You will often find a pile of books lying near your coffee table or sofa. Whether you are an avid reader or just like to collect books, making sure they are in mint condition is important. Not ensuring a proper shelf to store them deteriorates not only the quality of the books but also reduces your chances of finding the right one when you need it.
Making custom bookshelves keep your books safe, show them in the proper light, and makes it easier to find the right one and the right time. If you are contemplating building one for your home book collection, this blog is a must-read. Here you will find ideas for some of the latest trending designs in the industry today. You can easily choose one from the many mentioned here and make your room look amazing.
• Library Style:
This is a rather popular style of building custom built-in bookshelves. In this design, the bookcases are all arranged in a way to form a passageway, united with a flat trim to create a mini library. You can complete the look with a rolling ladder that allows the young reader to find their favourite books from even the topmost shelves. You can choose a family-friendly colour, and add other objects to the mix to show the adjustable height shelves.
The boxes get screwed into the ceilings and walls, along with a flat poplar stock cornering the thin ¾-inch shelves. This gives the whole thing a much heftier look and creates panel details all along the sides and bottoms. You can wrap the top and bottom with similar mouldings to that of the floor and ceiling, making it look more organic.
• Happy Landing:
This idea was first implemented by the architect Paul Rovinelli when he converted the hallway near his office into a reading corner. While what he did was quite basic, it really looked innovative and would attract any reader to sit and run through a few pages of their favourite book.
He changed two narrow shelves outward, showing the books as the upstairs landing is visible from the main door. To that, he added a panel detail, enhancing the extra space near the larger shelves. Made from a half-clear finish maple along with an MDF trim, these adjustable shelves stored books, and the cabinets closer to the windows had some games and other showpieces.
• Alcove Formation:
Another idea you can take inspiration from is building your home library bookshelves around already existing furniture. This will create a rather cosy place for the reader to sit a while. In this kind of setting, the sofa sits between all the bookcases, forming an inside corner. The crown mouldings along the walls connect all bookcases, along with the painting and mouldings of the wall.
This creates an inclusive experience for the reader and makes them feel at home. With this setup, you can also add some library-style lights. However, if you are planning on such additions, make sure to plan them ahead of time. This way, you can hide the wirework behind the woodwork.
• Airy Effect:
This is a style thought of by the architect Mark Reilly. This bookshelf works from all angles and is designed around the room structure itself. In this take, your bed will be the main focus, and the bookshelf will be built with that in mind. You will have one shelf at the top of your mattress, with other equally sized book bays all around the remaining space.
The bookcase will serve as both the backdrop and the headboard. This way, you can store not only books but also other decorative objects and reading glasses on them. The fixed shelves pick on the rectangular design of your bed, your table, and even the beams overhead. This further gives the reader an impression of the space being much larger than it actually is.
• Furniture Style:
If you are looking to convert the existing recess on the back door into a storage wall, this is the best design idea to go for. The shelf will need to extend floor to floor and wall to wall. This will help maximise the available space and reduce any kind of hindrance in traffic flow.
If this is the kind of design you are choosing, make sure to keep it simple. Use simple-looking crown moulding, maybe a double-bead poplar trim, and that is about it. Match the colouring to accentuate the existing colour of your room, and you are all set. These designs do not look as good with all kinds of gimmicky paints, so try and keep it minimal.
These are some popular built-in bookshelf ideas you can choose from. However, when building a bookshelf, there are many other considerations you should keep in mind. If you are not well-versed with the craft, seek help from a professional company.
