Shelving

We tried to pick out shelving at Ikea this week and came away with nothing. While I liked the square, deep, backless shelves that could be used as a room divider with books on both sides, I wondered whether the construction would really stand up to the weight of double-loaded books. Joan had qualms about the immobility of the shelves. The model we saw looked as if it had rather a thin veneer too, which may account for the very attractive price.

We looked at two other bookshelf styles, both with backs. One was designed to allow additional shelves on the top, and had the option of a library ladder, which has its own charms. The other had a permanent middle divider in all of the shelves, which adds stability and almost eliminates the need for book-ends. The shelves were all adjustable too. It was twice as expensive as the other options, but maybe worthwhile.

Ikea is cheap in part because of the self-assembly. They do offer assembly services, but then the price becomes close to stores like Möbel-Hübner, where we may look again.