We have been putting the finishing touches on the interior of our never-ending remodel that is our little house in East Austin.  It is pretty exciting to be beyond the hard but less aesthetically rewarding work {like insulation, hanging sheetrock, central heat & air, and new windows}, and moving into the more tedious but visually rewarding of finishing touches {like paint, tile, furniture, art, and decoration}.  As a result of a need for functionality, we have been building a lot of furniture for very specific spaces and purposes.   It started when Andrew made our entertainment center, and has continued with two custom book shelves and a 2nd piece for the entertainment center with a small side table yet to come.

For many, the idea of building furniture can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be.  With as few tools as a circular saw, hammer, nails, and screw gun you too could build any or all of this.  Yes, you do need to know you way around a saw of some sort but the rest is pretty simple, and if you plan correctly you can either design around pre-cut pieces of plywood or have your major cuts taken care of before leaving the hardware store.  The finishing touches are what will make these pieces special, unique, and anything but amateur-made.  Incorporating specialty legs on a piece, sanding and finishing edges, and decorative paint can really make your new pieces stand out.

I have included pictures of our projects below and will follow up with a simple DIY for a bookshelf or sideboard based on the design of our tall bookshelf early next week.  In the mean time, start thinking creatively about making your next piece of furniture {instead of running to IKEA}!  Please forgive for the low quality iphone images!

Simple Bookshelf

Filed under: diy