Bespoke Bookcase

Part of my day-to-day work as a carpenter is in producing beautiful bespoke bookcases and shelving units for clients. For this project in Bradford-on-Avon, the client had a bedroom which she wished to use a relaxation room where her extensive book collection would also be housed.

As a new build property, the furnishings throughout was contemporary in design and the client was keen for the bespoke bookcase to match. However, they also wanted it to have a unique and one-off ‘carpenter made’ feel that reflected their personality and vision for the space.

To meet this brief, I designed the bespoke bookcase utilising a new composite sheet material called Valchromat. This is an extremely strong wood product with colour impregnated through the fibres, allowing for numerous different looks and applications. For this bespoke bookcase, the client opted for a rich blue Valchromat that I then contrasted with a solid Ash face frame. As a carpenter, working with the two contrasting materials (Valchromat and Ash) allows for really striking designs to be crafted with the resulting duo of bookcases for this client creating a true focal point for the room.

In total, two shelving units were made, one large wall-to-wall bookcase and another ceiling hung bookcase display.

Part of my role as a carpenter is to enhance the space by creating simple but elegant furniture that can’t be purchased off-the shelf or from retailers. For bookcases and handmade shelving units, this can be done by paying close attention to the finishing, such as creating custom heights of the shelves, in-setting and off-setting panels, and by using my carpentry knowledge in wood to bring out and enhance the grains, texture and contrast.

Although handmaking the bookcase is the main part of the project, ensuring it is fitted securely is also a key aspect. The main bookcase was secured to the walls with discreet fixings, and the ceiling unit was affixed and concealed to the floor joists above to make the bookcase appear to be floating.

By making all items off-site at my workshop outside of Bath, I was able to fit the entire project in 1-day, reducing disruption and dust for the client.

If you’re looking to have a bespoke bookcase or handmade shelving unit made in the Bath or Bradford-on-Avon area, please get in touch via the form below to discuss your requirements.