Shelving & Bookcases

What This Category Covers

Shelving and bookcases at RB12 splits into two practical groups: freestanding bookcases that sit on the floor against a wall, and wall shelves that mount directly to the wall with no visible floor footprint. Both groups are built for the same jobs in a room: storing books, housing a record collection, or giving ornaments and framed photographs somewhere to sit at eye level.

Within the 40 pieces here you will find low shelving units designed to run along a wall at sideboard height, tall bookcases that reach close to ceiling height, and single or paired wall shelves meant for a hallway or a run of wall above a desk. Several ranges, such as Nova Nook's ANSO, RHIO and SALA collections, come in both a low and a tall version of the same design, so the shelf, the shelving unit and the bookcase can be treated as one family rather than separate purchases.

Choosing Between a Bookcase and Wall Shelves

A bookcase is the better choice when you need genuine storage capacity: several shelves stacked in one footprint, enclosed or open, standing on the floor and taking its own share of the room. It suits a study, a living room wall earmarked for a book collection, or anywhere you want a piece of furniture that reads as a solid object in the room.

Wall shelves suit lighter loads and a more open feel. A single low shelf or a run of shelves above a sofa or desk keeps the floor clear, which matters in smaller rooms or narrow hallways. Because they mount to the wall, check the wall construction and fixing method before ordering, particularly for the longer or heavier shelf designs in this range.

Sizing and Placement

Think about the wall you are furnishing before the shelf itself. A tall bookcase or tall shelf, such as the Nova Nook PERLEN Tall Shelf, reads best against a full wall height with room to breathe either side, while a low shelf works better under a window or beside a doorway where a tall piece would compete with the opening. Pairing a low shelf with seating at a similar height keeps a living room feeling balanced rather than top-heavy on one wall.

For wall-mounted pieces, leave enough clearance from adjacent furniture and light switches, and position the lowest shelf at a height that is genuinely easy to reach, not just visually pleasing. Where a bookcase and a wall shelf from the same collection are both available, using the wall shelf in a hallway or small room and the bookcase in the main living space keeps a consistent look across a home without repeating the same footprint everywhere.

Materials and Finishes

Oak dominates this category, appearing in finishes such as pearl oak, baltic storm oak and cremona torro oak, alongside walnut in villa walnut and darker espresso brown finishes. These wood tones sit well against the darker black option available on some Nova Nook designs, giving a way to match a shelf to existing dining or living room furniture in the same finish family.

Alongside solid wood, the category includes metal-framed shelving from Tamo Design's Ferro range and display-style shelves from AYTM in more sculptural, object-like forms. Wood surfaces should be dusted regularly and kept away from direct heat sources such as radiators, which can dry out the timber and affect the finish over time; metal-framed pieces need only occasional wiping down.

Sub-Collections Worth Knowing

Nova Nook accounts for the largest share of the range, with several named collections, ANSO, RHIO, SALA, LLOK and PERLEN, each offered in more than one size and finish so a low shelf and a tall bookcase from the same line can be used together. Tamo Design contributes both bookcases and wall shelves, including the metal Ferro Wall Shelves and the timber Ligo and Vazoo bookcases, giving a different material language to choose from within the same category.

AYTM's contribution leans towards display-oriented wall shelving rather than storage-first bookcases, better suited to showing a small number of objects than to housing a full book collection. Bolia, Snapp, Saba Italia, Cattelan Italia, Caso Furniture and Bonaldo each add a single piece or a small pair, useful if you want one distinct shelf rather than committing to a full collection.

Notable Pieces

The Nova Nook ANGALIR Tall Cashmere Shelf and its lower companion, the Nova Nook ANGALIR Low Bookcase, form one of the more complete pairings in the range, letting a room take the low version and a hallway or study the tall one. For a metal-framed option, the Tamo Design Ferro Wall Shelves stand apart from the oak and walnut pieces that make up most of the category, and the AYTM Curva Display Shelf is worth a look for anyone furnishing a room around a small collection of objects rather than books.

Working With the Rest of the Room

Shelving rarely stands alone. In a living room, it usually sits alongside a sofa, a set of coffee and side tables, and often an armchair positioned to face the display wall. In a hallway or study, wall shelves pair naturally with wall lights mounted above or beside them to keep the display lit without a floor or table lamp taking up the limited space.

For rooms where books and objects need to be stored rather than displayed, a bookcase from this category can sit alongside cabinets and storage or a sideboard, giving open shelving for what you want visible and closed storage for what you do not.

Shop Shelving and Bookcases at RB12

RB12 stocks shelving and bookcases from Nova Nook, Tamo Design, AYTM, Bolia, Snapp, Saba Italia, Cattelan Italia, Caso Furniture and Bonaldo. Browse the full shelving and bookcases range, or go straight to bookcases or wall shelves depending on whether you need floor storage or wall-mounted display.