Mimic the graduated look of a staircase and place your bookcase next to an actual staircase.
A freestanding staircase bookcase will add a clever look to any room. By creating individual bookcase units and making each one shorter in width, the finished piece will mimic the look of a staircase rise. And because it's a freestanding piece, you can place it anywhere -- inside an at-home office, bedroom and even on a wall next to a staircase to emphasize the staircase design treatment. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Determine how many individual bookcase units you're going to make. It's best to create at least four units so that the finished unit will visually resemble a staircase.
2. Figure out the width and height for each bookcase unit. Use a tall book to help determine a height that will work best for your book collection.
3. Make the width for the unit that will be on the floor the widest, and then make each additional bookcase eight inches shorter in width. For example, a bookcase with five units might have a width of 48 inches for the floor-level bookcase, 40 inches for the second unit, 32 inches for the third, 24 inches for the fourth bookcase and 16 inches for the top bookcase. Keep the depth and height the same for each unit.
4. Use your depth and height measurements to cut two pieces of wood to form the left and right sides, and use your width and depth measurements to cut the top, bottom and back pieces. Use a circular saw to cut the corresponding number of wood pieces needed for each bookcase unit from your lumber.
5. Sand, stain or prime and paint all of the wood pieces, including the plywood for the back panel, to your liking before you assemble the pieces to create the shelves. Allow the pieces to dry for 24 hours.
6. Run a bead of contact cement along the edges of each wood piece. Glue the pieces together to form the bookcases. Use a C-clamp to hold them in place and secure the bond. Allow the shelves to dry for 24 hours.
7. Measure the width and height along the back side of each shelf. Cut plywood panels to fit the measurement. Flip over each unit so the back edges are facing you. Attach the plywood panels for the back piece to each shelf with 1-inch nails.
8. Place the individual units in the location for the bookcase. Stack the units in order of their graduated heights. Slide each case so that the right edges are aligned to create the staircase effect.
Tags: bookcase inches, bookcase unit, bookcase units, depth height, each bookcase, each bookcase unit, each shelf
