The bookshelf market is tough to crack. There are a couple of reliable favorites: the Billy, for something cheap but dependable; the splurgier (but quite handsome) Vitsoe shelving system. To find some less obvious options (and to see how those old standbys can best be styled), we asked authors, literary agents, and publishers to name the shelves they keep their own collections on. Surprisingly, most everything recommended is actually available for purchase — from Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s (rather inexpensive) wall shelves to the wheel-around option Gabrielle Zevin uses for art books.
Jason Reynolds
“I went with these because I needed something that was no fuss and had ample space, not just for my books but for mementos and tchotchkes. Okay … Ernie. I just needed a place for Ernie.”
[Editor’s note: Jason’s exact bookshelf is no longer available, but this one’s close.]
Gabrielle Zevin
“I purchased this bookshelf about a decade ago. I had recently moved to Los Angeles, and it’s the first bookshelf I bought that I didn’t have to assemble. I purchased it specifically as storage for my oversize art books and other irregularly sized books and objects, and the motivating factors were the depth of the shelves, about 19 inches, and the lack of partitions.”
[Editor’s note: Gabrielle’s exact bookshelf is no longer available, but this one’s close.]
Jonathan Franzen
“I built the bookcase with 13-ply birch plywood, two pieces of Douglas fir, and quarter-inch plywood backing. The shelves were fitted into shallow grooves that I routed into the vertical sides, and my plan was to secure them with biscuit joinery, but then I worried about false steps with the biscuit joiner, so I just drove screws into the shelves from the outside. To cover the screw heads, I cut some diagonal lozenges from a scrap of tropical hardwood and glued them on.”
Oliver Jeffers
“I have two areas of books in my studio: one for books that are potential future art and the second for books that are to remain intact (seen here).
In the latter, I keep books that I can give to studio visitors, some reference books, and old encyclopedias. I’d always wanted a library ladder, even though the angle on this (given the narrow walkway) is a little precarious.”
Dung Ngo
“At some point in an ever-growing book collection, all you want from the shelving is the maximum linear footage for the cost. At 18 linear feet per unit and 400 pounds per shelf, and made from durable powder-coated steel, these industrial metal shelves I found online have lasted me for over 15 years without any visible wear and tear.”
Zibby Owens
“I host a books podcast and used to run out of room quickly for the books I was evaluating on my shelf. Then it hit me: I should have a library cart! I transferred all my books-in-consideration onto it and wheel it in and out of my office when I need it.”
Gary Hustwit
“I bought the shelves because I’m a fan of Dieter Rams’s designs and because I love the flexibility of the system. They’re unobtrusive and endlessly configurable. I’d like to think that they’re the last shelves I’ll ever buy.”
Gene Kwak
“I got this from Nebraska Furniture Mart over 20 years ago — it was a gift from my parents, so I’ll lug it around until it falls apart. As of now, it’s still quite sturdy.”
[Editor’s note: Gene’s exact bookshelf is no longer available, but this one’s close.]
Jessamine Chan
“Whenever I spotted spine bookshelves in other people’s homes, they always seemed like the height of grown-up elegance. After moving back to Chicago, I treated myself to one so I can happily gaze at my books as comfort, inspiration, and objects of beauty.”
Marya Spence
“This has gone through many iterations; the shelves are removable, so you can shove it behind a couch or a desk and have books towering above you. It’s housed Elizabeth Bishop, Studs Terkel, and César Aira for a decade — I like easy access to those writers.”
Na Kim
“I have a ton of books but not a lot of space, so it’s a great way to utilize the vertical space of my small (but tall) apartment. I love the minimal design of the shelf and how it disappears to create the illusion of a huge freestanding tower of books.”
Victor I. Cazares
“Syncretism is my entire aesthetic (thanks to a formative trip to the Palazzo dei Normanni). The Story bookcases are the perfect complements to my ‘found’ bookshelves because their structure and adaptability has a sense of play that gives me endless joy. (My ‘found’ bookcases are a 1910 steamer trunk and a custom-made bookcase using salvaged material from an abandoned Chrysler dealership.) I have two of them side by side. Their official colors are ‘tomato red’ and ‘pineapple yellow.’”
Christopher A. Chang
“I was specifically seeking red and yellow bookshelves, and after doing 20 minutes’ worth of research, I learned Ikea had once made its famous Expedit cases in high-gloss red and yellow. They’re a little playful, a little silly, and a little off-brand ’80s, just like me.”
Taffy Brodesser-Akner
“I have a bunch of these all lined up neatly in different rooms: two or three across, four or five vertical. Their one flaw is that they can’t hold a coffee-table book because they’re not deep enough, but I guess that’s what coffee tables are for.”
Sarah Manguso
“In 2001, I paid one of my roommates $50 to drive us from our place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, to the IKEA in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and haul these Billys back on the roof of her Corolla. I chose the metallic-gray laminate because they were $39 apiece; all the other colors were $49. They’ve survived ten moves and numerous small earthquakes.”
Kiara Barrow
“The Ikea Billy is the quintessential basic bookshelf — tall, unfussy, mix-and-match-able, eminently cheap. The crafty section of the internet is full of tips about how to customize and dress them up, but I think they do the trick right out of the box. I didn’t buy these two myself, though; I inherited them in the game of roommate-boyfriend musical furniture.”
Adeline Hocine
Bookstagram influencer
“I’ve always dreamt of building a personal library, and these shelves have been perfect for that. The design allows me to expand my collection easily, and its overall simplicity allows for the books to act as the primary focal point of my space without feeling too busy.”
Ellen Van Dusen
“I commissioned this bookshelf from my friend Sam at KLN Studio. I love that it looks like a caricature — blocky, funny — and is still totally functional. And the shade of yellow is perfect.”
Audrey Gelman
“I love this Oeuf bookcase and have had it in my son’s room since he was born. There’s enough space for an endless number of Richard Scarry books and also little cabinets where I find strange things my son has collected.”
Morgan Jerkins
“My previous NYC apartment was a bit cramped because I didn’t know how to conserve space. So I thought, Why not have floating shelves? Roxane Gay and Jesmyn Ward are in rotation; I also have C.L.R. James and an anthology on kink in there, too, as well as The Master and Margarita in Russian and some Japanese short stories. I like an eclectic mix.”
Kelsey Keith
Editorial director Herman Miller
“I’d rather have nothing than something I don’t like, but two years in a new house with no place to put the books had started to grate on our collective nerves. Most readymade shelves felt too flimsy, or ubiquitous, or boring — until I spotted Lawson Fenning’s collection for CB2. The white oak feels just right for our low-key California cottage, and the design details are interesting without trying too hard. You can also reconfigure the shelves and drawers, and since we have two units — one on either side of the fireplace — it keeps them from looking too matchy-matchy.”
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