Dealing with this closet and salmon painted floor was high on the priority list of things to do to begin turning this basement into the modern family room it was destined to be. It had been on my mind since the moment we got the keys to the house. It took a few months to get around to it but we finally did. Follow me after the jump to see the result...
We didn't have much use for the closet but we did have hundreds of books that needed to find a home. I had envisioned a custom wall to wall bookcase for this space to solve this problem and give my husband the library he had always dreamed of having and was determined to see it through.
We dealt with the floor before we moved in. We ended up getting a concrete overlay to get the industrial look we were going for. Months later came the closet renovation, as I began designing the structure I had decided to include my office space into it for it would be moving down to the basement in a matter of months and had nowhere to go.
I wanted the final design to be clean, modern, minimal and, asymmetrical. I started out with measuring our books, it turned out that we had a few specific sizes so that determined the size of the cubbies. I also wanted to make sure to include negative space for visual rests and enough room for objects as well as books.
Most of the structure is freestanding except for the right side above the desk. We made brackets out of plumbing pipes to secure that area. The project took a few weeks on and off and was totally worth the effort. The best part is that the whole project including wood, screws, pipe and paint only cost about $300. That's much better than the multi-thousand price tags I've seen in other places.
More on this project at Old House New Tricks.
Images: alysha findley
Apartment Therapy's Sofa Shopping Guide
Nikki’s Sweet and Cheery Print Studio
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Sprout Side Table
5 Things Paris Taught Me About Travel
Recipe: Ham, Cheddar & Chive Egg Bakes
Wow, very nice. I'm jealous of your space and shelving. Well done.
Wow, Great job! I love the custom bookcase.
I love the floors and you did a great job with those bookcases.
You had me at "library." Oh, how I would kill for a library. This looks great, though I think I would probably prefer a more traditional route on the shelves (still white, though I dream of those English wood-paneled libraries with their well-worn leather chairs and fireplaces).
I love it. A library/office space has always been a dream of mine.
Contents-wise... we have the same bookshelf! Sci-fi, photography and old cameras. Except I have a boring Expedit in black brown that I can't wait to get rid of! Awesome job on the custom design... it's aspirational :)
This is amazing!!
It never fails to amaze me how people can see something and turn it into something completely different.
I'd never have looked at that closet and thought "library".
Well done!!
amazing! I love it!
As a San Francisco dweller, any mention of removing closet space always feels like a knife to the heart. However, this is absolutely gorgeous- great job!
Beautiful.
Gorgeous! We're just starting the process of designing and building shelves for a newly finished space in our basement. This is a great inspiration; thanks for sharing!
Fabulous!
Concrete floor looks very nice. Good work!
Love the library, but I'm more interested in how you did the floor. You said "a concrete overlay"—can you describe the process? We would love concrete floors, but it seems the only option is to get an asbestos abatement team in to get rid of the old 1968 adhesive that was used to put down the original linoleum tiles.
I'm with paula.jean on hearing about the floor. That crack running down the middle of the floor scares me. We have one just like it in our basement, and during heavy rains water seeps up through it. Which is probably a huge issue easily resolved by moving.
Did not expect this..WOW, I love it!
Yes, concrete overlay details, please.
Thanks everyone!
Here's the lowdown on the concrete floor. They first had to grind off the paint so that the cement overlay could adhere to the floor. Then a Concrete Micro-Topping was put on. I wanted it to be a bit messy and industrial looking so I had the guy add long swipes and strokes when he applied the overlay (you could also get it very smooth). At this point you could add an acid stain to color it (I didn't). Then it gets sealed with a glossy sealer to finish it up. I will be writing a full detailed post with images on my site, Old House New Tricks, in the near future.
Oh, and that crack in the floor didn't leak so we were ok, if yours does I would get a foundation person in and see what they say.
Moisture is terrible for books so make sure to resolve all water and humidity issues in a basement area before installing a library.
I wish my parents would do this kind of renovation in their home. The basement is a mess, full of boxes, 1970s blue carpet (non-shag, even grosser) and, yup, the one lone closet. It's full of I don't know what, but items I'm sure that could be purged forever. Then, all the books they have upstairs could be stored just as you have in the after photo - neatly on bookcases! I can wish all I want though, it's not going to happen.
Your library looks great!
This is not really my style (I lean much more traditional than modern), but even so, I have to say it looks awesome! We built a big built-in bookshelf in our house a few years back, and it wasn't easy, so I especially admire your ability to envision, plan, and beautifully execute this more complicated asymmetrical one.
Espaço super organizado. Quero algo assim!!
I wouldn't get rid of a closed storage place to hide junk, but wow that wall is amazing and $300 is just ridiculous. w hat a gorgous workspace
Really nice. Better than a bunch of Billy's side by side.
That is amazing! We have a closet we're planning to turn into an office -- I'd love to take out the closet, but we're not overly committed to staying in this city.
FABULOUS!! Although I found the comment that you didn't have much use for a closet one of the most shocking things I've read in a long time.
Love your Stephen King Dark Tower collection ;).
Oh, to live somewhere cheap enough to have enough storage space that a closet is disposable. Definitely not going to happen in San Francisco!
Hi All, here's the reason we got rid of the closet. We are very fortunate that our home has ample storage, shed and attic space so I really didn't need that closet and the wall space was much more valuable to us for the purpose it ended up being used for.
Looks fantastic, great job!
Love it!
Oh sweet mercy how much do I love those shelves!!
This is nothing short of spectacular.
Fantastic!
Great idea! I would love to have a wall just full of books. What could be better?
Amazing!!! Love it!
brilliant - so jealous!
OMg, I am so jealous! My husband and I are bibliophiles and could really use a space like this. Very nice.