To ask how much I need to save... (with shitty diagram!)

[jamoncrumpet]

... to do up my living room?

Room is approx 5m x 4m.

I want to get a carpenter in to make Alcove 1 into a cabinet for DVDs. In Alcove 2 I want low cabinets, tv on top, and two shelves above for books.

I want one wall wallpapered and the rest of the room painted.

I was thinking of saving about £1500 but DH says I'm being very optimistic!

£2.5k ish for the carpentry.

Paint and paper yourself. It’s easy if you have decent walls and choose sensible colours/patterns.

I would totally go for Billy bookcases to help ease the cost. Can you really not work on dh that you have different priorities as a family that storing so many dvds that are surely going out of date if not already. Under bed storage or similar.

Honestly - watch a few YouTube videos that show you how.

Built in shelves for books etc are not dated at all. Done right they are elegant! Though I do think they have to be painted white...

If you want a traditional feel then do as the above poster has suggested. But if you’d rather go for a contemporary feel I would paint the fitted bookcases/cabinets in the same colour as your walls/ceiling - no matter what colour that is - just paint everything in the same colour. This then allows the items you place on the shelving to do the talking - i.e the books, plants etc. It creates a calming effect, that flows and gives an illusion of space as there are no sharp lines as to when one colour stops and the other begins.

As you’re painting the cupboards etc the carpenter will only need to use MDF....but it’ll still be around £1500-2500 I’m guessing. The decorating will be between £500-1000 I’d think, especially if they need to paint the cupboards.

Check that an Ikea cabinet won't fit in your recess. We've used 2 liatorp ones in our living room, and with architraves round them and skirting boards at the bottom they look built in, but much cheaper and quicker to install.

We actually made enough room in our shelving units to wall mount the tv.

Can you post a photo?
I think that you are probably right not to skimp in whatever will conceal the monstrous DVD collection from view and finally give you the adult living room you deserve! But make sure your DH understands quite how much it is costing him to house them!

We had a carpenter quote for built in alcove shelving like your pic. Went for a different option in the end as it was for a back room, not a sitting room, but it was about 3k for two alcoves.

Do you really need wallpaper? Feature walls in living rooms are a bit dated now, it’s all about dark paint and big mirrors and art pieces these days. Wallpaper works better in places like little bathrooms and behind bed heads.

When did he last watch one of his DVDs? Do they REALLY need to be stored in the same room as the TV?

I’d also avoid having books on display too, my opinion is that it is a dated look, I may be slightly influenced by the fact ya I have a bad dust allergy and they are terrible for collecting dust. e-books were the best invention ever.

Built in cabinets are very much back in. Loads of people on Insta doing it.

Yes, lots are painted the same colour as the wall rather than white, that’s the modern twist, as a PP mentioned. I really like it.

I’ve also noticed recently that every home renovation show and interiors blog seems to feature hipster men who want space for their “music collection” i.e. a turntable and a load of vinyl, sometimes a guitar displayed on the wall for max muso cred. The kind of thing that needs very specific storage and would be a nightmare with toddlers pulling it all out and fiddling with the equipment!

I too have been thinking about alcove cabinets and came across this company which sounds like a good idea diyalcovecabinets.co.uk/
Sorry I have no idea about budget as we haven't even reached that stage!

Oy! Leave us baby boomers alone!

I too think you are being optimistic re the price.Agree with others about getting free standing shelving instead but put in so they look built in. Much more flexible if your tastes and/or family needs change.

placeofmytaste.com/billy-bookcase/

OP, you can configure Ikea billy bookcases to be similar to what you need. Then it would be easy enough to make them look “built in”.

Look at Ikea billy bookcase hacks .. loads of great ideas for low cost .