In order to increase the ceiling height, we lowered the basement floor by about a foot. However that meant that pipes which were under the floor before are now above it. This created a foot-wide platform along one side of the room where the contractor tried to hide the sewage pipe. I originally intended to put the TV there, but there was no way for me to shove a TV-stand on something a foot wide, so that meant I'd have to put it in front and that'd look really stupid.

So I had the contractor put a built-in bookshelf there, and it looks fucking magnificent. I'm actually a little intimidated because I don't think I have enough video games/manga to fill it up.