Sanya Arts Space

Here are some rather unusual bookcases and shelving units for the person who wants to make a statement with their furniture. We like to show the fun side of home furnishings that take everyday items and more than meets to eye in some cases. Hope you enjoy! Also see our 15 Super Cool Bookcases for the Modern Home and our 30 Outstanding Bookcases for Home or Office

Extending Bookcase by Reinier de Jong

REK is composed of five interlocking components that can be compressed or expanded as needed. Whether you want to store a dozen or a hundred books, you don't have to have any excess shelf space or take up a full wall of your house with an empty bookcase. It's an ingenious idea and might be worth owning for the sake of beauty and novelty alone, but ultimately efficiency of space clearly isn't the true goal here; the shelves and walls are so thick and numerous as to neutralize any real space-saving advantage.

Sang Hoon Kim Curved Bookcase

Empty, this bookcase looks like a diagram of curved space from a theoretical physics textbook. Very cool. Filling it with books might present a few problems though. It won't fit snugly against any wall and there is no back to push your books against, which could certainly lead to a few strays falling into the crevice next to the wall. Still, Kim's design is striking and playful--- and this one seems pretty primitive alongside some of his other work.

Andreas Hegert Book Shelf

No one would accuse Andreas Hegert's design of being practical but a little "form over function" never hurt anyone. These shelving units pierce through empty white space beautifully, but due to the irregular angles of its shelves, the only way to store books on it is with large bands. This concept probably wasn't intended to be marketable, but it would be interesting to see an attempt to make it so.

Obo Shelving by Jeff Miller

Jeff Miller's Obo modular shelving units are a great way to commune with your inner Lego man. Modular storage has always been a forward idea--- we very rarely buy storage for things (in this case books) that we're going to buy, just what we already have. Being able to reconfigure your bookshelf as new treasures are added to your collection each month is liberating from an interior design perspective. The modules come in seven color options and are sturdy enough to be stacked pretty much as high as you could want them.

United States Map Bookcase

This one-of-a-kind gallery piece titled "Oh the Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends" (a reference to a number from Rogers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma!) is ideal storage for anyone who wishes to organize their library by each author's birth state. Each shelf is lined with mirrors which give an illusion of added depth. Many of artist Ron Arad's other works are equally eclectic furniture pieces worth checking out.

Moving Mondrian

Moving Mondrian is named after Piet Mondrian, an early 20th century Dutch De Stijl painter whose most famous style interspersed blocks of color among irregular black and white grids. Looking at the bookcase its clear which design aspects were appropriated from Mondrian. But what is also striking is the shape of the piece, which places the center of gravity as low as possible, a necessity if you plan on carting something as top-heavy as a bookcase around the house. Whether or not you find such a feature useful is up to you.

'Brick' by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec

The "Brick" shelving panels were originally designed by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec to be used as part of a display for an exhibition. Laser cut from polystyrene, these shelves can be easily transformed into different configurations as needed. Though probably ideal for the displaying small items like shoes or figurines, with the right set of bookends the Brick units would make a great bookcase in a minimal modernist design environment.

Achille Castiglioni Joy Rotating Shelf Unit

This classic design is an expansion on Castiglioni's two-tiered rotating coffee table, "Basello." It can stand flat against the wall or each layer of shelving can be teased to a different angle to provide three-dimensionality. Castiglioni died in 2002, leaving behind a lifetime of pieces that straddled the line between sculpture and furniture without losing sight of functionality.

Platzhalter Expandable Bookshelves

Some prefer the order of stacking and re-stacking modular blocks, or simply moving as many books out of their house each month as come in. Others are more inclined to the equivalent of stuffing sheets of loose leaf into a notebook once it becomes full. The Platzhalter expandable bookshelf is for the latter group--- one look at it fully expanded and you'll know which you belong to.

Lago's Tangram Shelving

Lago's Tangram Shelves are simple and attractive, and can be manipulated into an endless number of forms. The idea is based on tangrams, a Chinese dissection puzzle involving the recombination of seven basic shapes to form figures. A quick internet search should give you an idea of just how surprisingly versatile these seven tiles can be and how many different directions you could take this.

