Designing a home library: how to choose the right shelves for books

Tags:Living room and bedroom, Children's room

The age of electronics is relentlessly driving books out of our lives. Indeed, an electronic gadget can hold a whole collection of popular reading materials in a small tablet. But you must admit how pleasant it is to leaf through a real tome, admire the embossed cover, enjoy the comfort of your home library. homemaster.techinfus.com/en/ has prepared tips for you on how to choose the right shelves for your books. We will talk about how to fix the shelving on the wall and consider original design ideas.

Books in the house are a sign of the education of its owners

The content of the article [Hide]

1 Varieties of bookshelves and shelves with photo examples
2 What material can bookshelves be made of?
3 Ways of attaching shelves to the wall
4 Classic and designer bookshelves: photos in the interior
5 How to make a book shelf with your own hands
- 5.1 Master class: a small bookshelf made of wood with your own hands
- 5.2 Master class: do-it-yourself book rack
6 How much does it cost to buy bookshelves: popular models
7 Outcome

Varieties of bookshelves and shelves with photo examples

Not everyone can afford to allocate a separate room for a home library. Most often, favorite books are placed in living room or the bedroom, children's literature - in the child's room.

Aesthetically designed shelves and shelves will transform your literature collection into interior decoration

Aesthetically designed shelves and shelves will turn your literature collection into interior decoration

Modern designers offer many original and practical ideas. Recently, it has been especially popular modular furniture, including modular shelving. They can change their appearance and design, move around, gather in partitions or podiums. Such models will appeal to those who like to do rearrangements.

Classic wall-mounted shelves never go out of style. They are reliable, static and can be decorated in the style of your interior. And here there are many interesting ideas to implement.Consider several options that can be used in a house or apartment.

Classics of the genre: wall-mounted bookshelves

Hanging shelves for books can be purchased at any furniture store. Their assortment is quite wide, and you can easily find models that fit the main headset.

Conventionally wall shelves can be divided into several types:

View	Description
Classic	Simple and lightweight shelves of various shapes are attached to the load-bearing walls and can be assembled in rows or complex compositions. They can be in the form of a simple board, placed evenly or at an angle.
Corner	To make the most of a room's space, corner bookshelves are a great option. They fill the usually empty corner, and are attached to both adjoining walls. Shelves can be attached to inside and outside corners.
Suspended	If you want something unusual, hang the shelf from a beam or from the ceiling against the wall. The hinged structure must be reliable and firmly fixed, because the books weigh a lot.

Wall-mounted book shelves are great because they save space.

The floor remains free, and the shelves themselves can be positioned above the table, sofa or TV

Related article:

Wall mounted shelf. In the publication we will consider the types of shelves, what materials can be made, photos of the product in different rooms. How to make a shelf with your own hands and how to fix it correctly.

Convenient: floor shelf for books

Floor shelves or shelving are ideal library decor. They will organically fit into the office and can contain not only books, but also memorabilia, collections and travel souvenirs. A bookcase with an open shape or with doors is a solid and durable structure that can store several hundred books. In such floor shelves, filing cabinets and collections of newspaper clippings can also be located.

Convenient if the books are arranged according to some principle that makes it easier to find the desired work

Advice! Do not place bookcases in the dining room, kitchen, basement, or attic. Changes in temperature and high humidity will not affect the condition of books in the best way.

Many manufacturers of modular furniture offer as part of headsets for the living room or bedroom cabinets for books, so that you will not have problems with the selection of furniture. Any pencil case can be adapted for books, and it is convenient to store small office supplies in the drawers. If you have books in your home that are especially important to keep, use floor-standing books. wardrobes... Tightly closing the door will protect rarities from dust, sunlight and changes in air humidity.

If your goal is to showcase invaluable gatherings to guests, install a display shelf

In small rooms, it is convenient to use corner cabinets. If you are a happy owner of a private house and can allocate a room for a library - pay attention to the built-in floor kits. Wall-mounted bookshelves can take up space all the way to the ceiling.

Part of the Montessori educational system: a shelf for books

The Montessori technique is a whole system of activities that contribute to the harmonious development of a small personality. Part of this system is the furniture in the child's room. From early childhood, the baby must learn to be independent and concentrate on the tasks.

Open shelves with age-appropriate toys and books - these are the Montessori cabinets

Open shelving with age-appropriate toys and books - these are the Montessori cabinets

The height of the shelves should correspond to the height of the owner of the room. The child must understand that books and toys must be returned to their places after use, and it is important that it is convenient for him to do this.

An expert's point of view

Yaroslava Galayko

Lead Designer and Head of Ecologica Interiors Studio

"The Montessori shelf must be firmly fixed in place, as the child can lean on it and even pull towards itself."

Montessori book shelves can be bought at Ikea or specialized children's furniture stores.What you need to pay attention to when buying:

the cabinet should not have doors;
rack height - at the level of the child's eyes;
furniture should not have sharp corners;
the set includes reliable fasteners for structural stability.

Make sure that books and toys are arranged neatly and without clutter on the shelves.

