Types of bookshelves
Main types of designs.
Mounted
It is the most common option, equipped with brackets for mounting to the wall. Mounted models can be a simple or multi-tiered structure with different geometric shapes. Hanging shelves on ropes will help create an original accent in the room.
The photo shows hanging bookshelves near the window in the interior of a children's room.
Floor-standing
Such products, in the form of a combination of a cabinet with open shelves for books, are characterized by good stability and, if necessary, can be moved to the desired place in the room. These furniture elements often have a classic rectangular or corner design.
The photo shows a guest room decorated with floor-standing bookshelves.
Tabletop
These models can be conveniently placed on a table or chest of drawers and serve as storage space for books of various sizes.
Shelving
Such end-to-end structures do not clutter up the room or take away space, which is especially important in small apartments. Shelving provides convenient storage of necessary literature and creates a very comfortable and cozy atmosphere in the room. In addition, these shelves can be filled not only with books, but also with various decorative elements, in the form of figurines, souvenirs, dishes, photographs, flowers and other trinkets that complement the decor.
The photo shows a living room interior with a three-level white bookcase.
Shelf stand
Basically, a shelf-rack is a rotating model or a horizontal rectangular structure on legs, special wheels or rollers. Such products are quite mobile and are most often made in an open version.
Material
Types of materials used in the production of bookshelves:
- Wooden. Models made from natural wood or boards are a classic solution that always has a very beautiful and authentic appearance. Wood combines perfectly with glass or metal and is suitable for making carved shelves or racks with any configuration
- Metal. Iron models are distinguished by high strength qualities and durability. Sometimes metal is used only to create a frame to which shelves made of any other materials are attached.
- Plastic. Quite a popular option, which is distinguished by its neat execution, extreme lightness and inexpensive cost.
- Chipboard/chipboard. Such shelves have excellent performance, have a wide variety of colors and shapes, and are also characterized by a very affordable price.
- Drywall. Racks and shelves made of plasterboard fit organically into a wide variety of interior spaces, are quite durable and provide the ability to equip lighting.
The photo shows bookshelves made of wood in the living room interior.
Materials and colors of shelving in the apartment
The appearance of the racks is influenced by both the color scheme and the material used. Colors can be very different:
- white is considered a good solution for the bathroom or for light interiors like Provence, but it is very easily soiled;
- black is considered a rather gloomy color in order to decorate part of the interior, but it is quite suitable for decorating a contrasting element;
- cold colors visually expand the space, but add severity to the interior and seem to diminish comfort;
- warm colors make the space a little smaller, but add coziness;
- natural colors (wood, metal, transparent glass) look noble and suit any interior;
- patterns, designs, stripes and similar creative elements create a light, pleasant atmosphere.
Not only the appearance, but also how long the rack will last, how often and with what it will have to be washed, and similar nuances depend on the materials.
A creative shelving unit will make the room unusual and interesting.
Multi-level shelving in the living room
Loft living room shelving
Shelf for the living room in Khrushchev
Living room shelving unit with niche
Living room shelving black
Wooden shelving
Wood is a classic material that has at least two advantages:
- environmental friendliness (this is a natural, but expensive material);
- organic (wood fits perfectly into all classic interiors).
A wooden rack will serve its owners for a long time.
It lasts a long time, is easy to clean and looks good, but it does not tolerate water, suffers from temperature changes and is expensive. Therefore, you need to buy either a rack made of hard wood or carefully processed wood.
Living room shelving turquoise
Semicircular living room rack
Living room rack in the interior
Stylish white spacious rack
Shelving near the stairs in the house
Plastic
Plastic is a much more affordable material than wood, and this is its main advantage. A rack made from it is easy to buy, and even easier to replace if it breaks. And besides, plastic has the widest range of shapes and colors. But, of course, it also has disadvantages:
- Obvious cheapness: plastic does not fit into classic interiors;
- Fragility: the material suffers from strong chemicals, fades in the sun, easily cracks from impact and melts from high temperatures.
Plastic shelving is highly susceptible to external influences
Also, if a plastic rack was purchased without a quality certificate, there is a chance that the manufacturer skimped on it, and it will either quickly fail or fill the air with toxic emissions.
White shelving in apartment zoning
Golden living room rack
Decorative shelving in the dining room
Teak living room shelving unit
MDF living room shelving unit
MDF
MDF is a material similar to the well-known chipboard. It is made from sawdust, boiled to a single mass, diluted with glue and pressed. Then a film is attached on top that imitates real wood. Advantages of the material:
- MDF is sometimes difficult to distinguish from wood;
- it lasts a long time, is not afraid of water, and is resistant to temperature changes, humidity and dryness.
