Carpentry and Woodworking - 'built-in' entertainment center
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sbecker
06-26-03, 10:46 AM
Hi and thanks for reading. I posted this message in the Design section as well but I figured as woodworkers you may have an opinion also.
I am refinishing my basement and I have a wall which is offset from the foundation about 2 feet. I plan to make use of this space by constructing this wall with built-in shelves and cabinets. As I think through the project the one aspect that I just can't get a clear grasp on is how I will finish the built-in portions of the wall. I have the framing all planned out and I expect that I will sheetrock everything including the built-in areas. I don't want just a network of shelves built into a wall, otherwise sheetrock alone would be sufficient aesthetically. I would like to install cabinet doors in some sections (for CD's and such), utilize glass doors to create display cases in others and allow for others to remain as open and function as shelves.
The problem I have is that when I envision a nice wood cabinet door, or even glass, against a standard painted sheet rock wall I get shivers running down my back because it cannot look good. I considered using 1/4" or so wood to line the cabinet sections but expect that will look just as bad and even if it did work for the dispaly case it doesn't change the cosmetic problem with the cabinet doors. Does anyone have an idea as to how I should "finish" the exterior of this wall to give a uniform appearance and make it, well, look right? Paneling is out of the question, it's always looked unnatural and cheasy in my opinion and although I like the idea of placing some interlocking planking as a wainscoat (which would work well for the smaller cabinets, 24" high, running along the floor) I wouldn't want the entire wall done that way and I have plans for adding two large cabinets and two display cabinets above the 36" wainscoat.
I appreciate any suggestions you may have and thanks,
Steve
I am refinishing my basement and I have a wall which is offset from the foundation about 2 feet. I plan to make use of this space by constructing this wall with built-in shelves and cabinets. As I think through the project the one aspect that I just can't get a clear grasp on is how I will finish the built-in portions of the wall. I have the framing all planned out and I expect that I will sheetrock everything including the built-in areas. I don't want just a network of shelves built into a wall, otherwise sheetrock alone would be sufficient aesthetically. I would like to install cabinet doors in some sections (for CD's and such), utilize glass doors to create display cases in others and allow for others to remain as open and function as shelves.
The problem I have is that when I envision a nice wood cabinet door, or even glass, against a standard painted sheet rock wall I get shivers running down my back because it cannot look good. I considered using 1/4" or so wood to line the cabinet sections but expect that will look just as bad and even if it did work for the dispaly case it doesn't change the cosmetic problem with the cabinet doors. Does anyone have an idea as to how I should "finish" the exterior of this wall to give a uniform appearance and make it, well, look right? Paneling is out of the question, it's always looked unnatural and cheasy in my opinion and although I like the idea of placing some interlocking planking as a wainscoat (which would work well for the smaller cabinets, 24" high, running along the floor) I wouldn't want the entire wall done that way and I have plans for adding two large cabinets and two display cabinets above the 36" wainscoat.
I appreciate any suggestions you may have and thanks,
Steve