apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Junk. It's just a sorry, half-assed imitation of the Sapien Bookcase at Design Within Reach
www.dwr.com/productdetail.cfm?id=5281&fp=subc
which really is a gem.

And, (to keep the cycle going) perhaps Sapien is the half-assed imitator of the Ptolomeo?!:

http://www.conran.com/conranshopping/showMoreInfo.do?productid=357

(no offense intended, btw,; just couldn't resist.. I really actually like the Sapien, especially in the smaller size. AND the smaller-than-Conran-price!!)

Dumb. Ugly. Bad. Also not terribly functional, especially if you want a book near the bottom of any given pile. The design within reach shelf is equally user unfriendly.

The "book at the bottom of the stack" problem is not really that big of a deal, the shelves are close enough togethor that I am sure you can use your hand to hold the books on top of the book you want in place. I don't quite think it is a Gem though, I like the look, like someone who actually reads their books might use this shelf. Most of my books end up in stacks like this anyway. But the price is still too steep, we should petition Ikea to make one for $40 and then I might use one.

A perfect gift for a person with a collection of fewer than a dozen books.

I now feel dumb. ugly. bad. See, I bought one.
Simple reason: I had wallspace and no floorspace and all my existing bookshelves were full. And I like to consider myself something of a reader and I notice that, as one of the above folks observed, the books I'm reading end up in stacks anyway, usually on my coffee table or the floor. Far from being designed for those who don't read, when I saw these shelves I felt they were designed for those, like myself, who wanted to orgaize (somewhat) the stacks of books around my apartment.

But, like all things P.B., it is indeed overpriced. And the screws supplied are not nearly strong enough (my opinion) to fully secure the thing to the wall. The back plate is iron and it weighs, I'd say, thirty pounds, all told - and that's without books, which ain't light. The thing has only two screw slots from which to hang it, so if you're going to get one (and join the ranks of the dumb-ugly-bad) get yourself a pair of serious screws and anchors.

Hey Peter, don't feel d-u-b... I really like the look of these and would have bought one had I any remaining wall space in my apartment. Was just originally surprised by this stack variant showing up in so many places all at once (PB, DWR, Conran's etc.) and wanted the official Apartment Therapy take on it.

Would be afraid though it would cause me to run out and buy fabulous art books all of one color, in descending size order, to create the perfect display!

Also think the PB wall model would work in a bathroom for hand towels and other bath-y things.

Another suspiciously identical one. Might keep Thom happy at the price?

http://www1.holdeverything.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?parentId=HE-SHPOFFBOO&partNumber=HE-PROD1168&retainNav=true&cmsrc=HE-SHPOFFBOO&storeId=11001&langId=-1&catalogId=11001

I love my studio library. I bought one years ago and found the perfect place for it next to my bed... It is, by far, one of my favorite purchases from Pottery barn. I use it to store the books I am reading at the time, not as a permanent bookshelf. Any way I only bought one, but now I am married ( to my girlfriend). I need another one. anyone have one to sell?
thanks so much
Deborah