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People may read less these days, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need shelf space for the books, decorations, knick-knacks, and other accessories they’d like to store and display.
This is where a bespoke built-in bookcase or open closet can help; It can serve the practical purpose of organizing and displaying your hardcover and softcover volumes, decorations, collectibles, and curiosities – and it makes a nice eye-catcher for any room.
“Bookcases are used for a lot more than just books these days. They provide space to display your most precious collections,” said Lindsey Putzier, owner and chief designer of Lindsey’s Eclectic Interiors in Hudson, Ohio. “They also act as another form of decorative woodwork, such as moldings or paneling. Beautiful woodwork is a sign of a well-built home, and a decorative wooden bookcase can add resale value to your home.”
Joseph Dangaran, partner at Los Angeles-based architecture firm Woods + Dangaran, points out that a custom bookcase or open cabinet built into or on a wall has many advantages over freestanding shelves.
“They can be designed to fit any interior or architectural style and size, material and configuration, and can be built into the house exactly where storage space is needed – without compromising on convenience,” says Dangaran. “Plus, they’re durable and safe, unlike flimsy, tipping-over portable shelves, and they can be subtle or meaningful if you so choose.”
Putzier explains that the operative concept is “built in†here: It means something permanent and anchored that cannot be removed from the house without damage.
“Sometimes fixtures are actually set into the wall, but often they protrude from the wall when necessary,” she says.
Almost every room in the house can benefit from a pretty bookcase built from scratch.
“In family rooms, homeowners use fixtures to display art, treasures collected while traveling, family heirlooms, or fun ceramic or sculpture collections. In children’s rooms, children often show off toys, games, school art projects, and stuffed animals. And basement bookshelves often hold more adult-oriented items like glass collections, sports memorabilia, and liquor bottles, “adds Putzier.
The downside to building a custom bookcase is that it can be difficult to modify (unless you implement adaptable shelving) or remove it entirely later, warns Mark Ham, a contractor and ProTip Pro in Cedar Park, Texas.
“Before you decide on this project, make sure you have a bookcase for the space you plan to place it in. The nice thing about a custom order is that you can size it to fit your available space perfectly, rather than buying something pre-made online or in a store that may have inflexible dimensions, “says Ham.
Homeowners are advised to choose the same types of wood they may already have in the room chosen for the bookcase.
“In my own home, I made a bookcase out of white oak that goes particularly well with similar woods in my study,” says Dangaran. “Maintaining a consistent look and proportions adds to the feeling of enveloping, conscious design.”
If you have stained woodwork / moldings in the room, it is best to stain your built-in bookcase the same color and gloss; Once your wood is painted, choose the same shade for your closet / bookcase.
“Or you can paint the installation in a contrasting color to visually highlight it,” suggests Putzier. “For an even more unique look, you should wallpaper the back of the built-in shelves.”
Making a built-in bookcase won’t be cheap; Expect $ 300 to $ 500 for a DIY project, all the way up to a few thousand dollars if you hire a professional and go into lots of fine details, says Putzier.
“Since your space dictates an individual piece, the price can vary greatly depending on the size and material. For example, a bookcase or cabinet that takes up an entire wall would be much more expensive than one that takes up a small corner – which would be cheaper” says Ham.
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