MDF shelving is an alternative to expensive wood products.
It does not last as long as real wood, but it is also significantly cheaper. For a person who has never made or assembled furniture, it is not much different from wood.
Living room shelving in the house
Shelving in the apartment
Living room rack with flowers
Large shelving in the hallway
Shelf for living room gypsum board
Metal
Metal shelving is an immortal classic that fits perfectly, for example, into a loft style. The metal does not bend, is not afraid of temperature changes, does not suffer from humidity, looks impressive, easily withstands the effects of any chemicals and stays firmly in the place where it was once placed.
It also has disadvantages: the material is expensive and heavy. You should not mount metal shelving where it could fall on someone. Fits perfectly into modern interiors.
The metal rack will fit well into a room decorated in a loft style.
White shelving in the living room-office
Corner living room rack
Shelf for a living room in a one-room apartment
Living room shelving unit with doors
Living room shelving by the stairs
Glass
Glass shelving looks very interesting, since glass is not only a beautiful material, but also a raw material for many designers who try their hand at it. It has advantages:
- Beauty;
- Many options for execution. Glass can be of different colors, textures, a variety of shapes, even fancy blots and waves;
- Sustainability. If the glass is not broken, it can serve for years without fear of chemicals, humidity, or temperature changes.
But they are balanced by the disadvantages:
- Price. In it, glass is not inferior to wood;
- Fragility;
- Texture. The glass is smooth; placed objects will slide off it (unless, of course, you buy rough glass or lay down a napkin);
- Divorces. You need to wash the glass carefully and carefully, otherwise unsightly marks will remain on it.
Glass is a delicate and fragile material.
In children's rooms, they try not to use glass shelving, just like metal ones. After all, there is a chance that the child will get hurt on a sharp corner or break one of the shelves.
Modular living room shelving unit
Brown bookcase in a gray interior
Living room staircase shelving
Rack partition for the living room
Living room rack in eco style
Shapes and sizes
Thanks to bookshelves up to the ceiling, it is possible to accommodate an entire home library. A similar multi-level rack is considered more relevant for bright and spacious rooms. Particular softening of the geometry of space and the environment can be achieved with the help of round and semicircular models with graceful sinuous lines and smooth shapes.
Quite stylish and at the same time practical interior solutions are herringbone products, which consist of several separate modules, curly designs with honeycombs or diagonal rhombuses.
The photo shows the interior of the office, decorated with a corner bookcase.
The most current and fashionable option are vertical and horizontal shelves or racks. They are very reliable, static and can have any design that harmoniously matches the overall style of the entire room. In the case of a small room, narrow shelves are perfect; they do not attract too much attention and are a secondary piece of furniture.
The photo shows a living room in a modern style, decorated with bookshelves up to the ceiling.
Free space and lightness
Air between objects is the best visual separator. Without it, the entire decor, even carefully arranged according to the rules, risks turning into a single spot. Give each object or group additional empty space around it.
Sometimes it's even better to leave entire sections empty. If this seems wasteful to you, doors on some bins or neutral boxes that fit exactly to size will do just as well.
Another rule for maintaining visual lightness: heavy (not so much in weight as in feel) objects down, light ones up. The lower shelves can be densely packed with heavy volumes of encyclopedias, and the shelves at eye level can be flaunted with several elegant objects. If the rack is very high, up to the ceiling, the topmost shelves can again be used, but it is important that they do not draw attention. The ideal solution would be a row of identical boxes, paper folders or books of the same series.
Book shelf colors
The classic solution is considered to be designs in a dark wenge shade. They look very expensive and give the space a certain luxury.
The photo shows white bookshelves located under the stairs in the interior of the hall.
For a more formal design, they prefer black, white, gray bookshelves or black and white models that simultaneously combine two contrasting colors that fill the decor with the spirit of modernity.
The photo shows the interior of the living room with hanging two-tier bookshelves in a turquoise shade.
Location
For a more rational use of free space in the room, install structures for books in the corner. Such products can be wall-mounted, placed on the floor, or have several sections. Window openings framed with books have a particularly original look. An elegant wooden or plastic model by the window will help create a new interior image and add some zest to the room.
The photo shows slanting backlit bookshelves located near a window in the attic of a private house.
To give the atmosphere a special piquancy, you can place shelves for books above the fireplace, place them on both sides of the fireplace or TV. Products above the bed in combination with wall sconces will help create a stylish design and comfortable reading before bed. It is easy to achieve significant space savings due to the design installed around the doorway, which involves storing a large number of publications.