Peter Marigold Split Box Shelves

Though it's unclear whether or not Peter Marigold's Split Box shelves are for sale, the concept is simple enough that pretty much anyone with an axe and a few spare wooden crates could construct their own. Marigold creates them by splitting a medium sized segment of branch laterally into four pieces. Since the sum of the angles created on these pieces will always add up to 360 degrees, you can use them as wedges to create individual shelves and then combine those shelves into whatever asymmetrical craziness you desire.

FlexiTube Modular Shelving

Another modular shelving product, this time in a form reminiscent of stacked bubbles. Perhaps the most fun aspect of this design is the illusion it creates--- spheres won't stack like this unless they're constrained at the base. The "stopper" for this piece is so subtle the eye misses it until you realize that it must be there (additional support comes from the frictional tension provided by the spheres' fabric exteriors. Sure you could cover a wall in these, but they're also a great way to break up large narrow spaces.

Sean Yoo Opus Incertum Bookcase

This Sean Yoo bookcase comes in four colors and can function as a modular set or as a standalone piece. It's especially intriguing because its shelves tilt in different directions, forcing you to stuff your books into odd configurations. This disorderly stacking is pierced by the striking solid lines of the shelves, which take the pattern of grout between kitchen tiles. It's a little bit of left-brain and a bit of right.

Hello Block Shelving by Kenn Archibald

Kenn Archibald's bookcase design integrates the modularity fad with the colors, angles and textures of the mid-century aesthetic. Each segment can be used on its own as a freestanding table or stool, or combined to provide as much storage as you might need. Best of all, though the blocks come in four standard colors, they can be custom painted or stained to order.

Polar Bear Bookshelf by iBride

This cool piece of functional sculpture is a freestanding two-sided bookcase with plenty of storage space--- and you can actually buy it though it's not cheap.

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If you have a flair for interesting shapes then these bookcases from Motusmentis may be just what your wall needs. Each has its own shape that is sure to draw the eye of any visitor to the house. The three bookcases are: Wallboarding, Kaktus and Kubicle. Learn more about them here.

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Because books are often credited for opening the imagination of both the young and old, it seems only fitting that the furniture that holds them would do the same. The following bookcases not only make a statement, but are also functional as they store and display a book collection. Most of these designs are available for purchase, but can cost thousands of dollars. For the serious contemporary furniture collector, these pieces can be the centerpiece of any room they happen to be in.

This octagon-shaped piece can be useful as a room divider or simply up against a wall. It has several inner nooks where books can be stacked and stored horizontally or vertically. It comes in a few colors and would provide a good contrast with a minimalist decor. By Younes Duret

This is the Movement Bookshelf by Samulnoli. The arms and legs grasp the books to hold them in place and are placed over nails that are hammered into the wall through the back piece. This is a great peice to display favorite books, current reads, or books that need to be returned to the library. Because it is mounted to the wall, it can go anywhere, even the kitchen or bedroom.

The Global Views Stackable Bookcase is one of the most affordable pieces in this collection and is offered at Student Market along with a few other contemporary furniture websites. The wood contrasts combined with the holed sides make this piece match with almost any wall color or art.

This large bookcase would be most secure against a wall. It is called the Pyramid Bookcase and is offered by Fitting. This piece comes in other colors and can even be painted or decorated to achieve personality and to fit in with the rest of the room's decor.

A very creative piece called Suline and created by eitmodesign of Italy, this bookcase looks like it has collapsed. The randomized design will make for stark contrast with the orderly stacks of books tucked on the shelves.

6. LAGOLINEA by Daniele Lago is another 'random' design that can be mounted to the wall in a variety of ways. The pictured design looks like a tree blowing away in the wind. As pictured, this design has pieces of varying colors that can provide a visually-stimulating gradient color scheme.

