From the Shelves: DIY Edition
The question came simply enough: “Do you want to go look at houses on Sunday?”
“Sure, but I don’t know anything about how to buy one. Never thought I would be able to afford a house.”
“It’s just for fun,” she assured me.
By Wednesday we were under contract and I was neck-deep in talk of basis points and radon levels—words that hadn’t meant a thing to me the week before.
We had toured several houses. Some were clearly beyond our means. All felt disjointed—rooms that seemed placed by someone who had only heard about how people live. When we entered what would become our home, we both recognized it immediately. She was drawn to the entry hallway. I knew as soon as I saw the “bonus room” what it must become: The Library.
I've never shared the full story of building my library, from start to finish. Every time I post a picture of it on X, it goes viral, which should feel good, but it doesn’t. It feels like a cheat code. So I mostly stopped sharing it. Then I posted a note here, on a whim, and that took off too. So, it felt like a good time to do a little DIY posting.
I don’t have a background in carpentry, but I had what men before me have always had: hands, time carved from the edges of the day, and a willingness to try. A few tools stood in the corner of the garage. The rest I could learn. YouTube helped. In June 2021 I measured and sketched on scrap paper. An awkward little unfinished room would serve as my workshop. And in that workshop, slowly, I worked nights and weekends.
June 2021 - Cabinets
Cabinet making—no, that wasn’t something I could take on. Not then. I bought them ready-made, a concession to time and skill alike. The color, if you’re wondering, is called Blue Endeavour from Sherwin Williams.
July 2021 - Oak
For the cabinet tops, big box wouldn’t do. I went down to Mimm's Lumber, a great family owned business in Nashville, TN.
September 2021 - Shelves
The shelves were the most difficult part. A friend came by to help me rip the plywood sheets on the table saw, but squaring them on my own was slow, stubborn work. I used birch—not because I wanted to, but because it was what I could find, and what I could afford. Supply was low, prices were high. One day, Lord willing, I’d like to build the library I dream of—walnut, tall ceilings . . . But for now, we live within our means (move at the speed of cash), and there’s something to be said for that.
December 2021 - Furniture
The furniture, ordered nearly half a year in advance, began arriving as winter settled in. December brought the pieces that would complete the space—an old trunk, a pair of club chairs, a writing desk, an antique rug, and a Chesterfield sofa.
January 2022 - Shelves Complete
February 2022 - Floor & Brick
Nobody tells you how much money you’ll end up spending on mortar. Mortar. And all the while, my back kept reminding me that human bodies weren't designed for the particular angles and efforts this work required.
June 2022 - Finishing Touches
And then the books—gathered over years, brought in boxes from old apartments, hunted in winding bookshops, ordered from distant sellers with hand-penned notes—placed where they belonged (yeah, the cabinets are also full).
The room took its final shape—no longer becoming, but being—no longer a project, but a place. The Library.
That looks great. The brick adds a lot to it. Did you use dados for the shelves?
I’ve told several people about this project - how beautiful it is!