In this age of technology, nothing can be compared with the smell of a new book in your hands. This is obvious that most book lovers want to showcase their collections and need specific furniture to display their treasure. Since home libraries are more intimate than public ones, choosing a proper bookcase is not an easy task, and a lot of factors should be taken into account.
This review describes the most beautiful and practical home library bookcases highly rated on Amazon. It took a couple of days to sort out numerous collections and design ideas offered by prominent furniture manufacturers to present you with the best available variants. Reading the post up to the end, you can find the best storage for your favorite books.
Top 7 Library Bookcases from Best to Worst
Rank | Review | Name | Dimensions | Material | Color | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Prepac (EMB-1200-K) View Details | 57" W x 63.75" H x 9.5" D | Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) | Espresso | 9.9 | |
2 | Hooker Furniture European Renaissance II View Details | 114" W x 88" H x 17" D | MDF with wood veneers (myrtle, maple, walnut, cherry) + glass | Dark brown | 9.8 | |
3 | Coaster Home Furnishings (910187) View Details | 33’’ W x 75’’ H x 16’’ D | MDF + glass | White | 9.7 | |
4 | Prepac (BMA-0960) View Details | 56’’ W x 51’ ’H x 8.75’’ D | MDF | Black | 9.5 | |
5 | Sauder Barrister Lane (414726) View Details | 53.13’’ W x 47.5’’ H x 12.13’’ D | Engineered wood + laminated salt oak finish | Brown | 9.4 | |
6 | Modway (EEI-1215-BRN-SET) View Details | 84" L x 16" W x 90" H | Wood + iron | Brown | 9.3 | |
7 | Forest Designs Mission Oak (6713-MC-96h-GO) View Details | 17’’ x 27’’ x 96’’ | Wood (oak) | Golden oak | 8.9 |
Prepac Triple Width Barrister Tower Bookcase
If you have CD and DVD collections and need a lot of places to accommodate other media, this tower bookcase will make your storage space limitless.
The thing is manufactured from profiled MDF in Canada. The base is enlarged for extra stability. The piece comes with numerous adjustable shelves able to hold a thousand CDs. The horizontal storage makes filing and sorting disks an easy task.
The manufacturer and designer of this tower are Prepac known for RTA (ready-to-assemble) home furniture.
- Comes with a ton of shelves
- Looks very beautiful
- The assembly is easy
- Has a 5-year warranty
- The shelves are not very deep
- A little wobbly and flimsy (the users recommend anchoring it to the wall)
Hooker Furniture European Renaissance II Wall Bookcase
This furniture set reminds users of elegant royalty from the Renaissance period. It includes two 17’’ wall end units, one 32’’ bookcase, and one 48’’ wall bookcase.
Made of MDF, the set has a high-quality wooden finish, which undergoes a 16-step finishing process. This luxury piece comes with adjustable glass shelves framed with wood. Each section features a three-intensity touch switch.
- The wood veneers are more durable than wood since they don’t expand and absorb moisture
- The movable shelves allow users to accommodate books of various height
- Very spacious
- The feel and look of the finish is great
- Arrives fully assembled
- Very sturdy
- Heavyweight
- The glass door bookcase has to be ordered separately
Coaster Home Furnishings Tall Antique Cabinet with Glass Doors
This charming French-style cabinet is able to warm up any cool interior. Performed in antique white, it looks like a curio piece of furniture.
The thing features 5 wood shelves, which can be adjusted, and 2 glass doors, which offer a nice view on your favorite books, accessories, or dinnerware. The contrasting bronze handles are a distinctive accent to the whole ensemble.
The weight of the construction is 154 lbs.
- Plenty of space to display the things you love
- An awesome antique design
- Arrives well packaged
- The mounting hardware is not good
- The shelves are not very sturdy to place heavy items
Prepac Wall Bookcase with Triple Width
If your movie collection is getting out of hand and stored in multiple locations around the house, this Prepac bookcase is a nice option to accommodate all of them in one place.
Made of black MDF, it is designed in a library style and consists of 3 separate compartments of 9 lbs each. Every section features 7 shelves that can be adjusted up to your needs because the bookcase comes with multiple pre-drilled holes.
The unit is very practical. Users can take some shelves off to make asymmetry and place higher items.
- The shelves are strong and well balanced
- The assembly is clear and straightforward
- The construction is sturdy even on a carpet and shows no buckling
- The base and top are enlarged for stability
- The shelves are not very deep
- The brackets for the wall support are plastic
Sauder Barrister Lane® Cubby Bookcase for Storage & Display
This stylish cubby bookcase from Sauder allows users to display, store, and organize their home essentials. The unit features 10 cubbyholes with ID label tags for precise and easy organization. The top surface can also be used to keep an accent lamp or a speaker system. Each hole for storage has a lip except the bottom shelf where you can slide bins in and out.
The neutral finish of the bookcase will coordinate perfectly with other room furniture. The weight of the construction is circa 95 lbs.
- Comes with a 5-year warranty
- Environmentally friendly since it is made of engineered wood
- Can be used to store miscellaneous things (binders, books, and other collectibles)
- Good quality for the price point
- Some users find the lips on the shelves annoying
- The tags cannot be removed because they leave drilled holes
Modway Headway Modern Wood Bookshelf with Ladder
This industrial-style shelving unit is constructed with a cast-iron frame and pinewood shelves and looks very solid. The frame arrives in 3 separate pieces and it easy to assemble.
The unit comes with an iron ladder, which is fixed to the rail along the upper edge. It is recommended for light use, and it can be removed if there is a need.
The construction weighs around 340 lbs. Its open space design allows users to see what is on the shelves from any corner of the room.
- An extremely sturdy and durable construction
- The ladder is a helpful addition
- A modern design
- Made of natural materials
- The smell of wood is odd
- Most users don’t like that the iron shell features an applied textural finish that mimics rust (and it stains hands as well)
Forest Designs Mission Oak Corner Bookcase
Forest Designs is a U.S. company known since 1991 for manufacturing high-quality furniture. This corner bookcase is made of real wood. It features 4 shelves with rounded edges, which allow sliding books in and out along the surface.
The unit comes in warm brown, but you can choose any color out of more than 20 available, including whitewash and black oak.
- Backed by a lifetime warranty
- Manufactured of natural materials
- Available in multiple colors
- The corner construction is not suitable for all customers
Review | Name | Dimensions | Material | Color |
---|---|---|---|---|
Martin Furniture Toulouse (4094-402) | 40’’ W x 94’ ’H x 15’’ D | Wood | Oak | |
Sauder Barrister Lane (414725) | 35.55" L x 13.5" W x 75'' H | Engineered wood + laminated scribed oak finish | Brown | |
Porter Designs Tahoe, Set of 3 (PDU-02) | Large: 36’’ x 15’’ x 71’’, medium: 28’’ x 13’’ x 59’’, small: 20’’ x 10’’ x 47’’ | Wood | Brown |
Martin Furniture Toulouse Wood Bookcase with Ladder
The bookcase that tops the list is manufactured by Martin Furniture. It is very elegant and adds French charm to any room.
The piece is made of wood and is rather heavy (400 lbs). It comes with a steel frame for additional support. The construction includes 2 bookcases with 1 fixed shelf and 5 adjustable shelves. What is nice, it comes fully assembled.
The thing arrives with a matching metal ladder.
- Made of natural materials
- Very sturdy and durable
- Doesn’t require assembling
- Backed by a 5-year guarantee
- Has a concealed drawer for office essentials
- The ladder is used as a decorative element
Sauder Barrister Lane® Tall Bookcase
This is another shelving option from Sauder that comes in traditional brown. This tall bookcase is a good cubbyhole storage that features 10 cubby sections for various bins, books, and décor. Each hole features a small metal frame with a piece of cardstock that serves as an ID label tag for personalized organization.
You will be impressed with the ease of its assembling. In addition, the bookcase comes with a safety strap to anchor it to a wall.
- An environmentally conscious product manufactured of engineered wood
- A great price
- Backed by a 5-year warranty
- Sturdy and heavy (ca 115 lbs)
- Removing the tags, you will expose small holes on the front surface
Porter Designs Tahoe Bookshelves (Natural Wood)
These bookshelves inspired by Porter Designs are suitable for customers looking for a furniture collection. The set consists of 2 units of various height – large (3 shelves), medium (3 shelves), and small (2 shelves). The 3-level shelving construction allows you to display numerous collectibles.
The set is made of solid wood from the Himalayas and handcrafted by artisans. Each piece of furniture has a unique finish because of variations in wood grain and paint as nature’s signature.
- Has hand-carved accents
- Each unit is exclusive thanks to a distinctive color and wood grain
- Quality craftsmanship
- An unusual rustic style
- Made of natural materials, the bookshelves may include slight imperfections
How to Choose Nice Library Bookcase?
A bookcase is a very useful and practical piece of furniture, which serves to organize your favorite collections of disks, books, framed photos, and multiple knick-knacks. In addition, a good shelving unit can transform any apartment into a creative place able to express your inner world.
Here are some tips that will help you find the best bookcase.
