Backlit Custom Shelving

The full view after completion

Starting a business in a new place is hard, mainly because no one knows who you are. One day while I was praying, a phone call came in for this project.

This project would become both an exhibit, and an oasis. A show piece, and a reprieve.

Previously a guest room, it would become a library. A place for the home owner to steal away for quiet reading, or to bring friends for a book club, and intimate gatherings.

Here’s what we did:

1. Design & Drawings

2. Shop Fabrication

3. Onsite installation

4. Finishing Touches

The initial design before colour choices were finalized

1. Design & Drawings

A 3D design was drawn up according to the client’s desires, with a rolling ladder, lower bench, and floor-to-ceiling shelving. These renderings are very helpful in confirming what our client’s really want, while allowing them to make alterations before any construction takes place.

The bulk of the shelving was classic cabinetry: table saw, router, drills, nails, and glue. However, the design went from classic to contemporary by the addition of concealed LED lighting.

At this point, everything for display was measured to ensure all proportions are practical, and the lighting placement is fitting. The top 2 shelves were backlit for a Derby Glass display, and the lower 5 had front lighting to illuminate the spines of a book collection.

Fabrication documents with precise measurements

Once our design was complete, documents were drafted to make sure our team could build the unit precisely. Good design documents are like a great book in multiple languages - they communicate ideas from start to finish in the language of every professional involved.

2. Shop Fabrication

Using our drawings, every piece was cut, sanded, primed, and painted. We routed lighting channels, and shelf slots across all pieces simultaneously to achieve perfect alignment. After that, we pre-finished each piece before assembly. This not only speeds up the painting process, but ensures a smoother finish in hard to reach areas.

Zach creating channels for LED lighting

The oak from our local mill served to create a robust ladder, milled to thickness for strength, and for good looks.

We opted for a soft, warm, dot-less lighting strip, to create even illumination across anything displayed, and avoid ‘hotspots’ on collections.

One consideration was how to integrate our lighting, drivers, and power supply in a way that made installation not only possible but smooth. Our plans worked well, with room for improvement, which you can watch in the Timelapse on the next post.

Tim attaching the LED strip lighting in routed channel

3. Onsite Installation

The installation was like a ballet, with careful maneuvering that balanced permanence with adjustability. The potential fail point of this project was in the LED lights, each with 50,000 hours of run time, but the possibility of failure. Our design needed to accommodate the need to replace, while concealing them altogether.

With 52 electrical connections to maintain, continuous testing was necessary. At one point during the build, a light strip stopped working, and we were able to isolate the single connection failure, and repair it before the face frames were installed overtop.

Tim testing connections during installation

With electrical complete, we moved onto the face frame. These frames were structurally stabilizing, and also concealed the source of the light. Each frame hung lower than the shelves, blocking the light strips from view at almost every angle.

The last pieces were the doors, and the crown moulding to tie it all together.

4. Finishing Touches

As with every remodel, where the new meets the old, transitions need to be crafted, and finished. Edges were sealed, ridges were sanded, and paint was applied.

Zach buffing out the face frame

The solid oak ladder we built came from a tree within the region we live, and was installed using hardware proudly made in the USA from Van Dyke’s Hardware. This is very important to us, and to our clients.

Everything we do is a gift from God, and sometimes He lets us know it. From the beginning, this was an answer to prayer for us, and we found it was an answer to the prayers of our client. It was a project meant to honour a room which used to be for a loved one. A creation which would bring utility, and comfort.

Soft lights and gentle shadows compliment the view through the doorway

Whatever you do, work at it with all your might, as working for the Lord.