Progress

You can probably tell by my somewhat erratic posting schedule these last few weeks that I’ve been a bit distracted. I’ve been winding up one of my Auckland contracts, while putting together some extra work in Whangarei to fill the resultant gap in hay purchasing capacity. It’s good. I’m starting to feel as though my leap toward that next trapeze swing is almost complete.

So now we can all rest easy knowing where the ponies’ next meal is coming from, let’s get back to my wall of bookshelves. Last we spoke about the project I was assembling Billys (Billies?) apace, and puzzling over random hardware excesses. This is how things are looking now. First, for comparison, the old bookshelves:

Before. Living room den, with old shelving and gib sealant on the back wall.

Followed by the new-look bookshelves.

Now. With start of the ‘Library Wall’, and a Resene ‘Barely There’ topcoat on the back wall.

I’m nowhere near finished yet, but this is the first stage in The Library Wall [say it in portentous tones]. What you see here is the lower section which comprises a multitude of standard 2m high Billy bookcases. Eventually the shelves will extend upwards, courtesy of two layers of these cunning shelf extension kits. I have a few extension kits already on hand, but for now the IKEA people are out of stock until January [sad emoji]. Once the extensions are in place they will take the bookcases up to roughly 200mm from the ceiling, neatly covering most of the currently unfinished wall.

There will be a corresponding bunch of shelving on the wall which is just out of shot, to the right of the brown and cream curtain. Once both runs are in place I plan to use a Gnedby CD shelf on its side to span the doorway to the kitchen / dining area. Above that will be another a single layer of the extension shelving to take the height up to the correct level. Goodness, are you keeping up?

Let’s call this Stage One. Note the red chair — that’s the one that’s I’ve been meaning to reupholster for about 10 years now.

That gap between the CDs and the wider shelf will close up. Once I work up my nerve to use a hole-saw on my new shelving, all those wires from the stereo are going to feed through the side of the large bookcase to be hidden behind the CD units. As you can see, there is the plastering and painting above the shelving to get on with. Then finally each shelf will be spaced about 10mm from the next and anchored to the back wall.*

All in all it’s going to take quite some time to complete this project. The other day Forbearing Husband said wistfully, apropos another round of boxes and furniture blocking his path between the living room and kitchen, ‘Please, could you finish the house renovations before I’m old and blind?’. The poor dear.

I’m not too worried though. Judging by Mama and Papa’s robust constitutions, I’ve got at least another four decades to work in.

* I have temporary anchors in place already, in case you are worried that bookshelves might fall on us in the meantime.

Living room expenditure to date:

• Light fittings $39.95 x 4 (Mitre 10): $159.40
• Dimmer switch (Bunnings): $28
• Gib (4 x 3.6m sheets) = $171.04
• Tradeset 90 (plaster) = $15.82
• 10kg tub of Plus-4 (jointing compound) = $39.20
• Gib screws = $22.15
• IKEA Billy Bookshelves (5 x 400mm, 2 x 800mm, 2 x 800 extensions, 1 x 400 extension) = $1090
• IKEA Gnedby CD shelves x 2 = $198
• Total so far = $1723.61