Single wall, alcove, corner or whole-room
The simplest bookcase commission is a single alcove (typically either side of a chimney breast) filled with shelves floor-to-ceiling. Done properly with scribed carcass, integral plinth and cornice, and adjustable shelves, it's a transformative addition to any living room. From £780 per alcove painted.
Single-wall bookcases (a whole wall of shelving rather than just an alcove) are the next step up - usually 2.4m to 3m wide, floor to ceiling, with a consistent shelf pattern and optional cupboards at the base for clutter storage.
Corner bookcases (shelving wrapping around a corner, either as an L-shape or with a curved return) are harder to get right aesthetically but hugely effective when space is tight. I tend to treat the corner as a design feature rather than trying to hide it.
Whole-room libraries - multi-wall installations with integrated desks, display lighting, library ladders - are my favourite commissions. These are typically £5,000-£15,000 depending on scale and finish.
Shelf depth, spacing and the unexpected art of book storage
Bookshelf dimensions matter more than people realise. Shelves less than 220mm deep can't hold a hardback. Shelves more than 320mm deep swallow the room visually and encourage clutter on the front edge. My standard is 260mm.
Shelf height: most paperbacks are 200mm tall, most hardbacks 240mm, coffee-table books 300mm+, vinyl LPs 320mm. I typically space shelves so the lowest one is 300mm for oversize items, then 240mm, 220mm, 200mm, 200mm moving up - giving a mix that works for real libraries.
All shelves are adjustable on twin-slot standards (hidden inside the carcass so they don't spoil the appearance) so you can reconfigure if your book collection changes. 18mm MRMDF shelves will hold a metre of hardcover books without sagging; wider spans need 22mm or an oak lipping to stiffen.
Lighting, display and cable management
Integrated lighting transforms a bookcase from storage to feature. LED strip lights recessed into the underside of each shelf, driven from a 12V transformer concealed in the cupboard base, give soft indirect light that makes books feel considered and curated. Dimmer switches on the same circuit let you set mood.
For bookcases that house AV equipment (TVs, soundbars, consoles, Sky boxes) I build in integral cable management: a 100mm cable channel running vertically behind the backboard, junction boxes at key points, and a vented cupboard for the AV kit. Overheat issues that plague freestanding TV cabinets disappear when there's proper ventilation built in from day one.
Display alcoves - small recessed bays within the bookcase for objects or paintings - add variety to what can otherwise feel like a uniform grid. I typically size them 450x600mm with a shadow-gap rebate and optional spotlight.
