How To Design and Build a Rental Friendly Built-In Shelving Unit

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The specific measurements and design decisions about your built-in will be different than the example. With that in mind, the thought process behind the builder’s actions will be shared.

For instance, the windows in this room have sills but no other trim. The sill extends beyond the edge of the window opening by 2 inches on each side. To account for this, a 2 inch section of wall will be left exposed to maintain a consistent feel.

Use a tape measure to determine the width, height and depth of the entire area where the shelving will go.

Most bookshelves will be between 10-12 inches deep but the depth of a built-in is often determined by the area where it’s used. For example, the closet door on the left of the build area makes the determination. The edge of the door trim is 11-1/2 inches from the corner. The full depth of the project will be 11-1/4 inches.

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A sketch is a good place to start with figuring out a design.

Make a drawing of the build area. It doesn’t have to look good, just include all the features of the space, like windows or doors, and leave enough room to write down measurements. As measurements are completed, make notes on the drawing.

This first drawing is to figure out the materials that will be used and how the windows will be surrounded. Measure from the wall surfaces. Baseboards and shoe molding will be subtracted in a later stage.

Measure the width of each wall section, the size of the windows and how high the windowsills are from the floor. Add a sketch of the windowsill profiles and make note of their sizes.

There are five main design considerations in this space:

• The depth of the unit is dictated by the door on the left.
• The windowsills are wider than the windows and protrude from the wall.
• The height of the windows and their relation to the ceiling.
• There is no crown molding.
• The thickness of the baseboard and quarter round on the floor.

The total depth of the built-in will be 11-1/4 inches due to the door trim on the left side. There will be about 1 inch of space taken up by the face frame and backing board. Also, some space will be needed to move the shelves into place and to account for variations in the walls, floor, and trim. This means the shelf boards will be cut to 10-1/4 inches deep.

The windowsill will need to be accounted for by adding trim to the unit. This means that the width of the shelves under the window will be the width of the sills, then a trim piece will be installed to fill the gap. Also, the top shelf will be offset to allow for the depth of the existing sill.

The windows almost reach the ceiling and there is no crown molding. The top shelf will be at the top of the window and span the entire wall.

The bases of the shelving unit will be offset to make room for the baseboard and quarter round. This will be accomplished by making a separate base that fits between them and building the shelves on top of it. Measure this trim by sitting a rafter square against the widest part and measuring out from the wall.

The unit will be built in 6 sections, consisting of the base and five separate bookshelves.

A piece of baseboard that matches the existing trim will be added later. Variations where the shelves meet the side walls will be accounted for by scribing the left and rightmost uprights of the face frame to the wall.

One of the best things about designing and building your own shelving system is that you get exactly the shelves you need. It’s also the worst thing because it can easily become a sticking point that prevents forward motion. Here is a way to overcome indecision and get started.

Gather some of the items you will be storing and arrange them by where you’d place them on the shelves.

Remember, larger, heavier items should be on lower shelves. Heavy items should be stored on shorter width spans. Narrower units can hold more weight without shelf sagging. Wider shelves should carry lighter objects, or objects that spread their weight over a larger footprint.

Built-ins are often used for displaying décor, not just storage. Consider this aspect when laying out the shelves. Some of the shelves on the example will have larger space at eye level for items like framed art, statues or vases. Measure the items and use that data to determine the spacing between shelves. There will be leftover wood that will be used to make dividers and risers. A divider or riser can add visual interest to the layout. Vertical dividers can also add to the strength of the shelves. We’ll add some dividers to the wide section of the example built-in to show how this works. These can be made and installed as the shelves are being loaded.

And most of all, once you’ve finished this project, you’ll see that you can build anything you want. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t exactly right or if your needs change, you have the skills to build another one and make it even better.

Adjustable shelves are an option. They should be used in narrower units because they aren’t attached to the back. Shelves that are attached to the back can hold more weight and make longer spans.

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Using the rough measurements, consider materials. Dimensional lumber is available in widths up to 11-1/4 inches and shelving boards up to 12 inches. If boards wider than this are needed, plywood may be best.

Plywood may also be chosen because it’s dimensionally stable and costs less than solid wood. It’s an excellent material for these shelving units. There are high grades that would be suitable for staining or mid grades that are good for painting. 3/4-inch is the best thickness for this project.