The overall square shape along with the interior criss-cross design makes the Contemporary Q bookshelf offered on Opulent Items a great selection for those who have a large amount of books they they would like to display. This piece is 4 x 4 feet and costs $2,000.

Another selection from Opulent Items, this red spiral Modern Zyk Shelving has wooden x-shaped crossbeams to provide support. Produced in Austria, this bookcase can hold the equivalent of 700 CDs and is best for smaller books for the best fit.

A colorful peg style, the Piola bookcase by nobodyandco from Italy doesn't hold as many books as other styles in this post, but will provide a definite pop of color and dimension to any room.

Bibliochaise is another piece Italian design company nobodyandco and is 2 pieces of furniture in one- a chaise for reading and relaxing, which bookshelves making up the frame of the chair itself. This is a space-saver and a definite conversation piece.

Any contemporary bookshelf compilation wouldn't be complete without these eye-catching Modern Jim Shelves again offered by Opulent Items. This piece would look best in a minimalistic, art deco studio or open space. It's important to take into consideration the depth of this piece before deciding to take it home.

A contemporary take on honeycomb the Lex Bookshelf is made of aluminum and features a frosted glass back that works well when used with back lighting. This piece is $5,500 and one of the biggest in this bookcase collection at almost 6 feet tall. It comes in red, black, and white.

The make/shift bookcase by Peter Marigold has triangular pieces that can be held together in a variety of ways thanks to the grooved sides that interlock together. Peter Marigold has made several different types of this design in a variety of mediums like plastic and wood. Alternating or solitary pieces of a make/shift set can be painted to stand out and provide more of a unique design element.

Seen as very colorful when empty, the Nan 15 bookcase by Nitzan Cohen for Nanoo has most of it's pastel colors covered up when medium and large-sized books and binders are stored on it. Even with the colors not showing, the Nan 15 is still a striking furniture piece.

The wood pieces of light and dark finishes in the Skyline Bookcase by Italian designer Vincenzo De Cotiis makes it similar to the Global Views Stackable Bookcase featured above. However, this bookcase depends on varying heights and widths to catch the eye. The shorter pieces look suspended between the taller ends.

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Called “Code”, these tall storage cabinets were created by designer, Duccio Grassi. The focus of the design was to create a casual storage space that offered lots of available space for putting things away. The doors are designed to be closed or left open to create different looks in the piece. Code is available in 25 different colors HERE.

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Based on the shape of a dog, India Mahdavi Furniture has created a canine likeness into a bookshelf. The abstract interpretation called “Reservoir Dog” features a total of nine storage compartments perfect for books. Reservoir Dog comes in a natural wood color and is priced at 6,500 € here.

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California Closets of coarse does their share of closet storage and organizer systems, but they also take their storage systems and shelving out to the garage. If your garage is like mine you can rarely find what you need when you need if simply out of disorganization and the lack of a real storage solution. California Closets has a vast selection of storage systems for your garage in your choice of color, wood grain, matched with your choice of edge. Visit californiaclosets.com for a look at some real closet and around the house storage solutions including the garage and home office.

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In this shelf bookcase, Markus Fischer uses the clever idea of fashioning storage furniture after a city map. When you think of the streets and how they intersect that in itself presents a unique design. Called “City Map”, this piece is fashioned after the city of Braunschweig, Germany. Learn more about the piece: here.

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Ibis bookcases draw their design inspiration from the bird “Ibis” which is a tall wading bird with a long bill. An interesting concept in the furniture is the way in which the shelves are suspended from a support that appears above the top shelf. Not only do the supports lend strength to the shelves and allow them to hold weight, but they add to the overall visual appeal. The “suspended” look creates an architectural feel that is perfect for a modern living room. More information: here.

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Storing books can be a challenge, as are looking for home bookcases. “Sapien” are very simple home bookcases that are portable. Thus, as the design of your apartment or home changes, they can easily be moved around. The design for Sapien includes 10 shelves and steel construction. A neat feature about this product is the way that it disappears when it is full of books creating a visual of free standing organized books. Price: $198 each (on sale $148.40). Available: here.

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