Solid Wood Bookcase

A good quality solid wood bookcase will last more than a lifetime. Add to this the natural beauty of wood, and you have a winner. Solid wood is stronger and more durable than particle board and other less expensive construction too.

There are many beautiful types of wood that can be used for bookcases. I'm currently looking at two solid oak bookcases in my office. There are many other choices too like maple, cherry, and mahogany. Cheaper wood bookcases may be made of pine or other softwoods, and are often painted as well.

You can buy new wooden bookcases ready to go, buy unfinished ones and spend a few weeknights or perhaps part of a weekend finishing them, or look for older bookcases, for example at garage sales, used furniture shops, or on Craigslist. My wife picked up a few for free that only needed a bit of TLC. One she just sanded and refinished, but a couple had been painted a hideous color and needed quite a bit of work to restore the beautiful underlying wood. The ones in my office came from a used office supply store and were quite economical.

You can even build your own if you have a little woodworking talent. Plans are all over the place, including quite a few free online. My brother in law built a beautiful one in his spare time. Building my own is a little beyond my skill level but is a great idea for many as you can build exactly the size you want. Of course you can also hire a professional to build one or more, perhaps built in.

Antique bookcases are also popular and usually made of beautiful hardwoods like camphor, oak, walnut and mahogany. My friend Bob is an avid reader as well as a collector of old books. These old books look very impressive in the antique book cases he has.

I just love the look of wood and solid wood bookcases. Beautiful, functional, durable - everything you'd ever want in a piece of furniture or book case.