The downside to plywood is that the edges need to be covered. If the shelf spans aren’t more than 36 inches, edges can be covered with iron-on edge banding or smoothed with wood filler. If the spans are more than 36 inches, a solid wood nose can be added that will cover the edge and add strength.

MDF and particle board aren’t good choices for this project. They’re easy to work with but are heavier than most plywood. Moving MDF and particle board furniture can cause problems because they lack strength at the joints. They’re good choices for true built-ins that will be painted and never moved because they are flat and dimensionally stable.

Once the material is selected, you need to know the actual thickness of the material. Often ¾” is stated as the nominal thickness but the actual measurement may be 1/16-1/32 thinner.

The face frame and shelf nosing will be made with “1x” lumber. Premium wood will be best for this. Another option is finger jointed trim boards that are pre-primed. If staining, opt for hardwood trim in the molding department.

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Building a separate base will provide a level surface for the shelving unit. Floors are often out of level and a base is the easy fix. This separate leveling base will also allow for the shelves to be moved to a new location on a new base, if needed.

The base is a simple frame of 2x4 lumber with a 2x4 crossmember at each shelf upright.

If HVAC registers, or supply vents, are covered by the built-in, make a path for the air by cutting holes in the base. The opening should be roughly the same surface area as the vent that is covered. Never build over HVAC returns, as it will ruin the HVAC system. If you are unsure whether the vent you see is a supply or a return, briefly hold a sheet of paper close to the vent while the system in running. If it pushes the paper away, it is a supply vent. If it pulls the paper towards itself, it is a return vent. Return vents must be unobstrcted.

Once in place, it will be leveled with shims. The baseboard that’s added at the end will cover the base, so how it looks isn’t important.

Measure between the baseboard and quarter round, across the front, center and the back of the area where the built-in will go. Use the smallest measurement for the length of the base.

The face frame will be added to the base later in construction. This will add ¾ of an inch to the depth of the base. Account for that ¾ inch by subtracting it from the depth of the base.

2x4 lumber is 1-1/2 inches thick, so two pieces add up to be 3 inches. The shelf depth is 11-1/4 inches, minus the 1-1/4 inches of the base and quarter round on the rear wall and the ¾ inch-thick face frame means the length of the crossmembers in the example will be 6-1/4 inches.

The upright sides of each unit should be over the base to support the majority of the weight, but the depth of the shelves can hang off the back for the small distance in this example.

Build the base across the entire width of the built-in area. It should act as one unit that can be leveled.

Approximately 1/8 inch will be left between the base and the existing baseboard and quarter round moulding. The long pieces that make the front and back will span the entire length. If the span is too wide, like the example, make two or more sections of base and join them securely.

The short pieces that connect the front and back should be located at the ends and under each upright side. When needed, such as in the 55 inch span, more crossmembers can be added between uprights.

• Put the base in position.
• Make cutouts for any HVAC vents as needed.
• Use shims to level the base.

Check level often as the shims are put into place. The base needs to be level side-to-side and front-to-back. This will take some time to get it right. Place a long level on the long dimension and a short level on a short dimension. Slide shims underneath the base to raise lower spots. If the base rocks or moves at all on the floor, it should be supported by shims so that it doesn’t move at all.

Place shims to make up for any dips in the floor. The base or shims should contact the floor as much as possible.

Mark each shim and cut flush wherever they protrude from the front of the base.

It will help to understand the construction of the individual shelving units when making the measurements. Each unit will consist of two upright sides, a top, a bottom and shelves.

The top and bottom will be the full width of the individual unit. They will attach to the ends of the uprights.

The shelves are slightly narrower than the top and bottom, by an amount equal to two thicknesses of the material. This thickness will vary by the particular material being used, but the example comes out to 1-7/16 inches. This material is 23/32. which is 1/32 shy of being a full ¾ inch. You don’t have to do fractional math to figure this out, just put two pieces flat against each other and measure.

Repeat this process for each of the three tall sections:

• Measure from the top edge of the levelled base to the top of the window. Add 2 inches to account for the trim that will be added.
• From this measurement, subtract the thickness of two pieces of shelf material. This measurement describes the height of the uprights.
• Measure the exact width of the area from the end of the base to the edge of the windowsill for the end units and measure between edges of the windowsill for the center unit.
• From these measurements, subtract the thickness of two pieces of the shelf material to accommodate the two uprights. These measurements describe the width of the shelves.
• The top and bottom pieces will be the full width of the unit. They sit on top of, and under the bottom of the uprights. Do not subtract the double thickness of the uprights from these measurements.