You can put some of the small toys in a small basket

In order for the child to be interested in the contents of the cabinet, you need to make a regular change of objects. After a picture book has been out of sight for a couple of months, it will be perceived as new and arouse interest.

Portable and movable book shelves

Portable shelves are a suitable option for those who rent a house or are not yet ready to finally decide on the arrangement of furniture. You may have seasonal accommodations in your home. For example, in the summer you use open veranda... If there are comfortable chairs, a hammock or a rocking chair, it would be logical to install a small portable shelf for your favorite books, which are pleasant to read in the fresh air. In the fall, this shelf can be removed for storage.

Another interesting idea for a garden gazebo is a trolley shelf

Movable shelves can also be located in the house. Remember the adventure movies in which a door to a secret room might be hidden behind a bookcase? Why not? It is quite possible to hide behind such a facade, for example, the entrance to the basement, which you do not use often. And save space and do without an extra door. It is quite possible to hide a built-in safe or a pantry behind a bookcase on wheels.

Such racks are made narrow, to the width of a book. They should not be overloaded so that the whole structure can easily move on casters

What material can bookshelves be made of?

Shelves, like the rest of the furniture in your home, can be made from more than just traditional wood. The material is often used MDF or Chipboard, parquet board, glass, plastic or laminate. Stone, leather and other unconventional materials are used to make designer book shelves.

Wood book shelves

The time has come when natural wood has turned from the most affordable into the most valuable material. Rare wood with high-quality processing and carving will adorn any interior.

Shelves made of mahogany, oak and Karelian birch will emphasize the status of the library owner and will serve for more than one generation

Almost three times cheaper shelves from MDF... Modern production allows you to make high quality imitation of natural wood, so that your library will look just as luxurious, but a little stricter due to the lack of carved details.

MDF will not last so long, but you will have an excuse to update the situation after a while

Metal shelving for library

Metal furniture is an unusual, but quite acceptable solution for some interior styles... It will organically look in the interior design in the spirit of minimalism, hi-tech or pop art. On such shelves, you can safely place not only books, but also household appliances.

In terms of strength and reliability, metal shelves are in no way inferior to more traditional models

Chrome designs are great for modern designs. Lovers of antiquity will love the vintage shelves with forging elements covered with patina.

Unusual plastic and glass bookshelves

Let's make a reservation right away that it is not recommended to use untempered glass shelves for books. They are too fragile and can hurt if handled roughly. For arranging books and other weighty objects, transparent or colored thick tempered glass is used.

If you use these racks carefully, they will last a very long time.

If you use these shelves carefully, they will last a very long time.

Note! Glass shelves must be carefully looked after, dust and dirt are especially noticeable on them.

One of the advantages of glass furniture is the variety of shapes. Rounded corners and smooth lines - all this, no doubt, will decorate the interior. Glass products are invisible, so such shelves create the feeling of objects floating in the air.

Plastic shelves are not commonly used for storing books. Light racks often hold shoes, bath accessories, children's toys. Nevertheless, such products are attractive for their price. This option is quite acceptable for summer gazebo or verandas.

When choosing shelves made of plastic, pay attention to the presence of side and back walls. Books may fall out without reliable support

Built-in drywall book shelves

If your walls have suitable niches, you can install plasterboard shelves in them. With the help of drywall, unusual shelves for books are obtained on the walls near windows and doors. It is easy to integrate lighting into such racks.

Plasterboard racks can be plastered or wallpapered so that the rack does not stand out from the general background

The only drawback of this solution is the fragility of the material. Such structures need additional frame reinforcement; heavy folios should not be installed on them.

Related article:

Drywall: sheet dimensions, thickness and price. From a separate publication you will learn about the types and production of gypsum boards, technical characteristics, prices and manufacturers.

Ways of attaching shelves to the wall

A neat and strong fastening is an important point in installing shelves. There are several types of fasteners:

Hidden - bolts or nails are invisible on such fasteners. The shelf seems to hang in the air, and the main load is distributed to a metal console hidden behind the back wall.

This fixing method is suitable for solid solid walls of brick, block or solid wood.

Bracket - the metal holder is attached to the wall separately, and then the shelf is put on it and fixed in special grooves.

Brackets are selected according to the weight of the structure and can be cast, welded or forged

Corner or loop - this type of fastener does not look as neat as others, but it is more durable. Corners add strength to the structure, and built-in hinges allow the shelf to be raised or lowered as needed.
Fasteners for glass - this is a special type of awning that allows you to accurately and firmly fix the glass panel on the wall.

Usually such devices are made of aluminum or another lightweight and durable alloy.

Important! When choosing a shelf mount, pay attention to the permissible load indicator.

Before attaching rack to the wall, explore what it consists of. It is not recommended to hang shelves on hollow plasterboard partitions... If brick wall, anchors or dowels are suitable for fixing. For fastening on plaster or gypsum board, hardware will be required.

How to hang a shelf correctly in a small video:

Classic and designer bookshelves: photo in the interior

The style of bookshelves must match your interior design... For classic design styles, floor shelves made of wood or MDF with or without doors are suitable. To complete the idea, you need to pay attention to the binding of books.

