Making room at home for bookshelves

Harry Potter has come and gone, and now the book series is just gathering dust on a table at home. Bring the magic back to life, along with treasured photos and art, with bookshelves.

Maybe they're treasured photos you'd like on display, or that strange collection of primitive art, or even your bowling trophies: whatever you have, treasured items deserve showing off in a good setting.

Custom-made bookshelves

Choosing custom-built shelves is one way to guarantee you get stylish and practical units that work with your collection. You can also ensure that you get adequate storage spaces for your entertainment unit, magazines, CDs, DVDs or whatever you have. Shelves are just one way to reduce clutter in your home and create a more ship-shape house.

Claire Armytage of Incarus Design says that the main thing that will affect what you do and how far you go with shelving is your budget. "Usually, in modern houses shelving and storage space has been allowed for, so it tends to be older places where you may need extra shelving," she says. "Then it really comes down to how much you want to pay, but shelves can be built to meet any configuration the client wants."

Bookshelf finishes

There is also a range of finishes available for your shelves. At the more affordable end of the scale are laminate shelves, while at the top end are two-pak or timber veneers that can meet any design or colour whim.

Freestanding book units

When it comes to freestanding book units, you can do just about anything to suit your space, but Claire says it is still very popular to have the more traditional bookshelf configuration of rows of open shelves above and cupboards underneath. "Some people want more flexibility and put these units on castors so they can be easily moved about the house," she adds.

Details such as the thickness of your bookshelves will depend on the overall design of your room, the span of the shelf and what it's required to carry. As for spacing, these days nearly all shelves are adjustable, so you can create the perfect space for your books or display items. Other considerations include where power points are located and if you plan to incorporate electronic equipment in the storage units.

"Obviously, when building shelves and storage you have to be aware of where the power is and if leads are required. It's up to the client to make sure an electrician locates these correctly," says Claire. "Also, you need to make sure that there is enough ventilation for an entertainment unit. This should all be taken into consideration in the design stage. 

Custom-made and pre-made shelves

When choosing shelving, Claire recommends local, custom-built products over pre-made, imported shelves. "You not only get a one-off that suits your space, but the longevity and durability of well-made shelves is much better than that of imports," she says.

"Also, from an environmental perspective, you can ensure that your shelves are coming from sustainable plantations, whereas bookshelves bought off the floor could come from anywhere." 

Have a chat with a shelving expert in your area to find out how you can make room for bookshelves at home: