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Need a few bookcases. Suggestions?

Hi everyone,

I would like to buy a few bookcases for my living room - 6 or 7 units at around 80cm or 90cm each. I'm trying to avoid IKEA Billy or Hemnes and get good quality, solid wood bookcases.

Sometimes I see amazing vintage victorian and regency bookcases at auctions and at very good prices. The problem is that are always sold as single units and I don't think I can find 6 or 7 identical bookcases (or at least that would match closely).

Suggestions anyone? Short of raiding a library? :) I'm open to have them built by someone, but that seems fairly expensive.

Thanks.
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Comments

  • How about Argos, Habitat or John Lewis? They have lots of bookshelves on offer.
  • DRP
    DRP Posts: 4,287 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    amatos wrote: »
    Hi everyone,

    I would like to buy a few bookcases for my living room - 6 or 7 units at around 80cm or 90cm each. I'm trying to avoid IKEA Billy or Hemnes and get good quality, solid wood bookcases.

    Sometimes I see amazing vintage victorian and regency bookcases at auctions and at very good prices. The problem is that are always sold as single units and I don't think I can find 6 or 7 identical bookcases (or at least that would match closely).

    Suggestions anyone? Short of raiding a library? :) I'm open to have them built by someone, but that seems fairly expensive.

    Thanks.

    getting bespoke is (relatively) expensive.

    there are lots of Billy hacks on the internet - have a google around. Even for the technicaly-challenged, sticking on some attractive moulding, plus painting and caulk, can make cheap flatpack shelves look really good.

    :money::money::money:
  • If you know your way around tools, then going DIY would be exciting. If not, try John Lewis for pre-built cases or go bespoke if you have the cash
  • Looby_Lou
    Looby_Lou Posts: 373 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 100 Posts
    Shelfstore.co.uk do solid wood bookcases which you can buy in various heights and widths. They need minimal assembly and have coped well with all of our books!
  • davemorton
    davemorton Posts: 29,084 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Car Insurance Carver!
    Why not put long shelves across the room. Use nice brackets and quality timber and it should look very good.
    “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?”
    Juvenal, The Sixteen Satires
  • Rain_Shadow
    Rain_Shadow Posts: 1,798 Forumite
    Looby_Lou wrote: »
    Shelfstore.co.uk do solid wood bookcases which you can buy in various heights and widths. They need minimal assembly and have coped well with all of our books!

    Thank you. They look good and I need something like that now.:beer:
    You can pick your friends and you can pick your nose but you can't pick your friend's nose.
  • amatos
    amatos Posts: 13 Forumite
    How about Argos, Habitat or John Lewis? They have lots of bookshelves on offer.

    Argos bookshelves don't seem particularly good quality, John Lewis look nice but expensive. Is there anything else out there that people can recommend?
  • amatos
    amatos Posts: 13 Forumite
    DRP wrote: »
    there are lots of Billy hacks on the internet - have a google around.

    I've heard that Billy bookcases don't hold very well with time and that eventually the shelves start to bend. Is that the case?
  • amatos
    amatos Posts: 13 Forumite
    Looby_Lou wrote: »
    Shelfstore.co.uk do solid wood bookcases which you can buy in various heights and widths. They need minimal assembly and have coped well with all of our books!

    Thanks, I'll check shelfstore.co.uk. Looks nice.
  • amatos
    amatos Posts: 13 Forumite
    davemorton wrote: »
    Why not put long shelves across the room. Use nice brackets and quality timber and it should look very good.

    Didn't really thought about that, that's a good idea too. I'll check.
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