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Shelving
20 products
Open shelving earns its place by showing what is on it, which makes it the hardest storage to live with and the most useful when it works. Reclaimed teak, oak and metal-framed units, from narrow display towers to six-shelf room dividers.
Because nothing is hidden, the unit and the contents are one object. That is why the pieces here are worth looking at empty.
Filters
Filter & sort
Natural Folding Wooden A-Frame Shelf – Brown | Kaiku
From £121
Axis Shelf Unit With Glass Shelves | Kaiku
From £149
Batu Large Black Rattan Wall Shelf | Kaiku
From £149
Laxton 3 Tier Light Oak Effect Shelving Unit | Kaiku
From £164
Laxton 5 Tier Light Oak Effect Shelving Unit | Kaiku
From £169
Alto Shelf Unit With Glass Shelves | Kaiku
From £199
Large Circular Silver Wall Hanging Multi Shelf | Kaiku
From £233
Heritage Large Black Two Tier Wooden Bookshelf | Kaiku
From £289
Natural Teak Corner Shelf Unit – 3 Tier Display Stand 90cm | Kaiku
From £295
Natural Teak Log Shelf Display – 3 Tier 100cm | Kaiku
From £325
Natural Teak Corner Shelf Unit – 4 Tier Display Stand 135cm | Kaiku
From £350
Saltaire Collection 3-Shelf Unit | Kaiku
From £380
Reclaimed Teak Six Shelf Display Unit with Castors | Kaiku
From £390
Large Black Multi Shelf Unit | Kaiku
From £750
Large Reclaimed Wood TV Stand with 2 Drawers & Open Shelving | Kaiku
From £850
Multi Shelf Industrial Shelf Unit | Kaiku
From £890
Ulmus Grey Elm Wood 4 Tier Bookshelf | Kaiku
From £963
Light Up Bookcase | Kaiku
From £994
Grenoble Brushed Brass Multi Tier Shelving Unit | Kaiku
From £1,274
Lyon Washed Grey Oak Wood Large Bookcase With Ladder | Kaiku
From £4,567
How to choose
Depth decides what fits. 20 to 25cm takes paperbacks and objects; 30cm takes hardbacks and box files; 35cm and over starts holding baskets and folded textiles. Deeper is not better — a deep shelf swallows small things at the back.
Shelf spacing matters as much as shelf count. Paperbacks want 22cm of clear height, hardbacks 30cm, and a run of art or plants wants 35cm and up. Fixed-shelf units are worth checking against what you own before ordering.
Fix tall units to the wall. Anything over about 150cm with a narrow footprint should be strapped, and that is not optional in a house with children — an open unit is climbable in a way a closed one is not.
Leave a third of it empty. Open shelving that is packed reads as clutter however good the unit is, and the pieces that look best in a room are the ones with air between the objects.
Common questions
- How deep should a bookshelf be?
- 20 to 25cm for paperbacks, 30cm for hardbacks and box files, 35cm and over for baskets and textiles. Anything deeper and objects get lost at the back.
- How much space do I need between shelves?
- 22cm of clear height for paperbacks, 30cm for hardbacks, 35cm and above for plants or framed pieces. On a fixed-shelf unit, check the spacing against what you actually own before ordering.
- Does open shelving need fixing to the wall?
- Anything tall and narrow does — over roughly 150cm with a small footprint should be strapped. Open units are climbable, so with small children in the house treat it as necessary rather than optional.
- Can shelving be used as a room divider?
- The open-backed units can, and it is one of the better uses for them. Check that the back looks finished, since one side of it will be on show, and fix it at the top or the base for stability.