Finished Bookshelf

My cookbook shelf— I did discover I was short four shelf standard clips so that's why there's one shelf sitting upright in the right section.

Being smart means knowing when to ask for help.

I discovered that when I tried to rip 8-foot by 14-inch pieces of heavy 3/4 applyply on my table saw. I managed to get one piece onto the saw but smartly didn't even attempt the cut which would have surely been uneven because of the unruly size of the board. Heck, while I was supporting the wood I couldn't even manage to turn the saw on.

So I put the board down and made a desperate call for help to my friend Bill.

With his help, the boards were cut down to the correct width (11-inches) in no time and ready to be cut again crosswise into shelving. After a final sanding and oiling, the new bookshelf is complete and ready to house my cookbook collection.

The sideview of the bookshelf. The quartz countertop will be flush with the back

I am so pleased with how it looks and love that it's the first thing you see when you enter the new kitchen. The grain of the maple appleply is beautiful and the tone of the wood is warm and compliments the cool blue tiles that will be the last thing I install.

The wood and tile look great together.

Custom Cookbook Shelf

The cookbook shelf in progress.

My friend Bill is helping me build a custom bookshelf in the entryway of my new kitchen that will hold my large collection of cookbooks. I measured my stacks of cookbooks and have determined I need 32 linear feet of shelving to accommodate all of them.

The shelf will cover an entire wall and be made of ApplePly. I think it's going to look quite striking and because it extends all the way to the ceiling I actually think it makes the room feel larger.

Bill was the one who showed me ApplePly at the lumber store about a year ago and ever since I've had my heart set on using it in my kitchen. It's the best plywood you can buy - it's smooth and super strong. What I like best though is the clean striped effect on the sides of the boards. I'm not going to use any trim to cover it up. I'll just add a little butcher block oil and let the wood speak for itself.

The pretty edge of ApplePly.

Over the last two days, we've gotten a lot done. Now I just need to cut the shelves and finish the shorter shelf that will extend along the side of a base cabinet. Things are coming together thanks in large part to my helpful friend Bill.