One Room Challenge: Week 4, Going Custom!
Hi again! I can't believe we are halfway through the One Room Challenge! Where is the time going?? Although most items have been ordered and I am patiently waiting for deliveries, there is still tons of work that I need to complete before making it to the finish line!
Since there are so many moving parts to a design process, the best way to navigate through it all is to strategize and make a priority list. Nowadays, designers are in high demand, so that means contractor availability is scarce. Originally, I was going to work on finalizing my rendering for this week, and start painting, but I had to make a pivot so that I could jump on the opportunity to work with my favorite contractor.
This week, I had the fun task of building my custom floating file cabinet. In my first post, I wrote about redesigning my living room into an office lounge. Adding this floating cabinet was the best way to utilize my small space and maximize storage in my 150 sq ft living room.
THE BEFORE
The goal was to build out a full floating file cabinet along this wall. My contractor and I took a trip to Home Depot to pick out materials to complete this installation in one day! Thankfully, Home Depot had everything we needed in stock which has been a rarity!
In strategizing how we were going to complete this project both efficiently and cost effectively, we really had to get creative. One of the first items purchased was molding that's usually used for waistcotting purposes. Instead of purchasing regular planks of wood which can get tricky especially if you're looking for a particular length and width, we felt that the molding was sturdy enough, and we were able to cut custom pieces to our measurements.
Sergey is taking the measurement of the molding prior to cutting the custom sizes needed.
Once all of the molding was cut to size and we managed to collect everything else needed, we headed back to get to work!
Step 1:
Since my building is pre-war and was built in 1926, the floors and walls are uneven which can present a great challenge when installing materials that are meant to lay flat on a wall. The first thing we had to do was use a laser beam to ensure we achieved a straight line prior to installing the molding. Once all of the molding was placed along the wall, then the rails were added.
Sergey checked to make sure that the molding is level with the laser prior to placement. Rails are added on on top once all of the molding is installed along the wall.
STEP 2:
Now that the molding and rails have been placed along the wall, we started building the cabinets. What's great about these cabinet's is that I won't have to prime them prior to painting, which will save me a lot of time! As you can see in the background, we added wooden shims to the right side of the wall since that side tends to curve in more. In order to ensure a flat and even installation, the shims were added so that the cabinet is leveled and even on both sides. When you have crooked walls, you have to get creative all the time!
Building the cabinets that are almost ready for mounting.
We had to build 3 cabinets to accommodate the total length of the wall. All 3 cabinets will connect by screwing them together once they are mounted on the rails.
STEP 3:
Cabinets are hooked onto the rails and mounted along the wall.
How did we do? Now that these are installed along the wall, I will have ample space to layout materials, file samples and books. Another thing that I love about this cabinet installation is that it makes the space look bigger. In the next phase of completing this custom cabinet, I will be adding doors, shelves, hardware and painting it. I also plan on adding a special countertop which will be revealed in a later blog post. Until next week!
This project is part of the One Room Challenge. Click here to go back to the ORC Blog page to see what other designers are brewing. Posts for my project will be posted weekly and linked to their page. Media partner for the ORC is Better Home & Gardens.
XOXO,
Mercedes