apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Is there any way we could get a tag for spammers (I'm talking to you ms emma03!)

Craigslist is a good source for handymen.

OR

Ikea has a similar shape bookcase that they offer in a variety of colors. You can add fabric or wood to the back of it to use it as a room divider.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60071358

To add to what Comicgeek said, you could even attach dry wall to the back of an IKEA Expedit and paint it to match your walls.

Here is an idea to have some storage on either side of the "wall." http://www.bhg.com/bhg/story.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/1189629463566.xml

Comicgeek beat me to it. I LOVE my Expedit bookshelf!

They sell basically that exact shelf at ikea. Buy one or two of those and use fabric to cover the other side instead of wood. One of those cool pull down maps would be cool too. Or just buy mdf and paint it.

Hi, my name is Captain Redundant. I see my work here is done.

from my perspective 7k is not "totally nutz" depending on the materials you have specified and the degree of fit and finish you expect. what is straightforward and easy for you to design in SketchUp is considerably more difficult and time consuming to actually create.
assuming, you're open to a few design changes that would simplify construction, and that you're comfortable with using economical materials, and desire only a basic finish, you could probably have this built for between 2k and 3k (consider that materials alone for a piece this size, assuming 3/4" cabinet- grade hardwood ply, will cost an independent cabinetmaker between 600 and 900 dollars--in Seattle, probably more in NYC).

I would also suggest the Lancaster Collection @ Crate & Barrel. The triple wide footprint is $1199 which is a fraction of the quote you received.

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=996&f=26728&q=lancaster&fromLocation=Search&DIMID=400001&SearchPage=1

Hi,
I once, was also looking for a real carpenter to build a unit I had designed in a fair price. I was shopping around for a while and I almost gave up, since my piece was customized and expensive. This was until I found John Seetin. You can see some of his work on www.c10design.com. He built me a media console and it looks amazing! He puts a lot of effort and quality into his work and most importantly, he is not outrageously expensive.
I hope you get what you're looking for.
All the best,
WC

it will be challenging to acheive the built-in look of your model from a stock furniture piece. this is b/c your ceiling/floor/wall are not likely to be "straight" relative to any piece of furniture you buy. this can be overcome, but not without extra effort, and unless you DIY, extra expense.

The thing that makes this a custom job is that it seems you have a specific set of measurements you need satisfied in order to properly fill the space. While an expedit bookshelf looks like the underlying storage structure, its way too short to go all the way to even a low ceiling. If the storage unit doesn't perfectly meet the ceiling, and isn't perfectly flush with the depth of the walls, it won't look like a paneled wall. It will look like a storage cabinet with doors that almost fits the space.

My first thought was to use Ikea shallow Pax wardrobe units (14" or so deep) with wall mounted cabinets above and commission custom doors (to create the paneled look you are going for and to mask the gaps top and bottom between the units and the floor/ceiling).

Any pre-manufactured solution is going to require that you are extremely lucky when it comes to matching readymade cabinets with your exact measurements.

that is a reasonable price for what you are asking!

I wanted a custom piece in wood that was almost 48 inches square- similar cubic structure to the one pictured but modular. Mostly like this http://tinyurl.com/ytzrcf . I refused to pay for some particle board stuff or anything from Ikea. I almost despaired of finding anything in my price range and almost went with the products at www.smartfurniture.com which almost fit the bill because they were modular but didnt actually because they were made out of engineered wood.

I wanted the wood to be at least 1 inch thick. I was getting quotes for $2000 for both pieces total. Going through the whole process of looking to get it done custom was an eyeopener. Now I know that wood is very very expensive. So is labor. So I had to compromise on the type and thickness of the wood. You have got to ask yourself if you are willing to pay for a custom piece and hopefully the quality that it usually entails? Otherwise try to find a hobbyist woodworker.

Thats what I did. Went around to hardware stores and asked if they knew anyone also asked my friends. Finally found someone to do it for me and I am super happy. I have two wonderful pieces in oak for a quarter of what I was being quoted by the professionals. Granted the qualty is a bit less but I am still happy with my purchases -so its all good.