• The windows and sills should be the same size but that isn’t guaranteed, so measure both.
• Subtract two times the material thickness from the width, this is the length of the shelves.
• The top and bottom pieces will be the full width of the unit. They sit on top of and under the bottom of the uprights.
• The top shelf will be cut to make room for the windowsill. Measure from the wall to the front of the windowsill. Subtract this measurement from the depth of the top shelf piece.
• Measure the thickness of the windowsill.
• Measure from the top of the base to the top of the windowsill. Subtract the thickness of one piece of shelf material to account for the bottom shelf. This is the length of the two side supports of the unit that goes under the window.
• Measure the depth of the windowsill to the wall. Account for the 1/8 inch gap and cut the width of the top shelf to allow for the windowsill. This is one of the compromises that is made vs a permanent built-in, where the window trim would be removed and worked into the shelving system.

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• Each shelving unit will have two upright pieces that will be the sides. The top and bottom shelf will be attached to the ends, while the intermediate shelves will be between them. The top and bottom shelves will have the same measurement as the finished width. Subtract the thickness of the two uprights (1-7/16) from the finished width.
• Also subtract a doubled thickness from the finished height of all uprights, since they will have shelves attached to their ends.
• Using a piece of 1/4-inch plywood and a piece of scrap wood, make a jig to help drill holes faster. This prevents having to measure and mark every hole.
• Take one of the offcut pieces of plywood with a square corner and make a corner clamping jig. Snip off the inside corner as shown in the picture.
• Keep up with how you marked the lines for the shelves. In this case, the line represents the bottom of the shelf. Align the jig on top of the line and drill pilot holes. These holes will be countersunk on the other side. This seems like an extra step, but it will prevent having to draw two sets of lines, and will make precise marks for the pilot holes. When the shelf is attached, these holes will be drilled through from the other side with the countersink, and pilot holes will also be drilled into the shelves.
• All joints should be fastened with glue and screws.
• Start at one corner, install one of the longer shelves to the end of one upright.
• In addition to clamps, finishing nails can be used to hold the boards in alignment. These small nails can’t be relied on as the fasteners to hold this together in the long term but they work to hold alignment while drilling and driving screws.
• Be sure the outside edges and the front edges are flush with each other. To do this, line them up and clamp with the corner jig. Hold it tight while drilling then driving the first screw. Check alignment before drilling the remaining pilot holes and driving the screws.
• Clamp a rafter square aligned to the line to help hold shelves in the proper orientation while fastening.

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• Adjust the depth that the nail gun drives nails through 1/4 inch plywood and the edge of 3/4 inch plywood. The nail head should be flush with the surface.
• Cut a piece of 1/4 inch plywood for the back.
• Apply glue to the edges of the plywood on the back of the shelving unit.
• Lay the plywood on the back of the shelves and get one corner on a long end in place. Attach with one 18 gauge nail.
• Work your way around the shelving unit, pulling it in line with the back as you go and placing a nail every 6 inches. This will bring the unit into square.
• Use a chalk line or a drywall t-square to draw lines for the back of the shelves. Drive 18 gauge nails at a 6 inch spacing. Be careful to hold the nailer square to the unit so the nails go straight in.
• Turn the unit upright and use a damp cloth to clean off any glue that is visible.

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Visible screws and nails will need to be covered with wood filler. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Sand the surface until there are no visible ridges around the filler and the surface is flush.

It may be easier to apply a primer coat to the shelves before putting them in place. The example was primed outdoors with a sprayer and then the finish coats of paint were applied after installation and the addition of the face frame.

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Each tall section will need to be attached to a wall stud, at or near the top of the unit.

The attachment point on the shelves needs to be into the ¾ inch thick material, not the 1/4 inch back. It can be through the side if the side is against a wall, or to the top for the center section.

Locate and mark the positions before putting the shelves into place.

• Slide each shelving unit into place, one by one.
• Ensure that the first unit on one end is in place.
• The front edge should be flush with the front of the base.
• Drill a countersunk pilot hole next to each upright, into the front 2x4 of the base frame and then drive a 3 inch screw through the bottom, into the frame.

One by one, follow these steps until all units are connected to each other:

• Adjust placement until the front edges are flush on the two units that will be combined.
• Using 1-1/4 inch washer-head cabinet screws, attach the shelving units to each other. Do this in two places, as far apart as possible.
• Ensure that the front edge of the shelf unit is flush with the front edge of the base. Drill 2 countersunk pilot holes into the base and drive 3 inch screw to fasten.

