This week’s furniture design is an adaptation of a previous piece I’ve built. Actually, it’s more the true realization of the first bookcase I built. A simple design, but the delight is in the details:
The original bookcase I built were done strictly out of plywood, thus why it got the whitewash treatment. I would still use plywood for the shelves and the interior of the sides (maple, probably), but all the trim would be in a darker wood (likely walnut).
I don’t have the shelf spacing drawn correctly. The third shelf from the bottom should be at half the height of the total piece, so the trim divider on the sides would also be half way up. The other thing I couldn’t properly represent is the trim on the sides. The intent is that the dark trim would be proud of the maple side. It would also be coved/hollowed out on the inner edges, smoothing flush with maple side.
When I built the first bookshelf, I really liked how the latticed backing turned out on the piece. I think going horizontal/vertical two-toned here steps it up an notch. The added depth of the trim on the sides should also spice up the piece.
A question for the readers out there: how much attention should I pay to the back of the piece? Looking at the drawing, the trim looks incomplete without it boxing in that back edge, but no one will likely ever see that. Also, do I need to trim the rear of the shelves or can I leave the plywood edge exposed, considering it would most likely never be seen?
I would still pay some attention to the back of the piece, but obviously not as much as the front.
Now whilst you may not see the trim at the back of the shelves when it’s full of books, you will still see it when you have trinkets and things on the shelf instead. I think trimming the back of the shelves is a nice idea. Of course, you don’t have to use the best pieces of walnut for that.
Alternatively, if you’re not going to trim the sides of the shelves then it should work just as nicely without a trim on the back. The trim on the front face will act as a kind of border running around the piece and breaking it up into sections at each shelf.
I wouldn’t push the lattice too much. Unless the lines are really clear, well spaced and blend into the rest of the piece, it could become too distracting.
I’m looking forward to seeing it built now!
The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’m leaning towards trimming it all out on the back.
As for the lattice – it’s not too much, at least not on the first rendition of this bookcase I’ve built. It is just one cross bar for each shelf, then two tall bars to split the back into thirds. I think its a good compromise between no backing at all and a completely solid back.