Adding to my Ikea bookcase

April 2, 2020

Adding to my Ikea bookcase

I’ve wanted to add to my Ikea bookcase in my office. It was nice, but I wanted more storage for my books, and I wanted to make it look a bit more upscale. 

I had some electrical work done, and I was now able to add to the bookcase I had. It’s something that I wanted to do for a while. 
Here is how the project unfolded.

This is how it looked before. Not bad, but I wanted something a little bit more upscale in design. You can see in the photo that the outlet was an issue.


I eliminated the outlet, and that allowed me to move the bookcase. Giving me the space I needed to add to it. I used an electrical cover plate.

As you can see here, it didn’t leave me with a huge space (don’t mind that I’m in the picture!!).

I did check Ikea first to see if they had a bookcase that I could use in that space. Unfortunately, they had a 15″ size bookcase I need a 10.5″ size bookcase. It was not going to work. I was going to have to build it.

So off to Home Depot I went to get the materials I needed. Here it is, although it’s not entirely done yet. I need to add the backing to it.

I added a masonite board. That allowed it to have a backing without adding weight since it’s only about 1/8″ thick.

I used finishing nails and made sure I didn’t go through the board!!

There was also an issue of the bookcase not being flushed against the wall. Because walls are rarely straight!! There were some gaps. I used a 2×2 and glued it to the bookcase, but there was a small gap at the bottom, so I had to be creative, and I used shims to fill in the gaps. It worked out beautifully!!

Once I had all the pieces I needed, the last on the agenda was to install crown molding. You can see I used finishing nails again, but some holes needed to be filled. 
First, I use this tool ( I have no idea what’s called). But you use it to pushed the nails in so that it’s easier to fill in the hole. It gives you a nice clean look.

I also filled in all the gaps between the bookcase and the walls. 

I am delighted with the way it turned out, as you can see from the before and after photos. It looks so much better.

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Problems with wet basement

March 5, 2020

Problems with a wet basement floor

Do you have problems with a wet basement floor? The issue with the basement, it sometimes gets flooded. So what kind of flooring can you put in a cellar that can take water issues? Carpet is no right, mold issues, Wood out of the question, it will warp with time. Laminates floors, adhesive get wet, making the tiles pop up. Floating floors, water will damage the particle boards.

So what can you use? Vinyl flooring is the answer. It can have the beauty and look of wood without the expense. 


It’s durable and completely waterproof. There are many different styles and many different qualities. Some are peel and stick, that won’t work with the water issue. Some you click into place. Do your homework and find out which will work for your space
All Images Via Pinterest
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Butcher Block in the kitchen, is it a good idea??

August 8, 2019


Is a butcher block in the kitchen a good idea? A lot of people would be concerned that wood is high maintenance. Others would argue that wood brings warmth int the kitchen.

They would both be right. Yes, wood indeed does require maintenance, but you can seal it with oils. Just be aware that not all oils are food safe, so make sure you get one.

I’m not a fan of using butcher block on all my kitchen countertops, but I am a fan of using it on an island. That gives you the best of both worlds — the warmth of wood but in a smaller area where it’s easier to maintain.

How about using a portion of the countertop as a butcher block? What a great idea.

And you should have no problems. If you do have a stubborn stain that won’t come out, you can sand it down, bringing back the beauty of the wood. Use oils like tung oil or raw linseed oil to maintain it; They bring warmth and a rustic element to any kitchen. As far as maintenance goes, you can beautiful details to add to any kitchen butcher blocks are

Imagines Via Pinterest

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