Bespoke Bookshelves and Home Libraries
Updated: Sep 30
Bookshelves are often some of the most architectural pieces of furniture we make. They can occupy an entire wall or room, so getting the proportions, materials and smaller details right makes a considerable difference to how the finished space feels.
Our approach varies from project to project. Some libraries are deliberately traditional, with painted cabinetry, mouldings and a library ladder. Others are much simpler, using natural timber, floating shelves and integrated lighting. In either case, the starting point is the room itself and how the furniture needs to be used.
Designing for the room
A fitted library rarely exists in isolation. Doorways, windows, fireplaces, cornices and skirting all influence the design, as does the architecture of the house.
We normally begin by considering the overall proportions before getting into the finer details. Shelf spacing, the relationship between open and closed storage, and the height and depth of the cabinetry all need to feel appropriate for the room.
Where a library runs from floor to ceiling, the upper sections also need to remain useful. On several projects we've incorporated traditional library ladders, allowing the full height of the cabinetry to be used without making the furniture feel unnecessarily heavy at lower level.
Materials and finishes
The choice of material can completely change the character of fitted shelving.
We've made libraries in painted timber, walnut and oak, as well as more distinctive veneers such as pippy oak. Sometimes the timber is the main feature of the furniture; elsewhere it is used more quietly inside cabinetry or alongside a painted finish.
The details tend to be kept relatively simple. Solid timber edges, carefully aligned grain, dovetailed drawers and well-considered hardware are the sort of things that become more noticeable through use rather than demanding attention immediately.
Shelving that has to work
Books vary considerably in size and weight, so shelving needs to be designed as working furniture rather than simply as a backdrop.
Long spans require particular consideration. Shelf thickness, construction and fixing methods all affect how much weight a shelf can carry without deflecting over time. Where necessary, reinforcement can be incorporated discreetly so that shelves retain relatively fine proportions while remaining suitably strong.
The same applies to storage below. Drawers and cupboards can accommodate paperwork, equipment and less decorative items, leaving the open sections for books and objects that are intended to remain on display.
Lighting and other details
Integrated lighting can be useful in larger libraries, particularly where shelving extends into darker parts of a room. We tend to incorporate it into the furniture rather than adding it afterwards, allowing cables, drivers and fittings to remain concealed.
Other details are usually developed in the same way. A television might disappear behind doors, a sink can be incorporated into a run of cabinetry, or a desk can become part of the composition rather than a separate piece of furniture.
These are relatively small decisions individually, but together they determine whether the finished joinery feels properly integrated into the room.
Made in our workshop
Once the design and production drawings are agreed, the furniture is made in our North London workshop before being installed on site.
Working this way means the same details considered during the design stage can be followed through into manufacture. Timber selection, grain direction, drawer construction, hardware and finishing are all resolved as part of the piece rather than being treated as separate elements.
Every library is slightly different, which is part of the appeal of making them. Some are quiet pieces of fitted furniture; others become the defining feature of the room. In either case, the aim is much the same: to make something useful, appropriately proportioned and capable of becoming part of the house for a long time.
Discuss a project
If you're considering a bespoke kitchen, fitted furniture or joinery project, please get in touch. We'd be happy to discuss the space, what you have in mind and how we might approach it.
