apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Oh, how I covet the tall Sapien bookcases! I would need three or four of them though, so that's a bit of an investment.

If anybody owns one of the other models, could you let us know how happy you are with the quality? I remember reading that one of them was pretty flimsy... but that was years ago and I can't remember which one it was!

Thanks in advance - and thank you Sarahc for the roundup.

oooh this would go perfect with my new tv stand
one on each side maybe
maybe ikea or target will come out with one for half the price ? i hope?

I own a Sapien in both heights, and they are _rock_ solid. I don't so much vacuum around them as vacuum-collide with them and they're very stable ;-) Not cheap, but they're very well made.

My constant question about these is how do they not get tippy when loaded up? And gerald, may I ask: have you ever checked how many books you can store on your Sapiens compared to bookshelves of the same dimensions (maybe measured by shelf length? Or what parameter do you consider the closest for comparison?) TIA.

I always thought these things looked like those cheap CD racks you can buy at Best Buy.

I have the shorter Sapien model. I agree it's very sturdy. I was able to store 72 books on it. They are mostly hardcover art/design books, and midsized paperbacks. A standard paperback novel is smaller slightly smaller than the shelf plate.

It holds what I formerly stored on a single bookcase (68" H, 32" W), taking up a much smaller footprint. I like that books stored on it allow easy browsing of the spines. It seems to attract guests to peruse my collection, since they don't have to cock their head to the side to read the titles.

I'm very pleased with it, and plan to buy another soon. DWR shipped it in 2 boxes, and assembly was easy with included instructions.

@nycpdx -- you've got me on the question as to what approximate equivalent of a conventional bookshelf they are -- not sure I have a good answer, since I've had these a while. AlisonK's answer is probably more helpful in that respect.

However, maybe this will help:
The lowest shelf is a bit under 5-1/4" from the base steel plate, and the height is either 60" (short - 10 shelves) or 80" (tall version - 14 shelves). Each shelf is approx 1/16" thick. You can pile a _lot_ of books on those things.

I don't find the size of books to be a problem, but large soft back books need to be supported by large hard backs, otherwise they 'droop'.

One day, I need to re-arrange the books on the shelves so they look a little more symmetrical :-) But I also agree with alisonk that it's nice to have the spines horizontal so the titles are more easily readable.

When I bought my shelves, DWR had a deal where they discounted them if you bought 2 at the same time. I don't see that they have them right now, so it's possible that the deal comes and goes. I think perhaps twice a year they do 10% off w/ free shipping? That might be as good a deal, I think.

Maybe for books you never read but not convenient if the book you want is at the bottom of the pile.

I have two of the ones from Overstock. I don't like that they are silver, but you can't see that very much once the books are on there. They are very solid and sturdy. The base is very heavy and it's impossible to get the shelf to sway left to right. Pushing with a bit of force will get it to sway a bit forward to back, but even pushing pretty hard I can't tip it over.

Anyone know where I can buy one in the UK?

Right now DWR has a free shipping until April 30. And if you buy 2 you get another $50 off. Pretty good deal. :)

Yeah, some one mentioned my question already: if you need a book from the bottom, how hard is it to get? How many books fit on each "spine"?

Of course, the pictures here are lovely because they have seven books and a couple pieces of art on them... does any one have pictures of these shelves in action? I mean, filled with actual books?

It's not difficult to retrieve books at all. If it's on the bottom of one of the "stacks", you can place your palm against the spine of the books above it, and slide it out.

Getting books from the bottom of a 'stack' is easier than it sounds. The short Sapien has 10 'shelves' while the tall version has 14 'shelves'. Each shelf is about 5-1/2" vertically from the next one, so you're talking maybe 5-8 books in each short 'stack' -- more if you also store magazines or comic book trade paperbacks.

The Sapien structure is also very stable as you slide a book in / out.

would love one of these in my office, i have wanted one for a longtime. i have the perfect spot for it, maybe one day...

emika - the 3rd photo shows ones completely filled with books.

Here's a 'Small Cool 2009' entry with what looks like Sapiens:
http://contests.apartmenttherapy.com/2009/small-cool/main/faceoff/29

I have CB2's version (I got it in silver--but the truth? What M! wrote: When it's completely filled with books, you barely see the base--and thus the color "disappears"). No sturdiness complaints.

There is no single "bottom" of the pile, as geraldoh explains very well. (This is always a question that arises when these vertical bookcases pop up on forums!)

They do not collect any more dust than books shelved on a "traditional" bookcase (ie, not a barrister bookcase), in case you were wondering.

And another concern I've read about somewhere along the line is that stacking books hurts the bindings. But when you're stacking just 5 or so books per shelf, that's really not an issue.

If you're someone who saves every book purchased since childhood, these are probably not for you. But I consider it a minimalist look, and the bonus is that it's sculptural and makes good use of vertical space. Also, it helps me curb my book-buying habit--in my house, I have "about"* only as many as will fit on this. (It helps me remember that there are places they call--what is that word, again?--oh, yeah: libraries. Which my tax dollars pay for! And because the shelf is filled right now, I don't mind getting on the waitlists for some recently published books.)

(*: I have about 10 books I also keep in the guestroom for visitors.)

oh, I have been thinking about getting one! But as for now the price is too high.

"Their space-saving design stacks books horizontally in a tower"

Shouldn't it be "vertically in a tower"?

Are any of these bookcases available in Australia?
Girl in weeny apartment sees light at end of tunnel and needs help....