An expert's point of view

Yaroslava Galaiko

Lead Designer and Head of Ecologica Interiors Studio

"If you value your library and are proud of its design, order beautiful, matching book covers."

If you prefer a minimalist design, you can get by with light wall shelves with several books, this is quite enough.

Let's take a look at the design of book shelves in relation to specific conditions.

Bookshelves in a classic interior

The classics never go out of style. Luxurious offices and libraries in this style are a sign of the status of the owner of the house.If you have installed shelves all the way to the ceiling, take care of a small movable ladder so that you can easily reach the desired book. Options for such libraries are shown in the photo below.

What Corner Book Shelves Look Like in Different Designs

Corner structures are space saving in a small room and an original interior detail. They can be used not only for placing books, but also for collections, souvenirs and other accessories. It looks like this:

Ideas for original bookshelves

Fashion designers offer many original and unusual coasters and shelves to accommodate your book collection. Such products are unique and can become an independent interior decoration. Look at creative ideas, maybe among them you will find inspiration for your own creativity.

How to make a book shelf with your own hands

Making a bookshelf with your own hands is not difficult. This is one of the most primitive types of furniture and does not require any special carpentry or other skills to design and manufacture. For work, you can use a solid board, chipboard or multilayer plywood.

If you are going to use an original idea, first evaluate it according to several parameters:

what type of fastener is appropriate to use;
how does your idea fit into the existing one interior style;
what material is better to use;
where do you plan to place the shelves.

Shelves made of wood or plywood are easy to cut yourself using jigsaw or saws, but glass surfaces are best ordered in a workshop. At home, it is difficult to process the edge with high quality or perform curly cutting. Perhaps you will like the idea of using scrap materials in the manufacture of book shelves.

Master class: do-it-yourself small bookshelf made of wood

For children's room a small shelf is suitable, which can be installed on a windowsill, table or even on the floor. To make it, you will need a sheet of plywood, a jigsaw, a ruler, sandpaper and wood glue. Step-by-step description of the process:

Photo	Description
	On a sheet of plywood, you need to draw the outline of a sheep, horse, dog or any other animal, if it is a shelf for a child. For an adult's room, you can limit yourself to abstract contours.
	Use a jigsaw to cut out the main part along the drawn outline.
	On the workpiece, you need to draw three grooves: two - from below and one - from above.
	The thickness of the groove should be equal to the thickness of the material from which you are making the shelf.
	This is how the workpiece looks like with finished lower grooves.
	The legs of the shelf are two semicircular pieces with grooves cut from the top.
	The third vertical part is made with a groove at the bottom. When assembled, it looks like this.
	For the surface on which the books will stand, you need to mark a perpendicular line on all inserts. Use the building level for this purpose.
	On vertical inserts, cut out the shelf guides with a jigsaw.
	The shelf itself is a long piece with three slots.
	During final assembly, all grooves must be treated with wood glue.
	Shelf for children's books is ready. It can be colored, decorated with decoupage or left as it is.

Master class: do-it-yourself book rack

The simplest shelving can be made from ordinary planed and sanded boards:

Photo	Description
	To make a rack, you will need a board 2-3 cm thick, preferably made of larch or beech.
	Pre-process all parts with a grinder or sandpaper.
	Use a jigsaw to cut the boards evenly. All parts are cut out after preliminary measurements in accordance with the drawing.
	Use wood screws to fasten the shelves to the main guides.
	So that the heads of the screws do not stick out from the outside, and also so that the board does not crack during operation, the holes for the fasteners are drilled a little.
	The height of the shelves depends on the size of the books.It makes sense to make different heights for children's shelves - books for babies can be large or small.
	The fastening of the cross pieces must be checked with a level. The shelves do not have to be on the same plane.
	The finished shelving unit can be painted or varnished and stained.
	To securely fix the rack, screw it to the wall on metal corners.
	The rack is ready, there is a place on it for books and various little things.

How much does it cost to buy bookshelves: popular models

If you pay attention to the assortment of furniture stores, then you will rarely find designer products there. Most often, cabinets, shelves and shelves have a standard modification. If this situation suits you, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with examples of products from the Yandex.Market database. This will give you a rough estimate for your library:

Model	Specifications	Price (as of April 2018), RUB
Wall shelf "Ricky"	Material: chipboard. Dimensions: 550 x 1150 x 216 mm. Manufacturer: Mebelson.	710
Wall shelf "Vental Kubik-2", Wenge	Material: chipboard. Dimensions: 300 × 600 × 300 mm. Manufacturer: Vental.	950
Shelf for books "Centaur 2000 Elion 12"	Material: chipboard. Dimensions: 1000 x 296 x 442 mm. Manufacturer: Centaur 2000.	1794
Bookcase open "Milan-35"	Material: MDF. Dimensions: 250 × 800 × 2400mm. Manufacturer: MF "Master".	5490
Bookcase narrow left-side	Material: metal. Dimensions: 800 × 400 × 2110mm. Manufacturer: VOX Furniture.	30030

Outcome

Don't be in a hurry to give up your home library in favor of soulless electronics. Beautiful bookshelves will not only decorate your interior, but also create a special atmosphere of comfort.