Materials: Akurum cabinets, doors and wall panels; Ekby Järpen floating shelving,
Description: My new loft was basically three blank walls and 15-foot floor to ceiling windows. It sorely needed a focal point, so I designed this combination fireplace/media storage/shelving unit to give it some excitement.
I hired a contractor to build the framework for the fireplace and media center, which forms the base of the unit. A frame consisting of 2x4s was placed lengthwise across the length of the floor. Four Akurum wall fan/refrigerator cabinets were screwed atop the framework, then screwed together. The 2x4 framework formed a base for the cabinet, which was covered with a Perfekt door panel, ripped to length.
The fireplace is essentially a box formed by four 2x4s, approximately ten feet long. The box was mounted to the wall and ceiling, then covered with large Perfekt door panels.
Finally, I ran the electrical wiring for the lighting and the electric fireplace before installing the Ekby floating shelves. I drilled holes in the shelves to route the wiring for the Grundtal lighting disks (I hate seeing wires on the surface of shelving), then mounted the shelves to the base, which had been screwed to the wall.
Finally I built the firebox (more 2x4's!) installed the fireplace, covered the firebox in natural stone tile, and flanked it with mirrors to give the room some depth.
The cabinets hold multiple electronic components, including a whole-house music and lighting control system, as well as the typical odds and ends you find in a living room.
The entire project took about 2 weeks to complete, and cost approximately $7,000, including contractor labor.
~ Vince Edd, Seattle, WA
