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sweetverve

Shelving around fireplace

sweetverve
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago

We'd like some bookshelves around our fireplace, as well as some covered storage, but can't decide whether to have them go all the way to the ceiling, or to go halfway up the wall and match the height of the fireplace. Ideally everything would be behind glass doors to prevent dust accumulation (we'd store mostly books and not decor items on shelves).

So far we have placed an Ikea Billy bookcase (with plans to extend its height to the ceiling, and add trim on the sides and top to make it built in), but are not that thrilled with the look.

Having a hard time visualizing what would look best in this space.




Comments (19)

  • Julie Peterson
    4 years ago

    Maybe this will help?

  • felizlady
    4 years ago

    In order to build in the Billy, you would have to remove the baseboard molding. Buildings usually fit the space, and Billy doesn’t, leaving an odd open area next to the fireplace. I don’t think Billy is really built-in quality. You should probably try it as freestanding piece, but you must attach it to the studs to make it more stable so it won’t tip over in case of earthquake, a climbing child or top-heavy storage arrangement. Are you planning to balance it with a twin Billy on the other side? Same issues.

  • branson4020
    4 years ago

    If your budget is Ikea, well that's what you get. If you are willing to step up to something custom designed and built in place, it will look much,much better.

  • sweetverve
    Original Author
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    The Billy would be flush with the wall in the back (thinking about raising it with a frame, in order to clear the height of the baseboards) and secured to the wall. And yes, it would be balanced with a twin on the other side.

    We could push it closer to the fireplace so there's no gap between them, and just compensate with a wider filler panel on the other side of the bookcase.

    I was encouraged by examples I've seen online of people creating built-ins from billy, by adding trim on the sides and on the top. We would also add doors to it (glass on the upper half, solid on the bottom). But yes, it is still Ikea.


    I guess I'm wondering whether built-ins are the only nice-looking option if I want bookshelves around the fireplace. Would two free-standing bookcases, one on each side of the fireplace, look nice?

  • groveraxle
    4 years ago

    You need to consider how you will deal with the junction between the protruding bookcases and the flush fireplace.

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  • sweetverve
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Yes, that is a good point. Not sure if we are going to add a mantle to our fireplace, but if we do, it could butt up against the bookcases on either side.

  • Stacey
    4 years ago

    I like the IKEA products you chose. Definitely need a mantle and trim over black on the sides of fireplace. I would add a little more color to bookcases and change the knobs to bigger black ones.

    sweetverve thanked Stacey
  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    nice job on the book cases.

    I kind of wish you would have done the entire wall in the stone, (or at least the stone up to the ceiling and the cabinets going all the way up).

    If you can't do that, then do a thick piece of wood for a mantel and hang some nice art above it.


    or something with some color. (and a bit of greenery)




    sweetverve thanked Beth H. :
  • sweetverve
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    Yes! Mantel is next on the list of never-ending projects :)

    The fireplace used to look like this when we moved in:



    In hindsight, maybe we should've run the brick all the way up to the ceiling. There is a second fireplace in the family room that has a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace, so we wanted something a little different in this room.

  • groveraxle
    4 years ago

    I would add a plain white mantel all the way around to tie it all together.


  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    sweet,,,,what if you painted that one wall a dark gray or black? with the white on white, it just disappears.


    Although, if you did what they did here (this is a DIY too). see how they did a wide crown to bridge the gap on top of the cases?

    also notice the white mantel (like grover mentioned) It will frame out that stone.

    don't know about the tv, but you could always do a similar sized art canvas.

    This is a lot of white. the accessories break it up a bit, along w/the black tv.

    I happen to like your black chair, so see if you like the darker wall idea,,,,,




    (even tho this fp is black brick, look at the wall next to the black back wall. I think w/your furnishings and stone, the black (or a dark charcoal like BM Wrought Iron) would look smashing!




    maybe Grover could photo shop the dark wall for you,,,,,,,;)


    see how the white looks here? I like it. and you could do the white mantel like this one.


    if you did the stone all the way up, it would look like this.


  • groveraxle
    4 years ago




  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago

    thanks grover! i like the dark wall

  • sweetverve
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    I like the dark wall too! Not sure we can do the white fireplace surround, as building/fire code does not allow any wooden/combustible parts where we currently have the surround tile. Would it still work if we just do a white mantle, and keep the grey/black tile as is?

  • groveraxle
    4 years ago

    If you do only the mantel shelf and no surround, paint out that dark molding to match.


  • groveraxle
    4 years ago

    If you do only the mantel shelf and no surround, paint out that dark molding to match.


    sweetverve thanked groveraxle
  • PRO
    Beth H. :
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Any of these would work.



    and make sure the mantel you get isn't one of those traditional colonial looking styles. you want something less ornate, a little on the modern side. you could just get a fir beam at the big box stores, cut it to fit, sand it very well to smooth it, prime it and paint.

    sweetverve thanked Beth H. :
  • PRO
    Flo Mangan
    4 years ago

    The dark thin border around the stone is my biggest problem. Paint that so it visually disappears.

    sweetverve thanked Flo Mangan