I recently removed some paneling and discovered an old archway. It seems that the studs were added later on, so they're not actually necessary for support. On the other side of the archway is another room with drywall. I'm considering whether I could take out the studs and transform the archway into an alcove or maybe even a bookshelf. Would using plywood be sturdy enough for the drywall, or should I just cover the archway with new drywall instead? Here's a picture of what I found: https://imgur.com/a/EtezrM6
2 Answers
You could probably use plywood as a back for added support, especially if you put in some vertical supports in the middle. Just make sure to add enough rigidity. With proper structure, it should hold your shelves well!
Those 2x4s likely just serve as support for drywall, so I think you're fine to take them out. You could definitely create some shelves or an alcove there. If you're feeling cautious, you might want to check the above structure for support, but I doubt you'll run into issues just removing those studs.
That sounds like a solid plan! If you reinforce it right, I think it could work out perfectly for your space.