Today people do not pay enough attention to books as in previous years. In many homes there is simply not enough space to accommodate a large library, so many people prefer a compact e-reader. However, even the most advanced technology is not able to give a person the pleasure that can be felt while holding a favorite book in your hands. To solve the issue of compact storage of literature, it is worth installing a corner bookcase in the living room, which has many advantages.
Design Features
When you hear the phrase bookcase, many people think of bulky Soviet models with a boring design. Modern corner bookcases today are more varied and interesting in their aesthetics than in previous years. Such furniture allows you to plan the corner space to your advantage, because it is very roomy, practical, and functional. Such cabinets can become a decoration for a living room of any size. But at the same time, they do not lose their main purpose - compact and convenient storage of books of different sizes, thickness, design and subject matter. It is this function that determines the internal content of such structures. To arrange books and magazines inside the bookcase, it has shelves of different sizes.
But in corner structures, the shelves are arranged in a special way, in the shape of the letter G. That is, one row of books is perpendicular to the other. This feature allows you to fit the maximum number of books and magazines inside the product.
Also, a bookcase can often be equipped with drawers where you can store any documentation or small accessories. Many models have open shelves where you can place fresh magazines or decorative accessories.
Note that these days the design of such home furniture has changed significantly, because much more materials and decorative ornaments are used for its manufacture. Therefore, a bookcase, like the model in the photo, does not look old-fashioned and can successfully fit into the interior of a modern living room.
Advantages and disadvantages
A home library becomes a decoration of the room only when the books are neatly placed. The problem with most apartments is the lack of space, and to prevent all the literature from being scattered on different shelves and racks, it is better to purchase a special cabinet. For small areas, corner structures are considered especially convenient. They save space, but are also spacious and provide easy access to printed materials . Bookcases of this type have other advantages:
- fill corners that are usually not used, which makes the room more comfortable and frees up space;
- There are models with protrusions of different lengths, making it possible to choose an option for the corner near a window or door;
- even compact designs are quite roomy;
- furniture is often used to zone the space of a room;
- on convenient shelves of different sizes you can place any books from your home library;
- the presence of drawers, closed or glazed shelves allows you to keep valuables, expensive books and documents;
- printed materials remain intact, do not gather dust, do not wrinkle;
- A wide variety of models and color options allows you to fit the corner bookcase into any interior.
The disadvantages of such furniture include its high cost. In addition, it is sometimes difficult to match products in color and design to the rest of the set. Some people think that the space in the corner is too deep, making it quite difficult to remove books from there.
Kinds
A corner bookcase today can take different shapes, be equipped with hinged, sliding or folding doors, come in different sizes and be complemented with decorative elements. The materials used for their manufacture are also different. This determines the main operational parameters of a particular product.
By size
Bookcases allow you to organize the storage of books, magazines, and scientific literature in the house. It is important to protect especially important exhibits from high humidity, sunlight, and excessively dry air. A bookcase will do this perfectly. But you need to choose such furniture wisely.
It is extremely important to understand what size a corner bookcase can be. This will allow you to choose the best option for the living room, which will successfully combine with the surrounding space and the interior items in it. This parameter depends on the width of the shelves with which the model is equipped.
Book-type cabinets can have shelves of the same height or combined ones (shelf installation levels are different).
If you place books in one row, the depth of the cabinet shelf should be 20 cm for regular-sized literature and 30 cm for large-sized books. If you arrange the literature in two rows, then the stated parameters need to be doubled. Note that these parameters are significantly inferior to the standard depth of wardrobes. The thickness of such a shelf is often about 2.5-3.5 cm, and the length can vary from 50 to 100 cm.
The height of the shelves can be selected based on your own preferences, but it is better if in the model it is different for different shelves. That is, the closet will have high shelves for large books (height will be 30-35 cm), and low ones for standard-sized literature (20-25 cm).
According to the presence of glass
Home bookcases are spacious furniture with a high level of functionality. They provide books with reliable protection from sunlight, dust, and insects. Models of such furniture differ from each other in the presence of glass:
- a product without glass has blank doors, often made of wood, chipboard or MDF. They are safe, but not as attractive as other options;
- designs with clear or tinted glass. The glass is selected to be 4 mm thick, ground, polished, and covered with a protective film on the inside to provide the user with a high level of safety. If you accidentally slam the cabinet door, the glass will not break. The only thing that can scare off the consumer is the visible hinges, due to which it is necessary to close their front part with a special plug. You can also attach a glass swing door without using hinges, instead of which a rotating mechanism is used at the top and bottom. But this requires recessing the shelves by 2 cm, because when opening, the opposite end of the door can touch them;
- models with hinged doors with an MDF frame and glass are very popular. Frames can take different shapes, be covered with a film that imitates natural wood, and have an unusual texture.
With glass
With open shelves
Color design
A bookcase made of solid wood looks very natural. The color schemes of such furniture, like the shades of natural wood, can be very diverse: from sophisticated bleached oak to dark wenge. The main thing is that the color of the furniture is combined with the decoration of the walls, floor, ceiling, and other furniture in the living room.
| Color solution | Characteristic |
| Wenge | A fashionable African novelty that looks incredibly presentable and expensive. Great for classic living room interiors, but its price is too high. Therefore, today furniture manufacturers create bookcases from wood painted in wenge. |
| Bleached oak, birch, maple, ash | Bookcases in these shades are perfect for living rooms in a minimalist style, as they are distinguished by their laconicism, simplicity and subtle style. These are universal colors that can easily fit into different colored interiors. |
| Red tree | Mahogany is very expensive, but today there are technologies for painting furniture from cheaper species in this shade. Therefore, you can choose a bookcase in a noble red color for the living room, which will highlight the delicate taste of the home owners. |
| Alder, pear | Warm shades are perfect for country-style living room interiors, which are distinguished by their naturalness and natural appeal. |
If the living room is narrow with small windows, there will be little natural light in the room. An excessively dark bookcase in color will not work in this case.
