Built-In Bookcase And Mantle Installation

By Robert Robillard on Finish Carpentry

Fireplace Mantle and Flanking Bookcase

Custom built-in bookcase and mantle project:

On this project we were asked to remove the built-in cabinet and replace it with a built-in bookcase and mantle installation.

New Design – Built-In Bookcase And Mantle Installation

The plan was to install a custom mantle that is lower than the existing blue-stone mantle and built a new panel above the mantle.

The cabinet on the right would then be replaced with a bookcase to match the one on the left of the fireplace.  Once this was all done a television would be installed above the fireplace.

Before we started we needed to configure the base cabinet to accommodate audio visual equipment.  Cabinet door on the right was really a drawer that had been built for CDs.  We removed the drawer slides and installed hinge and a shelf inside to make this a functioning cabinet storage space.

The two doors on the right needed a shelf installed and some structural work done to the underside of the cabinet.

Remove The Old Cabinet:

Next we removed the top portion of the cabinet and discarded it.  I used long strips of straight plywood as a story pole to mark / duplicate the bookcase height, depth, width and other important measurements.  The same was done for the mantle and new panel above.

Fireplace Mantle

We custom ordered a Somerset  mantle from Premier Mantles and specified that the left and right returns be cut at exactly the measurement of the space between the two bookcases. The mantle and corbels were then removed.  The new Somerset mantle will cover the area where the broken off corbels are.

Equipment Considerations Start At The Design Phase:

Because all of the AV equipment is going into this new bookcase base cabinet we designed the new bookcase to 3/4″ less depth than it’s flanking sister. We did this so we could fur out the wall behind it with 3/4″ plywood strips and use that space as a chase for speaker, TV and HDMI cable.

Making the Bookcase in the Workshop:

Once back in the shop I ripped all the plywood parts to their rough widths. Using the story pole I ripped and cut everything to the correct width length.

I made the bookcase carcase out of maple plywood and used a dado blade on my table saw to create  tongue and dado joints.  the tongue and dado joint hold everything together and give better surface for gluing.  Glue and finish nails to hold it together.

See my post how to make a bookcase.

Mass. Construction Supervisor License Continuing Education

 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

About the author

Robert Robillard

Carpenter / Remodeler / Editor

Rob Robillard is “The Concord Carpenter” Rob is a builder, general contractor, carpenter, woodworker, and editor of Concord Carpenter and ToolBoxBuzz As a General Contractor and carpenter, Rob owns and operates Concord Carpenter LLC. A full-service remodeling and construction company. Rob is a recognized leader in home building best practices and a source for how-to information for building professionals. On this website, Rob covers all aspects of home construction, building science, home improvement, woodworking, remodeling, and some of the best product and tool reviews. Rob is in charge of our Tool and Product Review series - Concord Carpenter Videos where we post all of our tool reviews and video tutorials. Rob approaches remodeling and building construction with a pragmatic and problem-solving approach. He enjoys using his knowledge and experience to help and educate building professionals as well as DIYers on best practices in the construction and remodeling industry. He's a strong advocate for "raising the bar" in the construction trades and promoting the trades to youth. #BeAMentor #Green2Great Craftsmanship, quality, and pride guide his journey on this channel The Concord Carpenter's motto: "Well done is better than well said!" : Read more about Rob

All posts by Robert »

Not what you're looking for?

Search for more articles here. Enter keywords like roof leak, bookcase, deck, etc to find your topic.

© Copyright 2019 A Concord Carpenter · All Rights Reserved