My Cave. Why call it that? Unfortunately I now live alone. The girls are grown up and fledged the nest and have families of their own. Valerie, sadly failed to wake up following some ten hours undergoing heart surgery. So now I am sole resident of this council flat/maisonette. My residency amounts to some sixty years now. Taking into account todays cost of repairs etc. I think I made the right choice to be a council tenant. So, my flat or whatever you call it. It's at the end of a block of semi's. Both ends, are an up and down flat with garden. So entering the front door. Up the stairs and on the left is a small bedroom. Straight ahead is the living/sitting room. To the right, and on the left is the double bedroom. Ahead is the kitchen. Out of the kitchen on the left is the bathroom. So, My Cave if you like is the double bedroom. Entering. You face the chimney breast. The left, as you face it. In the recess I built a glass display unit. This sits upon mantle shelf that crosses the chimney breast to the other side of the room. Both sides of the chimney breast I have made cupboards. The chimney breast is now host to a large, framed picture and the remainder is host to family photos. The righthand recess houses some bookshelves and the continuing mantle shelf becomes a cupboard. This I have filled with my computer odds and sods. The top is home to my computer monitor and my microscopes. My microscopes are connected to the monitor. I have some eyesight probs so viewing on the monitor is so much easier. I have two large bookcases. Also, my desk. This is at the moment being a problem. It is four feet wide. I want to add another bookcase to straddle the desk. So, this is a job for another day.
You think up wonderful solutions, and you make them so well, too! I asked the carpenters we use if they ever came by some good, old fashioned hardwood that could be re-used for other purposes, but it seems people uncritically tear down and throw away when they do work in their homes. I do mind laminated chipboard, even though I find it extremely practical when I need something that's supposed to stay in one place and preferably in one piece for a few years. I've had some bad experiences trying to move furniture about, not to mention hinges falling off and being impossible to re-attach. Since I'm hoping to keep this corner of mine for the rest of my life, we decided to go for all wood. And you're right about wood nowadays. It's expensive, and the quality is not quite like it used to be. I'm very glad we're done with the big, expensive jobs on the house. Thank you for the description of your home, Mike. It sounds both nice and practical. So sorry for the loss of your wife. I call it my cave since it's a small, built-in corner that feels cave-like when I sit by the computer. It's almost like when we were children and hung blankets on top of chairs to make a play house where we could sit with our lego, teddy bears, and dolls. My very own slightly secluded place.
My husband finally dug out the hole saw set from wherever he had stashed it and tried to make a hole for my pop-up socket and USB bank. His saws are too short. Lucky for me that I've had to learn a few tricks by trying to get things done at the stables without the right tools. The centre hole was there, so all I had to do was put on protective glasses and a mask (I don't like to eat or breathe sawdust) and crawl underneath the desk to finish that hole. I'm thankful I can still crawl.
It's a pain lying on your back trying to work with tools. So well done. My hardest job recently was tightening up a loose pedestal tap behind our kitchen inset sink. It required removing both drawers, lying on my back and attacking it with a screwdriver and a socket on a long extension and doing, by feel, as it was impossible to see. The nut was actually behind the two water supply pipes. So really difficult to access. https://ibb.co/DfzmFxx Not so easy when you're 82.
Very nice office @Droopy and @Doghouse Riley! If I can get mine cleaned up to a point where it's not embarrassing, I might post a photo . Mine serves as both computer and sewing station, so it can be cluttered. I have an old, 80s era desk with big space for an old, big computer (where I store sewing machine) and pull-out shelf for the big, old keyboard (where I store the laptop) and holes for cables, now installed with power grommets that have USB chargers. Being old, it's heavy solid plywood with oak veneer that I refinished.
Thanks @Daniel W. A work space is just that, a space to work, and when you work it will get cluttered until you're done with whatever, and then on to the next project, and repeat. Mine is cluttered now. I remember those big, old computer tables. We never had one at home. They were the more flimsy type, not made to last.
