Anatomy of a Dream

When we moved into the new house it had a giant empty wall.  

And we had 40 something boxes of books.

Hmmmmm....

The baby liked to use the wall for handball.  But I didn't have 40 boxes of handballs to find a home for.  So Baby enjoyed his last game of handball on the giant empty wall and...

We started making plans...

I've always wanted something like this...

So we went whole hog.  Floor to ceiling shelves, drawers, and cabinets.  With a rolling ladder.

Work began while we were in Cabo and I really, really appreciate all the people who watched our children and lived in a construction zone.  

This was the basic final skeleton.

Baby liked to hang out in the little cabinet spaces below.  Probably lamenting his lost handball wall.

Sorry kid.  But your mom is a book addict.

Next came crown moulding for the whole room and paint.  

I chose lacquer paint.  Which is extra smelly.  Breathe deep, children.

I began to feel like we were living in the ET house...

The painters had these giant tubes that helped funnel the fumes out the windows which helped a lot.

This is the basic painted product.  Waiting for drawers, cabinet doors, sconces, and the ladder to be rehung.

 Baby liked to help me clean all the dust off the shelves while we waited. 

He was very thorough.

Yep.  He got the walls too.  What a kid.

Once the paint cured, we started unloading boxes of books.  What you probably cannot tell is that many of the shelves are actually double layered.  Because someone seems to have a problem...

Today the sconces were installed, the ladder rehung (and it rolls great!) and the drawers and cabinets were installed.  

What do you think?  Did we come close?  

Now all I need to do is learn to sing like Belle and I think we have nailed my dream.  

And this is how it looks with just the sconces for mood lighting.  I think the library just became the most romantic room in the house....