The Bookcase Is GONE!

The Bookcase Before
While trying to fall asleep last night, I worked out the demo on the bookcase in the office. I figured, if I went slow, looked for all the available screws, I could take it down in three pieces and maybe reuse or sell it.

I imagined moving it behind the TV in the family room, maybe painting it navy to match and removing the layer cake molding on the top to simplify it.

That was not the case. 

It's solidly built and was completely stuck together as one unit. I got it unscrewed from the wall, and unhooked the electrical (there were florescent lights on the top) wires and sockets, and that's where I got stuck. I needed to get to the back of it, so I could see where it was all connected, but I couldn't.

So we got a little crazy. Leah and I wiggled the entire unit to the edge of the counter, cleared the floor and ... tipped the whole thing over.

BOOOM!

Yup, so I wasn't going to resell or reuse it in another room after that. But, the drama of the tip was pretty cool.

I pulled all the pieces out to the front porch and put it all on the LetGo app, for free. Making it clear that you're not going to recreate the thing, but if you're handy, you could probably make something pretty cool. (A neighbor came to get in a few hours later.)

And now, the wall and room feels about 100 times bigger.

A few things:

- First, the wall is in great shape. There's a few small spots I'll need to drywall patch and sand, but otherwise it's fine. And it's primed WHITE! So that's a happy accident.

- I forgot about the light at the top of the shelf in my plans. This means I can hang a reading light or sconce above the desk. That's awesome!

- Thankfully, the granite counter is in great shape. There's a tiny gap between the counter and the wall, so I'll need to caulk or add a piece of molding. Otherwise, it's all there and perfect.

- I wrote this blog post sitting at the desk and I can't get over the feeling of space and no clutter. It making me consider filling this wall with cool art and moving the bookshelf elsewhere. Hmm!

A successful day but more to come!



Related posts:
See the Office Before Pictures and my goals for this home office project

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