It's now a window-toy-book wall

Sunset, July, 1988

It's now a window-toy-book wall Chock-full of storage space, this wall-wide window seat--bookshelf holds toys and books that used to cluter the house.

The 18-inch-wide, 9- foot-long platform below the window consists of four storage chests flanked by a drawer on each end. For the exposed parts of the platform and the bookshelf sides, Berkeley architect Larry Strain used vertical-grain Douglas fir plywood, finished with several coats of Danish oil thinned with turpentine. For nonvisible parts, he used standard 3/4-inch plywood. Fir strips cover plywood edges.

For shelving, Strain ripped the bullnose off 1-by-12 fir stair treads. Though the treads cost nearly twice as much as standard 1-inch lumber (miled to 3/4 inch), he chose them for their tight grain and full 1-inch thickness. The shelves can safely support up to a 4-foot span of books. Three decorative wood blocks, screwed to the top of the window frame, help support the rear lip of the highest shelf. Wood for the project cost about $300.

Delighted with his new vantage point, Strain's young son Owen took to banging on the window when he spied friends outside. To protect the glass, Strain rigged two protective 30- by 48-inch shields of 1/8-inch acrylic (about $3 a square foot). Screws and wide fender washers anchor the panel, mounted a few inches above the sill for access to stop rods. A 1-by-1, rabbeted to receive the panel's top edge, screws into the window frame.

As soon as Owen learns to contain his excitement, the shield will be removed and the holes filled and painted.