Library planning.

Yep, I'm really trying to get this library in order, or at least get the shelving up so the books can go up and not be scattered all underfoot or cramping up the hall or in various random places around the house.

It's funny, I keep seeing library this, library that, libraries-are-such-a-big-hot-trend-now stuff everywhere.  Over on Homedit.  Abigail Ahern chatted about it.  I've seen it elsewhere too, but my addled old brain can't remember where.  For such a non-trendy person, look out, I am suddenly trendy!

Several weeks ago I picked up some single track standards, as they are so called at Menards, 72" long, zinc.  No pre-planning, just got 'em.  Silliness; planning the wall layout needed to happen first.

I decided I didn't want to do a straight up stack of shelves, where they all align and are a pre-determined matching distance apart.  The room is so small, if I were to do that, it looks so boring and static when I picture it in my head.  Then the books are all glommed up in one spot, visually weighting the room to that particular area.  The four Ikea shelves I'm reusing are 67" long and the wall is about eleven feet.  And the room will only be a whopping four feet wide after the shelves go up.  Yeah.

So today I finally hopped on down the hall to the nifty black painted library to find the studs in the wall.  Some of these books we've got are rather large and rather weighty so these tracks will have to be anchored into the studs.

Either it's Mercury retrograde messing with my stud finder, or my stud finder is piece of crap, or it's actually true:  not 16" on center.  More like one at 15", another is 19", another is 20.5", 20", 20-ish", then about 18".  Nice.  Love me some low quality, not consistent, not to-code workmanship.  Ahem.

I put some painter's tape where the stud finder claimed the studs were so I could start thinking about where the tracks would go.

Back downstairs, in front of the computer, I did some quick sketchy layouts of the tracks and shelves in AutoCAD.*

This is where I've ended up for the moment.  The tracks are drawn at four feet long, but I'm wondering how irritated I'd be at seeing a floating track sticking out, not being used.  Eyeballing you, track piece all the way on the right at the bottom.  Especially since that's about where a chair will be placed.  Likely quite irritated.  So either I need to get four foot and three foot tracks or I need to rethink the shelf staggering idea.  Unless I'll be irritated by various sized tracks and the lack of vertical symmetry....oy jeez.  More planning, I sense.

The shelves themselves are coming along.  Slowly.  I have no idea how many coats of primer and coats of paint are on them now.  Whenever I'm in the basement, a coat goes on.  I can't say I'm thrilled with the FastPrime; my definition of primer is one coat and done but this, eh, didn't want to play like that.

So, back to Menards after I dig up my old receipt to pick up new tracks.  Since I used copper wire on the DIY pallet wood vertical blinds, I'm thinking maybe gold tone tracks would be funky, touch on that bitty subtle hint of 70's vibe I'm going for in the room.  (Not scary full on 70's, Mike, it's ok, stop panicking.)

Although, they do have bronze and black.  The black would disappear into the wall.....hmm....maybe solve my track dilemma.....hmmmm.....More options to ponder!  I know what I'll do:  get one of each color, bring them home and see how they look in the room.  There.  Done.  Yes.  That works out well too; an easy excuse to have to go back to Menards yet again.  Ah ha!

Not a highly productive day again as most of my day has revolved around Hailey not wanting to eat.  This has been going on since chemo Thursday.  I'm guessing she probably feels queasy so I've been cooking up some usually irresistibles.  No such luck.  She doesn't eat as well when it's warm out either, so that's likely part of it.  But, there's a whole seven pound turkey breast baking away in the oven for her right now, her absolute favorite, so I'm hoping that will do the trick.  Not all seven pounds at once, don't worry!

Aw jeez, this photo was taken the day before her amputation.

Hope you're having a great weekend!

*The AutoCAD link is an AutoDesk affiliate link.  Mwah, thanks!  Please see the "boring stuff" tab for more info.