Photos of shelves in the interior of rooms
Photo examples of design in the design of various rooms.
To the children's room
This piece of furniture is an almost obligatory element in the interior of a student’s room. Shelves with books placed on them provide a neat appearance to the room, greatly simplify the learning process and allow you to accustom your child to neatness. For the nursery, choose the most convenient and at the same time original models, for example, it can be a round rotating rack, shelves in the form of a tree, a snake, letters and much more.
The photo shows the interior of a boy’s nursery with bookshelves in the shape of letters placed above the table.
The best placement option is a place next to the bed, which provides comfortable reading before bed. In terms of color scheme, both bright products in blue, red and green tones, and models in more muted blue, peach or pink shades are appropriate in a child’s room. For girls, choose shelves in the shape of houses, clouds, flowers or various animals. A teenager will be suitable for more thoughtful transforming models or interesting options that can have the shape of a ladder, globe, hemisphere, spiral, zigzag or triangular design.
In the hall
In the living room, thanks to the home library, it is possible to achieve a truly aesthetic design. The place next to the shelves can be turned into a cozy reading corner by decorating it with a soft sofa or a comfortable chair in combination with a floor lamp.
The photo shows a low floor bookcase in the living room interior.
On the balcony
A loggia or balcony space is often equipped with floor systems, hinged corner or straight models. In order to protect books from dust, moisture and ultraviolet radiation, closed shelves are also used.
In the bedroom
If there is a niche in the bedroom, it can be supplemented with bookshelves, which can have a wide variety of shapes or be supplemented with lighting. In a given room, such products are often placed near the window, door or above the bed.
In the corridor
In a sufficiently long corridor it is quite possible to place a home library. Such structures are generally installed away from the front door, equipped with shallow shelves and open facades that display neatly and orderly arranged literature.
In the office
For an office, they most often select shelving up to the ceiling and sometimes equip them with a retractable stepladder, thereby creating a single compositional design that adds special impressiveness and solidity to the interior.
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Today I would like to touch on an important topic that relates not to interior design, but to decorative art - that is, in fact, to something that we can do on our own in our free time. I want to talk about the design of shelving or bookshelves. It would seem, what is there to discuss here? Placed the books/figurines and you're done. However, you should not write off shelving as an exclusively functional thing. With a few principles and tricks, you can transform your shelves into stylish decor that reflects your passions and matches the style of your home.
WHAT TO PLACE ON THE SHELVES?
Here your imagination is limited only by the items available. You definitely shouldn’t stop at books only. Put on the shelves everything that makes sense to you: your collections, souvenirs brought from travel, photo frames, cups and awards, beautiful dishes and vases of flowers. We'll talk about how to combine all these items and avoid chaos below.
LIMIT THE NUMBER OF COLORS USED
The classic rule of three colors in design: if you are afraid of making a mistake with a combination of shades, use no more than three colors. When decorating the shelving, you can add another neutral one (white, black, gray). Combine the color of the decor on the shelves with the color of other interior items.
If your book covers are too colorful and don't match, wrap them in pretty paper in a coordinating color or place them in cardboard folders.
HIDE ALL EXCESS IN BOXES AND BASKETS
Beautiful boxes, caskets and wicker baskets look neat and aesthetically pleasing. Remove small items, magazines, books, and dishes that are not intended for display.
HOW TO ARRANGE OBJECTS?
BUILD TRIANGLES
I especially like this principle, and I bet 90% of the people you know have never thought about it! Pay attention to the shelving designed by a professional decorator. Everything looks logical and harmonious. But how to achieve the same effect?
Now visually connect vintage Kushinas, white books, figurines, aged greenish bottles with lines... do you see the triangles? Each object in this composition has its own clear position, corresponding to the triangle rule.
Moreover, the triangles do not have to be identical and isosceles. Triangles of different shapes add dynamics to the composition.
Emily Henderson, the famous American decorator, is a true genius of composition. Each item in her works is carefully selected and takes its place for a reason. Pay attention to this rack. Golden rooster tail - bowl trim - chain; blue vase - book cover - plate; gray vases - picture in frame; milky dishes.
In this composition you can see gold, white, black, blue triangles:
An endless number of examples can be given. On this rack you can find a lot of triangles, due to which the composition looks balanced and logical.
Now you can easily notice the relationship between vases of flowers, metal objects, vintage items and book covers in this photo:
Here are a couple more examples:
LAYERING: USE THE HEIGHT AND DEPTH OF YOUR SHELF
All items on the shelf should be harmoniously combined in height: if you want to place a low vase or small figurines on the shelf, place them on stacks of books. This way you will place them on a pedestal and draw attention to them.
