Right up at the top of our wishlists with window seats, ceiling beams and walk-in closets, built-in bookcases are a wonderful way to add function and value to your home. Custom configurations can be pricey, but there are also plenty of shortcuts to fake the funk using inexpensive, off-the-shelf cabinetry embellished with moldings and other details. Read on for an inspirational gallery full of some of our favorite examples of beautiful built-in bookcases.
Couple em’ with Cozy Seating
If you’re going to go through the trouble of creating a custom bookcase, why not put it right next to a cozy reading nook? Get the lowdown on how to build this window seat flanked by tall bookshelves at Sawdust Girl’s website.
Check out photographer Nick Smith‘s stunning snaps of Rebecca Leivars‘ poetic living room design for a London home. The sophisticated built-ins manage to retain an airy feel that keeps the room from looking too stuffy, and the library ladder is the perfect finishing touch!
Creative Use of Space
The only thing better than a bookcase that’s built-in is one that also conceals a hidden passageway like this clever creation by Creative Home Engineering. It may look like something from the set of a murder mystery movie, but it’s actually a functional piece that serves a dual purpose.
Put an idle corner to good use by filling it with an appropriately shaped book case. Start at Home‘s instructions make it easy to replicate this custom-looking piece in your home.
Would you ever guess that these gorgeous built-ins were built using inexpensive IKEA bookcases? Centsational Girl certainly fooled us with her deceptively deft use of components from the ubiquitous Billy line that added up to just $365.
Aesthetic and Practical
When your home is only 540-sq-ft, you really need to make the most of every inch of space. That’s exactly what designer Jessica Helgerson did for this modest home Portland, Oregon. Her living room-spanning bookcase creates tons of storage and display space that can be accessed from both sides of the room.
Photo by Lincoln Barbour
A home office is the perfect place for built-in bookshelves, particularly when they’re paired with built-in desks like in this room makeover by Linda of Home is Where My Heart Is. The new configuration fits a ton of function into the space despite only taking up one wall.
The Accent Piece took advantage of unused space around a pretty French door to create a set of shelves that look like they’ve always been there. Check out their tutorial here.
Which of these built-in bookcases would suit your home the best?
