I Thought I Couldn’t Have Pricey Industrial Pipe Bookshelves, But Then I Found This Lookalike Version on Amazon for a Steal

Ever since Pinterest came out in 2010, I’ve been fully infatuated with scrolling through beautiful homes, picking up organization and design inspiration along the way. Of course, a habit that began on Pinterest eventually spilled over onto Instagram and it was there that I discovered my love of industrial pipe bookshelves. Not of the rustic variety, though. Instead of black or gray pipes, there’s just something so chic and feminine about brass and gold, which I learned from NYC-based influencer Rachel Martino, who has a stunning custom-built industrial pipe bar using glass shelves and brass pipes. And instead of weathered wood, I’ve always leaned toward white shelves — especially after seeing Bad on Paper podcast host Becca Freeman’s gorgeous white and gold built-in industrial pipe bookcase. The only problem is, custom shelving units cost a lot, and in a rental, it’s not always the most economical (or wise) choice. So, I began my search for the ultimate dupe. After weeks of perusing furniture stores and Pinterest for DIY ideas, I found myself on Amazon in a last-ditch effort. There, I discovered the BOSURU 6-Shelf Modern Ladder Bookcase.

When I first found the BOSURU Bookcase, which is sold in white with gold piping and wood with black brushed silver piping, the listing only had a hundred or so five-star reviews and two photos of the ladder shelf I was considering. I was, as someone who has spent many years writing commerce articles and being instructed to only include products with high ratings and plenty of photo reviews, skeptical to say the least until I dug into the reviews and figured out that the 5-star reviews were legit. Considering the fact that 1) it was the only shelf I’d seen that largely fit my desired aesthetic, 2) it was well under budget, 3) it was available for 2-day shipping on Amazon Prime, and 4) it was eligible for free returns, I changed the quantity to two and clicked ‘Add to Cart.’

When the shelves arrived, each came in its own long, slim box. Inside the box, there were thin wooden shelves, pipes, connectors, and instructions. The instructions were very clear and made it simple to assemble the shelves. One thing my parents and I (the instructions recommend having two people for assembly) noticed while putting them together was that they assembled best and most sturdily when each section wasn’t fully twisted on until the very end. Otherwise, every time we twisted on a new section of pipe, it would untwist the section before it, making the shelf unstable and eventually making the top wall mount, which is the only portion of the shelf that’s actually secured to the wall, off-kilter. Because of this, we waited until the end to tighten each individual section, which ensured that the entire shelf was secure and that the top mount sat flush against the wall before screwing it into place.

While on the topic of twisting the pipes, it’s worth mentioning that another benefit of waiting until the end was that it prevented us from over-twisting them. We over-twisted the first two sections of one shelf and noticed that, in doing so, some of the gold paint (because, yes, they’re gold-painted steel rods), flaked off. Thankfully, not enough to be noticeable to the untrained eye, but still. 

Once fully installed, I was excited about the outcome, but admittedly a bit nervous about how much each shelf could actually hold, given their thin nature and the fact that the instructions don’t mention it. When I searched the product listing, though, I was pleased to find a very detailed FAQ section, where the brand outlines shelf weight capacity, wall-mounting instructions, shelf depths, and more. And so, I begin filling them up. 

Since installing them five months ago, I’ve earned endless compliments on the shelving units, which I have mounted side-by-side in my living room. They’re a beautiful decor statement and have made countless appearances in the background of my IG Stories. Appearance aside, the shelves feel sturdy (so long as you don’t physically try to shake them off the wall as a test, which for some reason, men like to do to see how stable they are) and none appear to be buckling, even under the weight of paper and hardback books, an assortment of colored glass, Venus et Fleur arrangements, agate bookends, Bath & Body Works candle holders, and various other trinkets. All in all, I couldn’t be happier with how they’ve turned out. After years of dreaming of an industrial pipe bookshelf, I never would have thought that Amazon would have a solution. But here we are.

Buy: BOSURU 6-Shelf Modern Ladder Bookcase, $135.99