I know, I know. I already revealed the library/dining room in this decorating for Christmas post, but I didn't really reveal it. You didn't see it from all angles and you didn't get a sense of what it actually looks like when it isn't all tarted up for the holidays. Everything looks different when it's tarted up. I for one look totally different when I'm tarted up than I do when I'm just everyday slumming it.
I feel like I look better when I'm tarted up a little bit, but whenever I watch Survivor and I see the contestants on the final "reveal the winner" show in a studio I'm always a bit horrified. The women have makeup on, the men's scabs have healed and nobody is missing big clumps of their hair. I mean, they look awful. I much prefer how everyone looks on the show when they're makeup-less, wearing ratty clothing, chasing an escaped chicken through the woods. So ... I like it better when they look just like me.
I'm sorry, it's a little late for me to say Ta Da but, TA DA! Probably should have said that at the beginning of this post. This is what the dining room looks like on a regular day, sans ornamentation, garland or a big barfing of sparkles.
O.K. it's not exactly how it looks. I don't normally have a stack of plates and cutlery on the middle of my table, but the table looked empty so I had to stick something there for the photo. That's what we like to call propping. Or "dressing" the set as we used to say in the world of television. (Which I quit 5 years ago because they insisted on clean hair and perfect makeup almost ALL the time. It was infuriating.)
I cannot put into words how much I love this dining room now. And I'm a writer, plus kind of a talker, so that's saying something. Actually I'm just being lazy. If I sat here for an hour or so I could probably pound out a really great sentence that would sum up exactly how I feel about this dining room, but why bother. I know what you people are like. For this type of post, one that's a reveal of my library/dining room, you're just in it for the photos. Now, if I were giving you a post on the date I went on last week you'd want the words. And probably pictures now that I think of it, so not a great example.
I know a lot of you were worried about Margaret (who I intend to research a bit more about this year by the way) and whether or not she'd stay. No matter what happens in the rest of my house for the rest of time, Margaret will never leave. Margaret is my homeboy. Schizzle mafizzle.
The shelves aren't particularly styled and I really didn't spend a lot of time putting things in there. I just stuck some stuff in and made sure it was all relatively balanced in terms of books and "objets d'art". Which is a fancy term for knick knacks, the same way penis is a fancy word for that big purple thing. Literally translated objets d'art is "art objects", but anything that's generally small, has artistic interest or is a curiosity can be convincingly called an objet d'art.
But here's the thing.
Not all of my "stuff" is an objet d'art. In fact some of my stuff is just regular. It's not arty or cute or curious. It's just bleh. Stuff like toilet paper, tripods, other camera equipment and craft supplies. I've always had trouble finding spots in this storage-less 175 year old house to put crap like that. People didn't need a lot of storage in 1840 because they only owned a shotgun, a potato masher and a bottle of snake oil.
So what to do with all of that extra, boring stuff?
Put it right there in the bookshelves with everything else.
Ready for the secret surprise?
Yep. In between every single, individual bookcase is secret storage with shelves, hidden behind a door.
It. Is. A. Storage. Miracle.
That's part of the reason the bookcases took me so long to do. There was a bit more planning when I had to also figure out how to approach my storage idea.
I ended up just using flat, stock pieces of MDF for the "doors" combined with concealed hinges. I bought them off of Amazon (here's the link to them) and they worked great. These particular concealed hinges are incredibly easy to install because they just screw directly into the door and you don't need to recess them at all. There are other, sleeker concealed hinges but they're really difficult to install and way more expensive. If you want to do something like this, and you aren't a master craftsman these non-mortise concealed hinges are the way for you to go.
I mulled over a few ways to put the corners on hinges as well, but ended up just using strong magnets to hold the corner doors in place. It was the easiest, cheapest and most effective way to do them. Being able to take the entire corner door off meant I would gain another inch or so of space to shove things into the corner.
That extra inch is exactly what I needed to be able to fit my entire white Christmas tree into the corner along with a whole whack of Christmas decorations. This in turn means I don't have to shove this Christmas tree up my 18" wide basement staircase every year AND I gain that much more room in my basement.
The other corner doors come off the exact same way, only hidden behind it is my 1950's era floor buffer, some photography lighting and backdrop equipment.
One entire section of the super-secret, hidden storage areas is devoted to my canning.
Everyone. That is the definitive list of those who tried to dissuade me from putting these bookcases in my dining room. Every. One. The reasons they gave were everything from "It'll make the room look smaller." to, "... but the bookcases look good in the foyer!". Well, the room somehow looks bigger with the bookcases, the foyer looks just fine without them and most importantly, I knew that I was going to love it. I could just feel it.
And sometimes that's just what you have to do with decorating, with clothing, with life. Go with your gut feeling. Nobody knows you better than you do. Other than maybe your mother. And even she gets you wrong sometimes.
