How to Build a Bookcase Feature Wall

Use a sketch pad to draw a built-in wall for books. Draw out a bookcase that's 8 feet high and 12 feet wide. In the center of the bookcase, create a spot for a flat-screen television. Alongside that space, add shelves for books and collectibles. Include a space for cabinets along the bottom of the unit.

Construct framing for the wall unit with 2-by-4-inch boards secured to wall studs with 4-inch screws. Build this framework above the height needed for the floor cabinets. Secure beadboard sheeting over the framework to form the back wall of the bookcase. Create a designated center section for the flat-screen TV, using three-quarter-inch hardwood plywood sheets. Secure the wood sheets to the wall with brackets.

Use shelving brackets to install shelves cut from furniture-grade hardwood plywood sheeting. Run the shelves horizontally on the wall, spaced 15 to 18 inches apart. Start the shelving above the area reserved for bottom cabinets. Nail 1-by-4-inch fluted pilaster material every 2 to 3 feet across the front to secure the shelving and TV section in place.

Install pre-made cabinets across the bottom of the bookcase unit. Screw cabinets into floor joists, using an electric screwdriver, so that the cabinets are stable and help to support the wall unit's weight. Secure the cabinets to the wall studs with 4-inch screws.

Finish the unit, and add special details. Nail crown molding across the bottom of the unit at the base of the cabinets. Install crown molding across the top of the unit, as well.

Install cabinet doors with hidden hinges to for a finished look. Screw plywood sheeting across the top of the cabinets to serve as a base for tiles. Install white marble tiles across the top of the cabinets. Add wooden trim to hide any plywood edges beneath the marble tiles.

Paint the bookcase unit and all molding and trim. Use semi-gloss paint with the primer mixed in.