had someone run a wire through each box to the electrical box.

We added the fascia (top piece) to cover the exposed wire.

We added trim to give it a clean finished look.

We added the sconces. As I said, we had prewired before the bookcases were put up and attached to the wall.

The finished bookcase.

All dressed up

All Falled Up!

Before and After

Resources for this project:
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Linda @ Home is Where My Heart is
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  • Candi Cornell May Candi Cornell May on Dec 01, 2019

    How did you join your butcher block? I have a very long kitchen counter and wanted to use IKEA's too, but didn't know how it would look butted up against each other.

  • Elizabeth Luise Raynard Elizabeth Luise Raynard on Jan 03, 2021

    How tall is the top of the desk/counter from the floor?

  • A A on Sep 12, 2023

    I wonder if you’ll regret not making room for one or more work areas in the future. Kids doing homework, a partner joining you?

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