Bright built-in office nook from reused Ikea pieces

Materials: Billy bookcase, Expedit desk top, old Ikea desk

Description: We started with an old beech Ikea desk, 2 white Billy bookcases that were providing storage in the basement, and some loose pieces from the As-Is section - and ended with a bright and welcoming workspace.

* First, we hung the bookcases on the wall on either side of the windows as a base for the built-ins.

* Next, we cut down the length of the desk to fit into the space between the bookcases. We ended up taking about 20" off of the length and then reassembling the parts. We were able to keep one of the two under-desk drawers with that length.

* A coat of primer and a coat of glossy white paint matched the desk to the bookshelves, and a white Expedit desktop from the As-Is section was cut down to create a desktop that wouldn't be easily marked up with use.

* Other white boards from the As-Is section were cut down to create more shelves with spacing similar to the Billy bookshelves.

* White moulding from a local home improvement store gave the built-ins a clean, finished look and really helped make the furniture to look professionally made.

~ Torrey and Jim, Havertown, PA