Bleached oak
Wenge
Red tree
Manufacturing materials
One of the most expensive products is a solid wood cabinet. It looks rich and emphasizes the taste of the owner. Ideal for large living rooms decorated in a classic or rustic style. For the manufacture of such furniture, oak, walnut, maple, birch, and cherry are most often used. Such cabinets are highly durable and therefore more durable, and they also look very beautiful thanks to the natural pattern and color of the wood.
However, for modern apartments they often choose furniture made from chipboard or MDF. Such materials are more affordable, weigh less and come in a wider variety of colors. Corner cabinets made of plastic or metal are very rarely used for homes; they are usually installed in offices and factories. Furniture made from the first material can be chosen for decorating children's rooms.
Popular options are those in which the frame itself, shelves and back wall are made of plywood, and the facade is made of wood. This manufacturing method allows you to make the cabinet cheaper.
Solid wood
Chipboard
MDF
Posting rules
A corner bookcase in the living room interior can simultaneously perform its main function and also serve as a decoration for the room. The main thing is to install it in the “right” place. After all, incorrectly placed pieces of furniture will not be as comfortable as possible for users.
If you have selected a cabinet for a small room, it is better to install it in the corner of the room away from the window opening. This will protect books from the negative effects of drafts, dampness, and sun. If, however, the structure is located near the window, since there is no other place to place it, it is better to choose thick curtains to decorate the window opening. On particularly sunny or rainy days, the windows should be closed and curtained.
You should not install a corner-type bookcase next to a large aquarium, since the moisture evaporating from it can cause irreparable harm to the books inside the structure. Also, you should not place a fireplace, radiator, or heating appliances near the bookcase. They dry out the air, which is also undesirable for the contents of such furniture.
It’s good if the bookcase is part of the furniture set, then the living room interior will look holistic and complete. This will simplify the task of combining the design of different pieces of furniture.
Library in the house
Currently, a room reserved for a library is considered not only a place where book publications are stored, but also a corner in which there is an opportunity to relax, reading the press or a favorite book novel after a busy day.
In addition, books in the library should be arranged in such a way that finding the required work does not take much time. A glass cabinet is best suited for such purposes, in which all the contents are clearly visible.
In order to make a room adapted for a home library into an excellent relaxation place, it must be equipped with the help of an unusual type of bookshelves and shelving.
Special book walls and cabinets with doors placed along the walls of the room can radically change the design of the room. A large book collection at all times demonstrated its owner’s serious passion for literature, and spoke a lot about his character.
Nowadays, although book publications are being replaced by electronic media, it is worth noting that the interior of a room in which there is a large number of different books looks much more homely and cozy.
Nuances of choice
A high-quality corner bookcase can replace a study if you choose it consciously. We will describe some useful tips from experienced specialists in this matter.
The model should be quite roomy and durable if the owner of the house is an avid book lover. Therefore, it is worth using solid wood for the entire height of the wall in the apartment. If there are not many books in the family, it is worth limiting yourself to a small-height cabinet made of chipboard.
If the living room has an elongated shape, a corner cabinet can be selected with one short side and the other long. This will increase the capacity of the model. If the hall has a square shape, then you can choose a corner model in the shape of a pentagon. These are also very spacious models that can accommodate a large library.
The most popular option for corner bookcases today are cabinet designs, but the design of such furniture is quite simple. If you need to emphasize the wealth of your family or create an expensive-looking interior, it is better to give preference to a built-in wardrobe. These are more expensive products with original decor and non-standard solutions in terms of functionality.
But a cheap bookcase may not cope with the main task - to place books and provide them with reliable protection from negative environmental factors. Therefore, you should not skimp when choosing such products, so as not to wish for a choice in the future. Very soon, cheapness will remind you of itself with peeling fittings, facades swollen from low resistance to humid air, and creaking doors.
Various styles
Each designer’s style decision has its own peculiarity. Currently, on the Internet on various sites, you can see numerous photos of a bookcase designed for various design solutions.
A bookcase made in a classic style has unusual, elegant shapes, unsurpassed decor, beautiful patterns and ornaments.
Typically, this type of furniture is made from expensive wood, with cast elements painted with gold paint.
In addition to bookcases, there is also upholstered furniture made in a classic style, turning the decoration in the library room into a truly royal environment.
A library in a modern style also looks good, where the bookcase, the shelves of which are placed around the doorway or a huge plasma TV screen, has an unusual shape.
Modular bookshelves and shelving, as well as IKEA cabinets, are perfect for a modern library interior. Modular cabinets make it possible to place a considerable number of literary publications.
Another cabinet option suitable for the modern library style is a sliding bookcase, which can also accommodate a considerable number of book publications.
Cabinets of this type are ideally placed in a room niche or mounted in a library room, having the dimensions of an entire wall.
