New Built In's What I spent my summer on!

[drumminman]

My Living room, which is also my two channel room looked like a dog's breakfast (wife's words!). I had thought for some time I'd like to take on this project, but it took me a while to work up the nerve, figure out how to make the trim, shelving, cabinets, etc. I've done carpentry over the years, but I've not had to match existing cabinetry before.

I have some tools, but not a lot: compound mitre saw, circular saw, drill, sanders, etc. That was the other challenge, how to do this given my level of experience, and set of tools.

I was also a bit nervous as once I cut out the carpet there was no turning back, and that was the first step!



The last pic shows the unfinished cabinet (no back) in place for a test fit.

[drumminman]

More test fitting. The carcase of the large shelf unit starting to take place. Bottom right shows baseboard removed to be recut once everything is permanently in place. Tricky for me was to cut out for the outlets and have everything fit on the first try! Didn't want to have to buy more cabinet grade plywood.

[drumminman]

Oops! somehow I double posted this set and couldn't work out how to delete. Any way, you can see everything starting to take shape. I need lots of shelves due to current size of CD collection, with room for expansion. Took a long time to build 14 adjustable shelves!

The top, bottom and center shelves on each unit are dado'd and screwed in place to give the carcases strength. first pic should have been the third one as it has the trim in place and everything is attached to the wall with screws.

[drumminman]

Getting close to being finished! It took me three months due to only having weekends available. The biggest problem I had was matching the paint. Tip: do not use computer matching at a big box store!
I used home depot and it was a color disaster. I finally went to a local paint shop where they match it by eye - no scanning. Perfect!

[drumminman]

One of my goals was to match the look of the existing built ins that were built with the house. I think it came out pretty well.

Definitely cleaned up the LR getting rid of the cheap CD towers. Major increase in WAF, too! She actually likes the way the 2.3TL's look, a rare woman indeed!

[TNHNDYMAN]

Looks great man. You did a great job matching the existing look and meeting your storage needs. Congrats.

[GlennDog]

Very nice work indeed. Well Done!

G

[Drenis]

That looks very well done. Nice layout.

[Blownrx7]

Beautiful!

[drumminman]

Thanks guys! After I finished it took me several days of not looking at to start to enjoy it - got a bit burned out

All that stuff in the cabinet in the first two pics in post #5 is AC filitering: two balanced isolation transformers, an isolation transformer and a ferroresonant filter.

It sure is nice to have the system up and running again

[polk500]

Very nice work sir. Now take your left hand put it over your right shoulder and give yourself an attaboy because that a lot of work to do and it looks fantastic.

Cheers Roger

[pitdogg2]

look me up when you get to Illinois I'll have some work for you.....
great job very nice indeed.

[Clipdat]

I like that you don't have a TV in there. Nice setup.

[woodhead 2]

Nice work. Sometimes the hardest part is getting started.

[drumminman]

I like that you don't have a TV in there. Nice setup.

Yeah, I have the HT in a separate room. I find it much more relaxing to listen to music, talk, etc. without a big screen staring at me, even one that's off

[drumminman]

Nice work. Sometimes the hardest part is getting started.

It is, it took me 3-4 years to work up the nerve! And decide if I had the skill level. Once the sawdust started flying and I got into the mindset it went pretty well.

What I thought would be the easiest part turned out to be the worst: matching the color of the existing built ins.

[madmax]

Nice!