I built my own bookshelves and though the project was slightly less complicated, structure-wise, than yours, I ended up with 48 linear feet of pine shelving. I'm not sure how pine would compare price-wise with MDF or plywood for this particular application, but the total cost for my wood was somewhere between 50-100 bucks and the total labor was about two days (which included staining the wood). It probably would have been less labor if I had any idea what I was doing before I started. So $7000 sounds nutz to me too. I understand paying good money for a well-crafted, time-consuming piece, but your proposed idea looks like something they'd slap together in an afternoon on Trading Spaces (in fact, I'm almost positive I've seen nearly identical pieces done on Trading Spaces). I don't mean that as a dig, just that it looks relatively straightforward and like it doesn't require very fancy materials. Maybe you should try to figure out how to build it yourself. Making a bookshelf is not the hardest thing in the world, especially if you don't care about it being totally perfect.

Is this dividing a space, with an open back on one side?

If not, you could go the Ikea kitchen wall cabinet route - They have a 'fan cabinet' that is 23 7/8 w x 17 3/4" h x 12 7/8" deep. You would have to put in filler strips or build the wall out around the cabinet for a custom look, but it could be done... for about $1700-$2500 (depending on the wood door choice), if you do the labor. If you really need it 11" deep, you could also cut down the cabinet frames pretty easily.

Dear TB,
Perhaps, your reference point of "totally nutz", implies either your own pesonal budget constraints, or, an extreme lack of knowlege of what doing "anything" Custom involves.
Not only would a Cabintemaker/Woodworker (which, btw is NOT the same as a Carpenter- unless you'd agree to go see an EMT technician for your next Open Heart Surgery) have to take into account the lack of squareness in your home, design a means to fabricate componenets off site & allow for Delivery/installation thru stairs, doorways, and other space limitations; AND fabricate the Storage unit to be structurally sound, as well as paying close attentions to Fit & Finish details (ie.-gaps, nice jointery,a superb and durable finish,etc.),making repeated visits to your home to ensure a proper fit......well, add these factors into a Cabinetmakers need to make a living, and you get some "sense" for what you consider to be totally nutz....

BUT- another alternative is to modify, or hack and existing item....like this EXPEDIT shelf I hacked for my girlfriend last year..
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/145/410523041_2457991aac.jpg

this piece could absolutely be slapped together Trading Spaces style from big box store dimensional lumber, plywood, wood glue, and nails for a couple hundred bucks. Of course, it will look and wear like it was slapped together for a couple hundred bucks Trading Spaces style and will be more or less disposable.

it could also be built out of solid hardwood, joined with half-blind and sliding dovetails, and the panels could be hand veneered and bookmatched for between 5-7k. a piece built this way will be stunning, it will outlast its owners, integrate seamlessly into into your home, wear beautifully, and respect the trees and other materials used in its creation.

cogent arguements can be made for either product, but these two products are in no way comparable. in other words, a craftperson's quote of 7k is not "totally nutz" because you or your friend or an actor on TV built something you imagine to be similar for a couple hundred bucks. this is an apples and oranges comparison.

I'm only imagining that the piece TB has drawn is similar to the look/function of a Trading Spaces piece, not that a Trading Spaces piece is similar to what a cabinetmaker would create if given time/budget to create something fantastic. And I'm *definitely* not imagining that anything I built is anywhere near as good as a professional woodworker would have made. I have a vivid imagination, but I ain't crazy! In that "woodworker as heart surgeon" metaphor, I'm the lady who took a CPR class in 8th grade.

I read "apartment" as "not permanent." I'm an apartment dweller and I don't care how nice and well-crafted it is, if I can't take it with me, I would not spend $7000 on some shelves/cabinets. Especially when I could build something (less durable, less custom, no amazing finishes, MUCH shittier! etc.) to suit the same function for 1/20th that. That's me reading into the question a bit, but TB's question wasn't "why is this quote not insane for a quality, handcrafted piece that will be left standing after the apocalypse and will give me a rush of pleasure each time I gaze upon it?" It was "how can I do this more cheaply to get some more storage?" So I don't think highest quality is his/her top consideration either.

HI
I agree that 7K could be reasonable. We live in NYC and are looking for the same type of built in wall as you. I need competitive pricing. Can you post the contractor who quoted you?
THanks
isa1