The room isn't completely done, I'd like two new head chairs, I need to move my chandelier to centre it over the table, and I'd actually like to make a new chandelier. I have paint on the floor I still need to scrape up and I need to make a roman blind.
But for now I'm just enjoying the fact that the bookcases are done, the tarty Christmas decorations are out and I can finally behold my new library/dining room in all her natural (slightly scabby) glory.
Alice
A gob-smacking WOW! I will live vicariously through you in this room.
Marilyn
( Purple)?? Really???? Why don't you just move your dining room table. Sometimes I think you are a masochist or your OCD is just outta control. But wow those shelves and storage are the bomb!! Great job..and I don't recall saying it or shouldn't. I think I was on the yea side. Just saying
Cyndy
A simple "WOW" says it all!
connie
OMG ....It all makes sense now . Brilliant idea , very clever of you and well thought out!
Kudos to you for going with your gut instincts !
Jenifer
OMG! I fucking love the hidden storage in your bookcases!!!!!!!!!!! Love, love, love!!!!
I want them in my house!! OMG! I lack the skill set but I'd be willing to trade...2 dogs, a cat, a husband...no, wait...I think that's illegal.
Job WELL DONE!! You totally ROCKED IT!
(Let me know if there's a bartering possibility...I'm sure we can work something out.) ;)
sledwell
Best post ever. Brilliant hidden storage!
Melissa
When I saw the white space between shelves, I thought, "hmmm, she's losing a little storage, but that white space is really nice." And then bang~ your secret storage thing. So I think you win on two fronts - both design-wise and storage-wise. Well done, Ms. Karen. Well done, indeed...
Clare Hollingsworth
To use your words 'IT IS A STORAGE MIRACLE'! I couldn't have put it better myself (of course)! You are Queen of the Words as well as Queen of the DIY.
I actually gasped when the cupboards were revealed and need to go and share the brilliance of you with everyone I know.
Karen for President! (Except, no, because then she wouldn't have time to do the Words or the DIY and her daily wonderfulness keeps us all sane as well as inspiring us.)
Just floating off into the ether now with the awesomeness of this post and Karen in general.........
Karen
Ha! So silly. :) ~ karen!
Stephanie
Brilliant! Simply and truly, but we now expect nothing less. Perfection!
Deb
You've done it - again! My Jaw on the floor, breath gone, envy running out of my ears, brain whirring/spinning at where/whether I could install something so amazingly awesome in my home, budget/time/energy all screaming negatives at the thought, admiration for your awesomeness off the charts, curiosity peaking over whether date teaser will lead to another reveal (of sorts!) - oh, the emotional overload now leaves me spending the day in my bathrobe eating Oreos. I don't know whether to hate you or thank you ? Maybe a twinge of the former and a whole lot of the latter! ❤️
Diane R.
OMG Karen, you never cease to amaze me. You are a brainiac! Love the whole room and especially the 'secret'.
Jodie Bobco
I literally gasped when you revealed the hidden storage! My baby was confused.
Love it!
Karen
LOL. That's O.K. Your baby is getting an early sense of the remarkable phenomenon of "Design Gasp". Soon they'll be doing it too! ~ karen
Kari McD
Wet done, Karen! you did it! You had an idea and made it happen. I think they look perfect, and I hope you blow secret raspberries to the naysayers who said it couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't be done.
So excited for you!
Monique
So impressed with the ingenuity of the extra storage..the buillt-ins themselves..everything.And Margaret..she really is stunning and larger than life.Heart of your home:)
In awe.You really must be so happy with yourself..proud.
Have a great year.
Diane amick
It's official.....you have joined the genius level!!! Outstanding. Now we ALL want floor to ceiling bookshelves in our dining room. You could travel the US installing DR bookshelves in every home while imparting the sassy, funny as hell brilliance that is you. Worth every dime and then some.
Jennifer Lee
I had wondered about the "wasted space", too. I love your hidden shelves! But when I saw them, I immediately thought they were for hiding your books of erotica and witchcraft. And your money. And toilet paper. I doubt a burglar would ever find them. Burglars are in a hurry, and haven't enough talent with interior decor to wonder about the wasted space. I must say, it does actually make your room look roomier. I think it's because it looks like the room says "Look at me! I have so much available space that I can afford to waste it with these white panels that absolutely are not hiding anything!".
Cheryl
Very smart use of all the space!
Me, I would just push the table over a smidge ;) rather than bothering to move the light!
Ceilidh House
Brilliant!!!
Becky Couch
Beautiful! I knew it would be. Can we see a night/dusk picture with the spotlights on????
Beth W.
Brilliant. Seriously
I wondered why you were setting the shelves so far apart in the first place. I lament that I ever questioned your brilliance.
Now I'm bummed I didn't put space between when I built them years ago