Modern Bookshelves/Shelving

- that won't break the bank.

I'm purchasing furniture, bit by bit, and I've come to the book storage issue. We have a decent collection of books, and I'm looking for something that can add some color to a currently drab room. Of course, Cappellini, Kartell, etc. all make things that would suit my needs but none of them suit my budget.

The Ikea Lack (here ) seems like it'd fit the bill though I'd like to avoid ordering from Ikea since I'm an uppity bastard and everyone buys their furniture from there. Any other options?

Originally Posted by kronik

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The Ikea Lack (here ) seems like it'd fit the bill though I'd like to avoid ordering from Ikea since I'm an uppity bastard and everyone buys their furniture from there. Any other options?

Plus, it's made of particleboard. Urg. That's the equivalent of a badly fused suit, and for $80!

(At least the Lark shelves are narrow, limiting how much load they'll have to bear. Though I'm put off by any bookcase that must be secured to a wall.)

Bearing in mind your budget, you might try World Market. Here's one, though it might be too traditional:
http://www.worldmarket.com/Furnitur...P_SELLER_INDEX|1/N/1100002+28/Nty/1/index.pro

More modern:
http://www.worldmarket.com/Furnitur...P_SELLER_INDEX|1/N/1100002+28/Nty/1/index.pro

Asian influence:
http://www.worldmarket.com/Tao-4Shel...0000/index.pro

I should mention, though, that a lot of the World Market stuff tends to be a bit rustic. Be good to check them out in person, if possible and if you're interested.

Have you visited your local antique stores and consignment/second-hand shops?

Shelving is tough. As you mentioned, pretty much everything that is modern and well-made is very expensive (even stuff from DWR that doesn't carry the pedigree of Cappellini or whatever). For this reason, we ended up going with a wall of Ikea bookshelves in our house, even though all of the other furniture we have is much higher-end. Once the books are in place, the white shelving kind of recedes into the background. I'd rather spend the big bucks on other pieces of furniture -- seating, tables, etc. -- that stand out more.

I liked the first World Market unit, however at $80 the Lak is my choice and what I have in my bedroom.

I got something even cheaper from office depot for my room, and ikea stuff for my sons room, I anchored everything to the wall. honestly, I don't see a good reason to spend a huge amount on book shelves. another option is to get lumber and either make them yourself, or get a handyman to do it. the cost shouldn't be much higher than ikea stuff, if you need 2 or 3 (for the first one or two it probrably would be).

This one is cool, and not super expensive. It isn't cheap, but fully loaded shouldn't be more than 2g.

Cubitec Shelving from DWR

I was looking at the Cubitec shelving - wondering how to configure it, etc. as there are some where 1 unit = 4 cubes, and another where 1 unit = 6. I'm going to DWR tonight so I may see this in person there.

Matt, I checked every piece on Unica (the one you mentioned caught my eye as well). When you say fully loaded, how much space are you talking?

We currently have 4 of hardwood ones that need to be stained, but unfortunately they're not stackable and not really useful in this room. The dimensions are 30" L x 11" W x 30" H. Each has two shelves with a decent amount of wasted space, when it comes to book height. We're looking at about 20 cubic feet of storage in those bookshelves, so I'm thinking around 35 is what we need which translates into about 18 Cubitec.

It is about 1500 for a 6' by 6' unit, plus you have to buy the dividers. Those run about $50 per. On the other hand, you could shell out about $20g for this bad boy which holds almost nothing.

Good shelves are either incredibly expensive or don't exactly fit my rooms.
I came to conclusion that custom shelves are the way to go.
I found local shop/store front that does inexpensive work in pine. I know pine is the softest wood but with proper thickness and spacing it can be very sturdy for everything except seating.
Look into it. It can be painted any color combination and look unique.

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

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Good shelves are either incredibly expensive or don't exactly fit my rooms. I came to conclusion that custom shelves are the way to go. I found local shop/store front that does inexpensive work in pine. I know pine is the softest wood but with proper thickness and spacing it can be very sturdy for everything except seating. Look into it. It can be painted any color combination and look unique.
+1 I have a lot of bookshelves and the best were made to order. The other ones were made by me. I don't recommend making your own. It's difficult to do it well, and the raw wood is expensive in good condition unless you know where to source it (not home depot). A MTM five-foot-tall unfinished pine bookshelf, three feet wide, ran about $125, but that was fifteen years ago before the cost of wood jacked up. MTM gives you the added benefit of getting exactly what you want, size-wise. I had some made, e.g., to fit under particular windows just perfect as I like et.c Good used bookshelves are impossible to find except at high price points. Everyone needs more storage space, and anything you purchase now will be used, by someone, forever. Unless you buy the laminated particleboard ****. The worst thing about this stuff is how the laminate chips off. This stuff is fug-gug-ly. P.S. That "lack" is "lacking." It's hideous. The exposed hardware on the side is ugly, the extra-thick and extra-narrow shelves (because the particleboard (?) is not strong) are ugly, the white finish is ugly, and it's going to be ugly out of the box and uglier over time. I would put it in my bathroom to hold toilet paper

Originally Posted by Dewey

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Good used bookshelves are impossible to find except at high price points. Everyone needs more storage space, and anything you purchase now will be used, by someone, forever.

Unless you buy the laminated particleboard ****. The worst thing about this stuff is how the laminate chips off. This stuff is fug-gug-ly.

Yeah. The good thing about buying used/vintage/antique/solid wood is that they hold their value. Buy at a smart price, take good care of them and you can often sell them for what you paid, or more. That's unlike cheap particleboard, which usually gets ripped out and thrown in the trash.

The modern thing to do is hide the books in a cabinet or drawer.

That's what I want. DRM'd hardcovers.

I ended up going with 3 units of the Cubitec, 2 in green, 1 in red. We'll see how they play out.