Anyone ever done inset shelving (inset in drywall?)

[politicat]

I've been reading about the Katrina cottages (New Urban Guild, http://www.katrinacottages.com/index.html) and some of the design features they have incorporated just make me furious that my house was so stupidly designed/remodeled. I don't need all this drywall, after all, not when I could have tongue & groove walls that would eliminate the necessity for studs and free up all that dead space in the interior walls. Things like that. (The NUG has a great book, as it happens, on the cottages that just happens to have a lot of space saving and efficiency tips. And DH and I have pretty much decided that our next house is going to be a Katrina Cottage, though probably one of the larger ones since zoning in this area mandates a certain amount of square footage.)

So I've been thinking about cutting out sections of drywall and putting in narrow shelves, like for spices in the kitchen, paperbacks in the hallway, napkins and wine glasses in the dining room, small ornaments, etc. I've found a couple of places online that have instructions (http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-maximize-storage-space1.htm and http://www.ronhazelton.com/howto/recessed_shelves.htm and http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProjectCenter/ProjectDetail.aspx?DOC_ID=p_2_51_16109_16130.html, among others), but I'm looking for perils and pitfalls to avoid.

[Jersey Devil]

1. other reasons for studs and drywall should be considered

Sure you could eliminate studs in non weight bearing walls, but what about sound proofing so that you don't have to hear every sound coming out of the adjacent rooms? When I built an addition I insulated the interior walls between the studs for sound proofing. Also, how do you wire a wall with no interior? You'd have to use unsightly metal tubes and receptacles on the exterior of the walls.

[politicat]

3. There's two of us, and we're REALLY quiet.

Besides, I think that 500 paperback books (or CD cases or DVD cases) would be better than the drywall for sound and warmth insulation since they have more mass than the drywall did.

The wiring runs up the side of the stud, and is covered by the inset shelf framing. I'll get a picture up as soon as DH gets back (he took our camera on a business trip.) So it's not visible.

[blondeatlast]

2. I'm considering the same. We had some in our old house

and I thought they looked wonderful with photos and mementos of our travels.

Can't offer any experience, but I can kick and hope others can fill the void.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

4. I've done a few...

use a pencil to draw your lines, cut out the drywall, then frame it out (like a window). Use mdf to frame the inside, and for the shelves themselves. tack molding around the whole thing, caulk the seams and paint.

the biggest thing is just to make sure you check your square and level while adding each piece.