Though it’s been a long time since this thread was updated, I still want to tell you that I really like your setup. I like the way it’s integrated into that corner. It looks smooth! If I were you, I’d add some colors to it by adding some RGB strips or something. My son has this L-shaped RGB desk (https://eurekaergonomic.com/l-shaped-desks/), and I really like it. Sometimes I think I should buy myself the same one, but I’m actually enough with my adjustable desk. I mostly work in a standing mode, you know. Anyway, great setup. Let’s keep sharing our setups, guys!!
My cave. I've been cleaning up, and can now take a photo. Mostly this is where I can sew, use the computer, and read. This old computer desk turned out nice. There was a hole in the back, where the wires for the monitor and keyboard connected to the computer tower. The computer tower space is the exact size to store a sewing machine under the desktop. I got a power / USB charging grommet that fits the monitor hole, so can charge things or plug things in at the top, back of the desk. The old keyboard drawer holds my laptop, a keypad for the ipad, and the ipad too. When the laptop isn't in use, I close it and slide the drawer into the desk. There are drawers for sewing supplies and patterns. I get to look out at the duck yard, with Japanese maples, roses, hummingbird feeder, and ducks.
Thanks @chazystorm. Colours are sort of added with the board I decided to hang, the children's drawings I was given and other odds and ends needed. I need the furniture to be a light colour because the room is small and this corner's in the darkest place in the room. Wow, @Daniel W that's a very nice setup! I wouldn't get anything done if I should sit in front of a window. The desk is beautiful! Everything in there is easy on the eyes. We are now officially done with making changes to the cave. The hard drive is on a shelf underneath the desktop. I had to replace the monitor in order to see what I was doing on a split screen. The old monitor will be used for our N64. My big, old speakers had to go. I replaced them with a nice headset, and my family is happier for it. They don't have to listen to my music any more. We have very different tastes in music, and I like to play mine loud. The little chap right of the middle is Vector the robot, my office helper. He's not a toy, I swear! I move him and his space to a side table when I need my whole desk top space.
Looking good! I was never fond of headphones until I bought these for my leccy piano. The piano has two "desk-top" size speakers, mounted each end of the keyboard with a subwoofer on the floor with a "depth" control. Even sitting on a polystyrene box, it can "rattle the windows," at normal volume. But just using the headphones I still get plenty of bass, which was non-existent with the pair I had before and these weren't at all expensive..
Thanks, @Doghouse Riley! Oooh, those headphones look nice! Mine has a mic. I need it for gam... .eh.. for when I talk to my friends on Discord.
Well YOU ALL… HAVE ..exceptional design and amazing carpenter skills. Luv, lov, luv each one .all perfectly done to the hilt.. I thought I had some skills building a few things around here. But nothing like what you guys did. . All you guys have special skills.. They gave me some new ideas for a spare room.
You don't need special carpentry skills to make a wall unit. All you need is a drawing of what you want and the measurements of each piece of laminate or whatever. You get a wood yard to cut all the bits you need. Plus a drill and a screwdriver. Take this simple one for example. My wife wanted a wall unit in the box bedroom to store surplus craft equipment, with a fold-down table. The table needed some "Iron on" edging, for the sides to match the front edge. There are two side pieces . Six full width shelves, three middle dividers a three inch full width bit to go under the base. The fold-down table. Plus two hinges and the two sliders that allow the table to be held in the horizontal position. It's best to make a drawing on graph paper. Nothing fancy, just straight lines. But with all the measurements on a list. Then take both to a wood yard and explain what you want to make. They will be able to work out how to cut what you want from full sheets. You need to indicate where the faces need to be. You only need to have one laminated edge at the front of each piece. There's no back on this one, but it has a couple of brackets to attach it to the wall. You need to cut out a bit at the bottom if there's a skirting board, so the sides go hard against the wall. Then it becomes like a "flat pack" assembly. You have to be careful drilling holes for the screws, so they go in straight. They will need a bit of countersinking so the heads are flush. You can get these push-on caps that match the laminate to hide the screw heads. I built this with no help. I assembled it on its back on the floor.
