[mmhassa2]

And always love the satisfaction of knowing I did it, so here I am for some advice and also if this looks like a good setup? Staying away from Besta line as Im not a big fan.

Here is the room. I have 2 measurements, one is from the wall to the fireplace and the second one if from the edge of the mantel to the wall.



My initial choice was not to touch the mantel corner but to get a more custom look and use billy bookcase looks like I need to. How does one cut the mantel so the book case can be flush?

You can see the yellow curved lines showing the mantel edge/design....I need to cut it to the dept of the billy bookcase.


________________________________________________ ________________________
The cabinets are from HD's $99 special: http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/s...partial&s=true

Lower Cabinet:::
Left: 47.5”
--30 ¼ Base cabinet
-- 15 1/8 Pantry cabinet
= 1” dead space on each side

Right: 34.5
--30 ¼ Base Cabinet
= 2.25” dead space on each side

Bookcase:::
Left: 47.5”
15 1/8 + 31.5
= 46.6
= 0.9” dead space on one side

Right: 34.5”
27.75
== 2” dead space on right side
________________________________________

Now height:

Pantry 84inch (7 foot). Everything else needs to add upto this number so we can add crown moulding.

Bookcase w /extender 55.5 + Base cabinet: 30.25= 85.75 inch


And lastly here's my poor drawing skills:

	W definition W is a wall cabinet designation, as in W18, can be a stand-in for Wide, or when followed by a / stands for With.

	IM definitino IM means Instant Message

[mmhassa2]

Anyone?

[splatgirl]

If this is some kind of one piece "fireplace" unit that is just set in place and ducted, then all bets are off r/t the trim. If it's an actual fireplace insert that the mantel and surround was built around, then that is just molding on the mantel, trimming a plywood top/shelf bit. From your photo It looks like two separate pieces of molding, the upper piece being about 1" tall and the lower maybe 2". Molding is typically held in with small brad nails. The holes would have been filled prior to painting, but sometimes their location can still be seen if you look closely. In any case, you'll need to pry off the molding using a putty knife or other flat-bladed implement. If you're careful and patient, it will probably come off without doing much damage. Sometimes it gets wrecked and there's nothing you can do about it. You may also need to remove and cut down the top.
Since finish carpentry is what really makes or breaks a job, if you have zero experience it might be worth your while to hire this little job out because it's tedious and exacting and it really helps to have some experience and the proper tools. It's also how you can fill/address those bits of leftover space in your plan.

[mmhassa2]

*Updated*
Well I've put some more thought to it and came up with 2 versions. Would love some suggestions on which one would look good.

1. Add the long pantry from HD so that area is filled top and bottom. But will it look odd? The pantry is as deep as the cabinets while the book case is shallow 11"


2.Add the HD drawers at the bottom, for the top shelve use HD's pre-made shelves to make a custom width shelve. I guess with this option I can go all the way up to the ceiling vs. going with pre-made ikea bookcases.


I also would add granite counter on top of the cabinets as we use this room a lot and would be able to keep drinks/food without much worry. And maybe some of those wireless potlights at the top from costco.

[splatgirl]

You'd need something to hold the shelves up in version 2. The associated wall uprights and shelf support brackets IMO , are not very attractive and the end result doesn't really have that built in look that you've said you are trying to achieve.

	IMO definition IMO means In My Opinion