Completed as a DIY project during lockdown, this might look like fairly ordinary shelving, but there is more to it than immediately meets the eye!  The shelving units with their combination of thicker fixed structural elements interwoven with thinner adjustable shelving, intended to echo designs from the Bauhaus weaving school and Mondrian paintings.  With the symmetry inherent in the existing, centrally placed chimney breast, it would perhaps have been more obvious to provide symmetrical shelving, but this design aims for a balanced asymmetry that is subtly intriguing rather than obvious, whilst at the same time accommodating the display of family artefacts and the ubiquitous TV screen.

The two bays of shelving were designed to be fully prefabricated on the ground prior to installation to ensure that everything was perfectly aligned.  This meant allowing for dimensional tolerance due to the existing walls without the appearance of architraves which would have detracted from the desired Mondrian / Bauhaus effect.  The thicker fixed elements are just wide enough to fit concealed lighting, controlled with concealed proximity dimming switches.

This project applied learning from some previous DIY projects described in this section.  It may also feature in the forthcoming YouTube videos in early 2024!

Find out more...