FurniSquare's wooden bookshelves, part of our living room furniture, run from low cubby units to tall bookcases. Some are open from top to bottom, others pair open shelves with cabinets or drawers, and a few have shapes of their own: ladder frames, a round pair and a half-moon arch. Whether you want a bookshelf for the living room, a study or a bedroom, the sections below take layout, size and shape in turn.
Open Shelves, Cabinets and Drawers
Start with what the shelves will hold. Open shelves make books easy to find and pick up and give you a place to show objects, but everything on them stays on view. Closed storage hides what you would rather not show, such as papers, boxes or media equipment.
Several designs are open throughout, from a simple four-tier frame to staggered and cubby layouts. Others combine the two: tall bookcases with open shelves above and cabinet doors below, a half-moon unit with a drawer and a lower cabinet, and a round pair with drawers in each base. If you only need somewhere for books, an open design is usually enough. If you also want to keep things out of sight, look for one with doors or drawers.
Choosing a Bookshelf by Size
The range covers a wide spread. The tallest bookcases stand about 2 m or more, while the lowest unit is about 70 cm tall and 1.8 m wide, closer to a long, low shelf than a bookcase. Depths run from about 30 to 43 cm, and widths from about 80 cm to 2 m.
Measure before you choose. Note the width of the wall, the ceiling height and how far the unit can project into the room, and leave space for cabinet doors and drawers to open. Then check the height, width and depth given for each design. If you have tall books or larger objects, confirm the usable shelf height and depth before ordering, as the overall dimensions do not show the space between shelves. The round bookshelf comes as two curved units. Confirm whether its listed dimensions apply to the complete set or to each unit before ordering. In a study or reading corner, a bookshelf sits well beside one of our study tables.
A general safety note for any tall bookshelf, whoever makes it: stand it against a wall, put heavier items on the lower shelves and follow the manufacturer's instructions, including any advice on fixing tall furniture to the wall. Check what your wall can take before you buy.
Ladder, Round and Other Bookshelf Shapes
Two designs use a ladder frame with sloping sides. One is open on all five shelves, and the other puts three open shelves above a two-door cabinet. The round bookshelf is a pair of curved units that fit together into a circle, with open shelves of different sizes and drawers in the base. The half-moon bookshelf has an arched top and staggered shelves.
A few designs use asymmetrical cubbies with openings of different heights, and one low cubby unit has two tiers of openings and rounded edges. Curved and angled shapes do not sit flush against every part of a wall, so measure the space around them as well as the space they cover.
Bookshelf Materials and Finishes
The specifications list solid Sheesham wood for these bookshelves, a hardwood with a clear grain. The product page gives the full specification for each piece. Finishes include light natural tones, honey and several shades of walnut. Wood tone varies from piece to piece, so a finish in a photo can look slightly different in your room.
FAQs
Should I choose an open bookshelf or one with doors or cabinets?
Choose open shelves for books you pick up often and objects you want to show. Choose doors, cabinets or drawers for things you would rather keep out of sight, such as papers or boxes. Several FurniSquare designs combine open shelves above with closed storage below.
How do I choose the right size of bookshelf for my space?
Compare each design's listed height, width and depth with three measurements of your own: the wall width, the ceiling height and the clear floor space in front, including door or drawer swing. Then compare your tallest books with the shelf openings in the product images.
Do tall bookshelves need to be fixed to the wall?
It depends on the unit, but many manufacturers advise securing tall furniture to a wall, especially in homes with children. Follow the instructions for your bookshelf, check any anchoring advice before buying, and load the lower shelves with the heaviest items.
What is the difference between a bookshelf, a bookcase and a book rack?
The words overlap, and retailers use them differently. A bookcase usually suggests a taller unit, often with closed storage below, and a book rack a lighter, more open frame, while bookshelf covers both. Compare layout and dimensions rather than the name.
