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An IKEA Hack of Epic Heights: A Sky-High Stacked Bookcase from KALLAX Shelves

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Taryn Williford
Taryn Williford
Taryn is a writer, editor, content strategist, and homebody from Atlanta. I might have helped you declutter your apartment through the magic of a well-paced email newsletter. Or maybe you know me from The Pickle Factory Loft on Instagram.
published Apr 26, 2016
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(Image credit: Esteban Cortez)

There’s one particular feature of Girolamo & Alex’s San Francisco house tour that demands your attention and piques your curiosity: The black bookcase that stretches all the way from the floor to the loft’s enviably tall ceiling.

SEE THE TOUR: Girolamo & Alex’s Creative San Francisco Loft (& Downstairs Coffee Shop!)

Look a little closer, and you’ll see that this grand bookcase is actually three $149 KALLAX shelving units stacked together (if they look familiar, the KALLAX is IKEA’s latest model to replace the popular EXPEDIT shelves). Together, the trio of bookcases –and every beautiful little object on them – is visible from both the main level of the apartment and the lofted area upstairs.

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(Image credit: Esteban Cortez)
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(Image credit: Esteban Cortez)

A bold feature like this shouldn’t even be possible with a $500 price tag and in the vicinity of earthquake country, but the couple have made it work. “That was our main concern given where we live,” Girolamo shared in the comments on the tour of their combination loft and coffee shop. “No pancake overnight guests for breakfast here!”

The process of securing the shelves, although careful and meticulous, did involve a bit of serendipity. Because the trio of 58-inch shelves fit perfectly in the space, they could be bolted to each other, and then bolted into the ceiling and to the concrete floors below. If you’re considering something like this, it might be a good opportunity to call in an expert. With the money you saved by buying IKEA, you can squeeze in a visit from a licensed and insured contractor to help you install a stack just like this one.

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