Note: None of the screws driven in this step should be covered with filler. They should be easy to find when it's time to remove the built-in. They can be carefully painted to match as long as the paint won't prevent the driver bit from engaging. This is one of the compromises that was mentioned in the introduction.

When the shelving units are in place, measure between the tops of the tall units to get the exact measurement for the shelf that goes between them over the window. It should be the same as the width of the shorter units that are underneath the windows but it’s best to confirm.

The shelves will need to be 3/4-inch shallower than the shelves the rest of the unit is made from to accommodate a support across the back edge that resembles the face frame. This means the example shelves are 9-3/4 inches deep.

These shelves will be attached with 4 pocket screws on each end and a cleat under each end. The pocket holes should not be filled, so the screws can be found and removed later. Drill the pocket holes, equally spaced, before proceeding.

Cut a piece of face frame material to the same length as the shelves and attach to the rear edge with glue. Drill pilot holes and drive screws equally spaced, 5-6 inches apart.

Use two pieces of face frame material as cleats for the ends. Their length should be the same as the depth of the shelf. Drill three pilot holes through them in the face and three countersunk pilot holes through one edge. The holes should be staggered so that they don’t interfere with one another. These cleats will be put in place after the pocket screws are driven.

Align the top of the shelf with the tops of the other shelving units and drive the pocket screws. Do not use glue, as these shelves will need to be removed when you move the built-in.

Lay a cleat flat against the bottom of the shelf and against the side of the tall shelving unit. Drive three 2 inch screws through the countersunk pilot holes, into the upright. Drive three 1-1/4 inch screws through the other pilot holes to attach the cleat to the shelf. Repeat on the other end, then install the other shelf the same way.

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• The face frame serves two purposes. The most obvious is to cover the edges of the plywood with a more finished look. The second is to add structural support to the shelves.
• The frame is attached using 1-1/2 inch finishing nails.
• When adding the frame pieces to shelves, start at one end and align the top of the shelf to the top edge of the frame as you go.
• Install the frame across the top first. This piece should extend beyond the ends of the shelves, to the walls.
• Next install the frame that runs across the bottom. This piece should extend beyond the ends of the shelves to the walls above the existing baseboard. The bottom may need to be notched to clear the baseboard.
• Add another piece of framing across the bottom, touching the floor, to act as a nailer for the baseboard that will be added to the built-in.
• On each side of the built-in, the face frame pieces will be wider than the rest. Measure from the inside of the upright to the wall at the top, middle and bottom of the upright. In most cases, the upright piece of face frame will need to be cut from a 1x4. Measure the length and cut the board so it will fit height-wise. In the case of the example, the leftmost piece was 1-3/4 inches for the entire length. The rightmost piece was 2-1/8 inches wide at the top and 1-3/4 inches wide at the bottom. Walls aren’t always straight in a building. The rightmost piece was cut to length first, then cut along a diagonal line to make it fit.
• After the outermost vertical pieces of the face frame have been nailed in place, measure and cut the remaining vertical pieces one by one. Nail them into place.
• The vertical pieces, that are nailed to each shelf, should be the same length within each shelving unit. However, it’s best to measure each shelf to check. Cut and nail in place.
• Once the face frame has been installed, fill the nail holes and apply a coat of primer to it. The frame that will be covered by the baseboard doesn’t need to be filled or painted.

• Leftover shelf boards can be cut to make dividers that can be movable or nailed into place.
• Measure and cut to fit.
• Round all corners with a router or sandpaper.
• Sand all edges.
• The sides can be painted to match, but only the front edge should be finished with putty and paint. The remaining edges should be left bare wood.

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• Add the baseboard to complete the built-in look. One end of the example ends on the door frame, so it is cut square.
• The other end terminates into the baseboard on the wall and is coped to match. To do this, measure all the way to the wall and cut the baseboard to that length. Use a scrap piece of baseboard to trace the design onto face at the end that runs into the existing baseboard.
• Use a coping saw or a jigsaw to cut out the profile. It’s best to “leave the line” and then use a file or sandpaper to adjust the coping cut to fit.
• Nail the baseboard to the face frame. Fill the nail holes.
• Paint the built-in to your desired color and the baseboard to match the existing baseboard.