Bonus Room | Built in Shelves

FINALLY posting this! :) Better late than never. 

This project, though on the list, kind of came on suddenly in August.

I just HAD to do something about the empty nook, 

and during a "quick" trip to IKEA, 

I had a fateful encounter with the IKEA Kivik Chaise Lounge. 

I couldn't get the lounge out of my mind... 

I obsessively stalked Craigslist for a good deal and got lucky!

I found 2, for $300!!!! 

The covers were not in good shape, so we got 2 new covers in Dansbo White.

IKEA Kivik Chaise - $350

Thus commenced my speedy pursuit for a cozy reading nook!

Cue the husband and his power tools for assembling the shelves. :)

We started by getting some nice pine wood, furniture quality, and 

stained in with watered down paint to give it a white look, 

while still allowing the pretty grain to show through.

I did a 1 part water, 4 parts paint mixture. 

I brushed on the stain in long steady strokes with the grain, 

then wiped it off after a minute.

Pretty much by the time I was done with one, 8 foot, section it was time to start wiping.

Pippa insisted on being in the photos... 

It turned out exactly as I was hoping.  

White, but with the beautiful wood grain still visible.

I love the way the light enters the room.  In the morning (top photo, below) the sun rises directly through the opposite window and you get this beautiful glow.  

Then in the evening (bottom photo) the whole room becomes golden.  

It's now very peaceful and perfect for reading a book, 

doing work at the desk, or practicing some yoga in the middle of the room! :)  

PS- we used the scrap wood from our pergola end cap cuts as the shelf brackets. 

They were the perfect size and shape!

This is the next project nook!  

I will be painting/staining and possibly reupholstering

 the furniture in this corner of the room. 

Here are a few photos from before we painted and decorated.

Taken when house shopping.