How to Design a Corner Bookshelf

Investigate various styles of corner bookcases in library books, furniture catalogs, or pattern catalogs. Look at actual corner bookshelves in furniture or antique shops. You’ll find bookcases with shelves in triangles, quarter rounds, and squares, from two or three tiers all the way to the ceiling, from the width of an armful of books to the width of both side walls, in ladder and pyramid forms, with open and closed sides, in freestanding style or hanging from the wall.

Measure the bookcase space outside and in. Measure the available space for your bookshelf from the corner to each side until you are obstructed by physical objects or find the space too wide visually. Measure to the ceiling. Measure the height of the objects you’ll be placing in the bookcase: paperbacks, hardbacks, oversized books and knickknacks. Write all the measurements down in a notebook as you go.

Decide how complex a project you want to undertake. Think over each design that interests you, considering planned measurements, and decide if you have the necessary skills and tools to complete it. If a project seems beyond your skills and tools, look into using a kit or a pattern and personalizing it by adjustment, paint, and finishing touches.

Study different kinds of woods, as well as paints and stains. Look at wood in its natural state in lumber yards and view finished wood in furniture stores. You’ll be considering strength, durability, and cost, as well as visual aspects of color and grain patterns if you plan to stain rather than paint. Choose hardwoods such as oak, mahogany, or maple for classic looks. Choose plywood or pine for a less expensive alternative. Or choose oak plywood for the look of oak and price of plywood.

Experiment with finishing touches. Look at stain samples to decide how to bring out the richness and grain of the wood. Or choose a paint to match or complement the colors of the room. You might even decide to add glass inserts, lighting, or molding to the design. Think about how you will arrange the contents of the bookcase for function and aesthetics.

Sketch out the design, then draw it to scale, incorporating all of the decisions you have made for your corner bookcase.