Shelving & bookcases
Alcoves, chimney breasts, and uneven plaster are where standard bookcases give up. These guides cover designing shelving that is scribed to the wall, sized to your books, and built to carry real weight.
Custom wire shelving for the spaces nobody planned for
Summary: Custom wire shelving is for utility spaces where shape and load matter more than looks. Measure the slot, the slope, the obstructions, and the shelf weight before choosing a rack.
Read postLooking for custom bookshelves near you, and what to do if there isn't anyone good
Summary: Searching for custom bookshelves near me mostly gets you local makers with long lead times and very different prices. The useful move is to measure the alcove properly, know what local help…
Read postCustom made shelves: what to spec, what to skip, what they cost
Summary: Custom made shelves should fit the wall dimensions you give, not the nearest catalogue size. The parts that matter are exact width, wall bow, skirting, shelf span, levelling feet, material,…
Read postA made to measure bookcase, without the carpenter's quote
Summary: A made to measure bookcase should be cut to the wall, not chosen from a nearby standard width. The important details are exact dimensions, skirting, ceiling, floor flatness, wall bow,…
Read postCustom garage shelving that actually holds the weight
Summary: Custom garage shelving works when it is sized for the real loads, the car door, the wall material, and the awkward services in the garage. Shelf depth and fixing choice matter more than a…
Read postCustom pantry shelving for a cupboard that was never going to be tidy
Summary: Custom pantry shelving is mostly a spacing and depth problem. Shallow fixed shelves with clear sightlines usually beat deep pull-outs unless the pantry is genuinely too deep to reach.
Read postCustom bookcases that fit the books, not the other way round
Summary: Custom bookcases are less about making a wall bigger and more about putting shelves where the books actually are. Measure the tallest books, the deepest objects, and the load before choosing…
Read post
Custom shelving when the wall has a radiator, a socket and an opinion
Summary: Custom shelving is useful when stock shelves almost fit but lose to radiator pipes, sockets, skirting, uneven walls, or the wrong shelf depth. The point is not fancy joinery; it is getting…
Read post
Custom bookshelves, when the wall isn't a rectangle and your books aren't all paperbacks
Summary: Custom bookshelves solve two problems at once: walls that are not rectangular and books that are heavier or taller than standard shelves expect. Measure the alcove in several places, check…
Read post