freestanding

“A home without books is a body without soul,” said Cicero back in 63BC. Wise though he might have been, he didn’t anticipate Kindles, iPads, streaming TV or social media. While these have all affected our book-buying habits, most of us still have a collection we love. Choosing a standalone shelf to display your favourites comes down to size and style. Measure the available height, width and depth of your space, and also think about the height of your books, if the shelves aren’t adjustable. Bookshelves are versatile, too – a low set of shelves provides a handy surface for display, and adding baskets or boxes creates storage for small items such as toys. If you have young kids in the house, anchor tall or heavy shelves to the wall to avoid tipping.