Built in bookshelves?

I don't think you would need to hire an architect for something like this. A carpenter (or woodworker/cabinet maker) would probably be sufficient, although a contractor that handles small jobs might be necessary if you want to get a really "built-in" look. As to where to find someone that you can trust, I do not have the answer; my attempts in that area often have not worked out very well.

For cabinetry we have always used an architect and contractor. It has worked out very well, but not cheaply. That said, the built in shelving we have is not at all standard, so we needed a good team to figure it out.

It would be cheaper to have the shelves built off-site, in someone's workshop, than to have them built-in. And they will look built-in anyway if they are made to specs drawn up for your space. And then you can take them with you if/when you move. Anchoring the shelf to the wall is essential, or small children will pull them down when they use the shelves as ladders. But this is easy to do. Visit some used bookstores, find one with shelving you like, and ask at the desk if they can refer someone who makes them. One more thing - no units wider than three feet unless you are paying for a very strong wood. Pine might bow in the middle if you use four-foot units. If you use a good shelfmaker, they would tell you this anyway I think.

I really think that you don't need to have too much of a specialist for this. I would even consider just picking up a normal handyman (although you need two people). if they have the right tools (basically what your standarn non-new yorker owns), and you spring for real lumber, this isn't too hard to do.

You can make them plenty long and plenty strong. Apparently, I can make them plenty messy as well

I have done this twice, first in an apartment, second in a house. Each had some design challenges, but nothing radical. Both times we used a carpenter only. The first one could have been better but that was my fault. I wanted the lowest shelf to be extra high for art books. The carpenter recommended against, arguing that the remaining shelves would be too high. I insisted. I later came to accept that he was right. We got only seven shelves onto a 9' 8" wall.

The second time, we did not do the art book shelf (the house already had other built-ins with high shelves) and managed to get in nine shelves, ceiling height about the same. In the apartment, the shelves were on a longer wall than in the house, yet those two extra shelves make such a difference that we can fit the same amoung of books, or slightly more.

Anyway, I don't see why an architect would be necessary, but my tastes and needs are more mundane than those of Mr. Fancy (Ambrosi) Pants.

point taken - I was thinking in terms of making them structurally sound, not pretty. really, making a shelf that will hold a few hundred pounds of books isn't as hard as it seems - but making it look nice is another story.

I can climb my shelves to get to the top.

I agree that an architect need not be necessary, but they are great when it comes to dealing with load issues. Carpenters can be not so great with these things. Also, we have earthquake issues, so some things need to be thought of that are unimportant in NY.

Just look at magazines or online stores for proportions and ideas.
Main decisions would be :
Do you want to leave some room on top of the book-shelf or you want it flush with a ceiling. That is up to your aesthetic preference.
I would also suggest to avoid symmetry while sketching book compartments. Asymmetrical shelf might cost a bit more but it is much more pleasing to the eye than a ladder type thingy.

very thick wood, sir.

i was thinking about 3/4 inch pine.

your shelves look really good in that space. nice proportions everywhere.


get quotes. expect an enormous mark-up if you want a cabinet maker or even a good amateur shelfmaker to haul his equipment into your space and work there. they are going to want to build your shelves in units, bring them to your home, and assemble the parts as they install the whole.

i was thinking you could save a lot of money if you install the parts on your own. you would also have the benefit of taking them with you if you have backs mounted on each shelf.

to get nine feet of bookshelf in 3/4 in (sold as one inch) wood, you are probably looking at one five foot shelf with a four foot shelf mounted on top of it. in the picture you posted, that looks like eight units that were built off-site and mounted into the space. the only potential downside to stacking and mounting eight freestanding units is that there will be two thickness of wood at the seams where the units match together. that's what i think i see in your picture, where the horizontal dividers appear to be twice as wide as all but one of the vertical dividers. also the freestanding shelves built for the upper portion will not have the riser or whatever it's called at the bottom.

you could go the iammatt route, but that's not what i see in the picture you posted.

you can move a five foot by three foot by one foot bookshelf into any space. if your doorway is only four feet tall, you bring it in headfirst etc.

Old apartment:





Current house:



I know this place is dominated by architectural modernists who will hate the above, but c'est la vie.

I can't remember what I paid for the first job, above (in late 2001). But the second was done in 2005. Both were built on site, with his equipment in the (empty) room. I paid $2,500 for the second job, which included new crown molding for the entire room and the paint job.