apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Custom bookcases are the perfect storage solution to small spaces: you can design them to fit what your storage needs are! In Greg and Laura's home, they used bookcases made by The Bookcase Store in Austin to utilize open walls as much-needed storage for their living room.

Instead of letting The Bookcase Store have all the fun (and to avoid the look of a college dorm by having plain bookcases only), they gave their custom bookshelves a heavy amount of DIY treatment, such as painting them, mounting some shelves on the wall and combining others. By lifting a few of the cases off the floor, they give the small room a boost of space and allow more light to flow through the room. They were also able to accomodate other elements in the space, like their stereo speaker, by hanging shelves at heights needed for this space. Combining some cases (in this situation, Greg used 4x4 wood pieces as spacers) really gives a personalized touch to one side of the room!

Of course, using bookcases built by professionals helps ensure the safety and strength of your storage, but any of these ideas could be utilized using bookcases you build too! How are some ways you've customized bookcases in your space? Share your ideas with us!