I was struck by an abundance of shelving on view at Maison&Objet that for once didn't feel obtrusive or obnoxious — I was never the biggest fan of those impractical s-shape-curved wall mounts with the pegs, or those canted racks and cd holders that lean against the wall. Shelves here are big and used as room dividers, or are the typical wall unit framing a television. One gets the sense that when thick enough, shelves (or specifically, the books on them) are a nice buffer between you and the reckless, noisy world outside. When I first had a nickel for home improvements years ago, 75% of my budget was for elegant, clean, simple shelving. I love the backlit unit in the lead photo, and also the wavy planted room divider...