Step 1: DimensionsBefore choosing a bookcase, measure your space and calculate the potential dimensions to make sure that this piece of furniture will fit your room.
Think about what you are going to store on the shelves. Maybe, you need a mix of heights and adjustable shelves that offer more flexibility.
Selecting a sized unit, make sure that it will not impede traffic flow.
Tall pieces look more expensive, but shorter ones are more functional due to the usable top surface.
Step 2: Style, Color and MaterialsThe style of your bookcase depends on what you are going to keep in it. The closed storage usually hides any mess away, while open storage allows you to display your treasures. The glass doors will keep your favorite items visible but free from dust.
There are some most common styles of bookcases.
- Standard bookcases are typical units made of MDF or wood and come with adjustable shelves.
- Corner bookshelves are an ideal shape for tight nooks.
- Cube units create cubby sections for housing baskets and books.
- Built-in bookcases look like floor-to-ceiling shelves.
- Étagère bookcases feature an open back and have glass shelves.
- Ladder-style bookcases lean against the wall and often come with “stepped” shelves.
Talking about the material, there are multiple choices as well. Plywood and MDF units and those made of wood veneers are cost-effective variants. They are not so sturdy as wooden but have a look of real wood.
The bookcases made of iron and solid wood come with a higher price tag, but they are durable and can withstand the big weight. The choice of materials depends on your budget and the style of your apartment (country, modern, antique, formal, etc.).
Step 3: FunctionsDepending on the way you are going to use your bookcase, the following features may also be useful for you.
The movable shelves are a great solution. By removing or replacing the shelf, you can place large objects.
The bookcases with an open space can be placed perpendicular to the wall and serve as room dividers. Consider the variant on wheels to move the construction around the room.
The modular bookcase helps build various units next to each other and create a wall for storage.
A lot of bookcases require to be fixed to the wall. If it turns to be too high, consider buying a construction with a ladder.
Step 4: FinishingWith quality finishing, any furniture looks more expensive. It also makes it less vulnerable to minor scratches and bumps. If your budget permits, choose a bookcase with a finish. It will extend its lifetime.
Step 5: WarrantyAny piece of furniture is a long-lasting investment. Try to choose a manufacturer that offers an extended warranty period on a bookcase. Some companies are 100% confident in the longevity of their furniture and provide a lifetime guarantee.
FAQs
If you still have some questions concerning bookcases, the section below will help you dot all the “i”s. This useful information is traditionally grouped in a form of questions and answers.
What Is a Library Bookcase for Home ??
A home library bookcase is a piece of furniture that has horizontal shelves and is used to store books and other printed materials.
The shelves in this construction are reinforced to hold heavy items. They come in various styles and materials.
How to Build a Home Library ? with Bookcases?
Before buying a bookcase, do some planning to build a cozy home library. Numerous DIY online videos will help make it a nook of your dreams.
- First, choose a quiet spot with plenty of natural light or the one that is well lit.
- You may need to support the floor since the shelves with books are very heavy.
- Set your mood by adding some relaxing colors to the place.
- Find a soft chair comfortable enough to spend a couple of hours in it.
- Clean your books from dust using a soft cloth (or vacuum) and sort them out.
- Arrange the books in a vertical position in one row to see the spines.
Share your own favorite ways to organize a home library!
Where to Buy ? Best Home Library Bookcase?
The furniture manufacturers have official websites where you can view the product catalogs, ask questions, and buy the product you need.
Huge online platforms like Amazon and eBay offer the same service of purchasing furniture through the Internet. Their product reviews are complemented by customers’ testimonials, so you can find out all the cons and pros in advance. As a rule, these vendors work with reliable carrier companies that will pack your bookcase securely.
Large markets like Walmart and Target offer furniture for sale online as well.
Summing Up
Genuine book lovers always take care of their books no matter if they are new or old. Bookcases are a good way to organize books in order to find quickly the one you need.
Contemporary furniture manufacturers do a great job turning these practical units into masterpieces able to turn your room into a cozy and stylish space with a nice atmosphere. With the examples of bookcases mentioned above, you can organize your library with pleasure and create a relaxing place that will inspire you to read.
References
- Bookcase – https://en.wikipedia.org/
- Martin Furniture – http://www.martinfurniture.com/
- Hooker Furniture – https://www.hookerfurniture.com/
- Coaster Fine Furniture – https://www.coasterfurniture.com/
- Sauder Furniture – https://www.sauder.com/
- Modway – https://www.modway.com/
- Porter Designs Furniture – https://www.porterdesignsusa.com/
- Forest Designs Furniture Manufacturer – https://forestdesignsfurniture.com/