Adding custom touches is one of the many ways in which you can make a space feel like home. Tailor made pieces that are built around treasured belongings take it a step further.
This DIY tutorial by Whooly Kao is based around this bookshelf from Anthropologie. While the Anthropologie version was created to house a pre-curated selection of classic vintage books, the DIY version allows you to create a version to fit your personal collection of treasured books. The only change I would make would be to craft the case in such a way as to line up the tops of the books, as in the original.
The piece was constructed using birch plywood custom cut to fit the books, then pieced together with wood glue and stained.
For complete instructions on how to create the case visit Wholly Kao.
(Image: Wholly Kao)
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But you see why the tops aren't even, don't you? He had the pieces cut by his Dad when he was home for the holidays and carried them back on the plane to assemble at home. No way you could do that and have the tops even.
Great job! I can't believe Anthropologie is charging $1400 for that.
Hang on, according to the link the $1400 includes six vintage/ rare (?) books ... I'm no rare book expert, so I'm not sure if that leaves the shelf costing approx $100 or $1000, but it's certainly something to consider :)
NB. By consider, I mean a consideration in your calculations of value - I'm not advocating purchasing the item.
So no one else sees a very basic problem with this thing? It's all fine and good until you take any of those books out, then the fun really begins.
It looks cool, but that's it.
JESS13--how is it much worse than any other bookshelf? I think it would keep more books in place when you remove a book than other bookshelves. I know that when I remove one of my heavy cookbooks I have to slide all the other books to fill the void or another heavy one will fall pushing everything else like domino.
I think this is a much more successful and interesting take on this shelf...
http://dunedinschool.wordpress.com/category/theory/intertextuality/
Yeah this looks cool and might work if you have a small specific special collection you don't envision changing but other than that, not practical. Would be nice for a collection of special first editions....
Thanks for the shoutout, Apartment Therapy!
And, thankfully, the thicker books don't topple when you take a book out. It's the magazines that don't stay in place!