Spring is officially here!

We’ve scoured the inter-webs and Pinterest to bring you the ultimate (apartment-friendly) DIY project for spring.

Also, you know how sometimes you click on a link via Pinterest or Google and you don’t end up with the quality content you are looking for? Super annoying!

Well, we’ve combed through that content for you, to find the best blogs and bloggers in the DIY space (so you don’t have to)!

We’ve pinned all of the best projects to our Pinterest page and we have organized them by types of projects if you want to check those out!

We always strive to bring you high-quality DIY projects and ideas, just like we strive to always bring quality and reliability to our services and products.

What do you mean by quality content?

Well, by quality content, we mean that we always seek out project ideas with detailed step-by-step instructions, materials and tools lists, videos and photos, an end product you can be proud of, and of course – something we think you can tackle in any home or NYC apartment!

So let’s get started…

For this blog post, we’ve chosen the ultimate project to detail and discuss…this gorgeous DIY bookshelf (and Built-In) by The DIY Playbook. We chose this project for three reasons:

1. The final reveal is so gorgeous.

2. It’s been a long year, and many of us are still working from home. So whatever your space looks like, we think a new bookshelf is just the ticket to refresh your workspace/home office for spring!

3. Casey, the blogger behind The DIY Playbook, goes into so much detail about this project there is so much to learn for her.

Also, just note this is a big project, Casey even outlines in detail all the time spent on this one at the bottom of her post!  But you can always take all of her detailed plans and scale them back to fit a smaller space. 

(photos from The DIY Playbook)

Here is where we come in!

Casey mentions two problems she ran into while working on this DIY project, and you guessed it…we provide a solution for both!

First, Casey mentions that there is so much lumber needed for this project they had a hard time fitting it in their SUV.  We’ve got you covered with quick curbside delivery. DONE!

Second, Casey had some of the pieces they needed for the bookshelf cut down to fit into the car, which resulted in a bunch of uneven pieces. From there they had to cut each piece down themselves to make them exact and even had to adjust their plans!

We, on the other hand, will cut your pieces to the exact measurements you need! So you will not have to worry about a bunch of uneven shelves for your new bookshelf!

If you go to the Home Depot on 23rd Street and 6th Avenue, they will literally send you to us because they do not cut lumber there and even if they did, we can guarantee that we will cut it better and more precisely!

This has nothing to do with Lowes or Home Depot being bad, they are great for many many things and we often send customers there as well.

But, where they cannot compete with us is on the quality of our custom cutting. So problem number two, SOLVED!

Let’s jump into your DIY plans…

The DIY Playbook outlines everything in detail on her blog: her inspiration, the materials she uses, the tools she uses, and the time she spent on this project.

Take a look and come up with a version of your own. You will definitely need a tape measure, so bust that out and start measuring your space!

For more details on tools check out our post on the best tools for your next DIY project!

She also lists the materials she used for her DIY built-ins and bookshelf, like birch plywood and poplar. We’ve got you covered on materials!

You can read more about the difference between pine, poplar, and red oak here, and the types of plywood to use for your next DIY project here!

With that, it’s time to order your pieces!

Once you have measured your space and figured out the dimensions of the pieces you just email us at info@midtownlumber.com or simply complete the form on the Custom Cutting page, and we will get back to you with pricing and a lead time!

Be sure to include the type of material and exact measurements for your custom-cut lumber pieces.

In this DIY project, Casey uses 3/4″ birch plywood, which we think is a good choice for this project as it is quality lumber and will look nice, be sturdy, and paint well.

You can find details on how to choose the best materials and sizes to use for your next DIY project in our blog post “How To Order Custom Cut Lumber In 5 Easy Steps”!

It also outlines how to write custom cut lumber orders using inches and fractions (for less confusion), for example:

• 5 pcs of 1⁄2” Canadian Birch 4 1⁄2″ x 18 1⁄4”

Get started now!