If you're placing a short item on a shelf, place a book or photo frame behind it to balance the height of the arrangement.
Use layers to make your composition interesting and dynamic.
The same effect can be achieved by combining stacks of books laid horizontally and arranged vertically.
FREE SPACE SOMETIMES MEANS MORE THAN THE DECOR ITSELF
You shouldn’t fill every centimeter of the shelf with books and decor. Even beautifully grouped interesting objects can become a shapeless heap if you do not visually separate the objects from each other. Free space on the shelves will make the room visually more spacious, which is especially important when working on the design of small apartments.
If you have a huge number of books and you don’t know where to put them, make several compositions: put books on the coffee table, put them on shelves in other rooms, put books that you have hardly opened in the last few years in boxes.
SYMMETRY AND PAIRED OBJECTS
Another win-win option: use several identical items standing in a row or symmetrically on adjacent shelves.
5. HEAVY DOWN, NICE UP
Here we mean not only physical, but also visual weight. Place large encyclopedias and stacks of magazines on the lower shelves. Place small books in beautiful covers, decorative items, and candles higher - at eye level. The lower shelves solve functional problems, the upper ones solve aesthetic problems.
Anyone can design a beautiful shelf or bookshelf; you just need to know a few key principles and not be afraid to use your imagination. I wish you success in this exciting activity!
SOURCE:
Blog about beautiful interiors “Your Designer”
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Design ideas
A rather original and at the same time practical solution is a shelving unit with glass doors. This design with hinged or sliding doors is perfect for storing valuable publications that need to be protected from dust, moisture and sunlight. Sometimes a transparent glass facade is decorated with barely noticeable tinting.
The photo shows the design of a bookcase decorated with glass doors in an office interior.
Forged bookcases are particularly functional and highly decorative; despite their elegant appearance, they are very durable. A truly unique look and unusual design have antique products, which undoubtedly become an original element of the entire interior.
Recommendations for selection
Basic tips for choosing wisely:
- When choosing a cabinet shelving structure, you should take into account the shade of the other furniture items in the interior and the overall style of the room.
- It is necessary that the product be as reliable as possible, have a sufficient size and a convenient shelf height, which must correspond to the height of the person using this design.
- A more practical solution would be closed-type models, as they protect the internal filling from dust and ultraviolet radiation.
- In residential premises it is better to install wooden or combined products. Lighter metal models are perfect for a dressing room.
A selection of original shelves
Such unique designs are considered an independent interior decoration. For example, an original design solution is a chair combined with shelves for books, which saves space, or various products of non-standard shape, reminiscent of a spiral, a wheel, a world map, etc. Floating models that have a hidden fastening look especially unusual.
The photo shows an interior with original bookshelves made in the form of wood.
The design in the shape of a tree with spreading branches looks no less original and provides an interesting arrangement of books. Shelves or racks can also be made in the form of letters of different colors; this design will be especially appropriate for a child’s room.
Photos of bookshelves
Shelves allow you to highlight the design of the surrounding space and create a practical interior. They are particularly light and mobile, which makes it possible to change their location at any time.
The photo shows a corner bookcase made of wood in the interior of a spacious living room.
Thanks to narrow shelving, which has a rather sophisticated and elegant appearance, it is possible to make the most efficient use of the free space of the room. In addition, with the help of a double-sided design, you can achieve proper zoning of space.
Look for a kitchen rack among the baths
When you're desperate to find new shelving among your hotel and kitchen furniture, don't forget to look into the bathroom department.
There you can find a compact, moisture-resistant and neat shelf, bookcase or bedside table.
Examples for different styles
For rooms designed in a classical direction, shelves made of natural wood, which can be decorated with beautiful openwork carvings, are especially appropriate. In the Provence style, you most often find simplified, narrower designs in white, milky, beige, pale brown or pink, having a vintage finish and an antique look.
The photo shows a living room interior in a modern style with geometric bookshelves located above the fireplace.
The loft style involves bookshelves with a casual design, placed, for example, in an asymmetrical or checkerboard pattern. More massive shelving made from dark-colored materials fits perfectly here.
Scandinavian design is distinguished by laconic open models of rectangular or square shapes, made in predominantly white or cool colors.
In the high-tech style, shelves with a glossy surface look very fashionable and weightless, while for minimalism they prefer matte designs. A functional modern interior is characterized by the most convenient open shelving or modular products with clear lines in bright, deep or natural colors.
