How to Choose the Best Cube Bookcase?
Table of Contents
Top Best Cube Bookcase Based on Reviews and Price
Why You Need a Good Cube Bookcase?
The cube bookcase is an excellent piece of decorative furniture. They are suitable for holding picture books, display items, craft items and other special possessions that may not do well in other wider or traditional shelving units. They can be used in the living room or other rooms such as the bedroom or the hallway.
However, this piece of furniture also plays a decorative role. It allows the display of decorative objects, photo frames, and other personal items. To choose it, different criteria have to be considered.
Top 8 Factors to Consider Before Buying a Cube Bookcase
1. The Different Types of Cube Bookcase
To meet everyone’s needs and tastes, manufacturers offer various cube bookcase models.
Classic Cube Bookcase
This type of bookcase is the most common model. Relatively affordable, this piece of furniture has several shelves suitable for storing books, documents, and various objects. More functional than decorative, they usually have a perfect square shape. However, the number of shelves can differ. You can find symmetrical cases with 4 shelves (two columns and two rows) or 9 shelves (three rows and three columns). It fits perfectly in the living room or entrance. These types are often made of wood.
Wall Cube Bookcase
Finding its place in all rooms of the house, the wall or hanging bookcase is screwed or hung on the wall. Its drawback is its low resistance to heavy loads. But they are very aesthetic and ideal for the modern living room.
Period Bookcase
This model is ideal for the display of old works or if you want it to have a beautiful cover or door. In noble wood, the period or style bookcase adds cachet to the decoration. But you have to note that you wouldn’t be able to display the stored items, except the doors are made of glass material.
Modular Bookcase
This modular piece of furniture is recommended for people who want to change their decorations regularly. Consisting of a stack of cubic lockers, the modular bookcase can be moved as desired. For an original decoration, choosing stackable cubes in different colors and of various dimensions is recommended.
2. The Type Of Material for the Bookcase
Depending on the style of decoration, the choice of bookcase is based on the type of material used. There are basically three types of materials used for this type of furniture:
Metal Cube Bookcase
A metal piece of furniture will be perfect in a room with a contemporary atmosphere. Its main advantage lies in its resistance. Perfect for industrial decoration, metal is heavy and difficult to move.
Wood Cube Bookcase
Most bookcase furniture is made of wood. The simplest models are often made of pine or wood fibers. For a period bookcase, materials such as teak or solid oak are to be preferred.
Other Materials
For a refined and design decoration, other materials are recommended, such as transparent plastic, appreciated for its lightness and solidity. Bookcases with glass materials are not rarely found also. Although attractive, the glass bookcase is rather fragile. To create an elegant and timeless atmosphere, wood remains a safe bet.
3. The Location You Will Place the Bookcase
The choice of a bookcase also depends on its future location. Indeed, one does not choose the same piece of furniture to equip all the rooms in the house.
- In the living room: In a living room, the bookcase often performs a function other than the storage of books. Also welcoming decorative items, the bookcase must be matched with the other pieces of furniture in the room.
- In the corridor: This is a space where there isn’t usually a lot of space. Still, the corridor is perfectly suited for the installation of a bookcase. This option is particularly necessary in the case where the corridor links to the rooms. To prevent the furniture from taking up too much space across the width, especially in a narrow corridor, a bookcase with a shallow depth is recommended. On the other hand, optimizing the storage possibilities is possible by opting for a cabinet with a height rising to the ceiling.
- In a bedroom: For avid readers, the bedroom is ideal for installing a bookcase. If it must imperatively meet aesthetic criteria in the living room, this piece of furniture must above all be practical and functional when placed in a bedroom. Its location must be defined according to the times of the day dedicated to reading (on an armchair during the day, in bed before sleeping, etc.).
- In a dedicated room: For those who plan to build an entire room for reading, the installation of shelvings on all walls is possible. The bookcase can have a height up to the ceiling. In this case, the highest shelves will only be accessible with a ladder.
4. Choose Backless Furniture
The main purpose of buying your bookcase is to hold your books. But no one wants to spend hundreds of dollars on a piece of furniture that will be a liability to the room decor. To get the opposite, the cube bookcases provide you with limitless design options. Many furniture are designed to have some sort of fiberboard covering the back. This helps to hold the shelves’ contents in place.
However, with cube bookcases, there are many backless designs to choose from. These types are open – no back cover, no front door. They let the wall behind be visible, hence, showcasing the decorative elements of the wall, the shelves and the designs from the books and decorative items they hold. Asides the decor purpose, backless cube storages are also less expensive.
5. Symmetrical or Asymmetrical Shapes?
Symmetrical Shelving Units
One common design option you’ll find in the market is the symmetrical types. They have cube storages that have harmonious and corresponding designs and shapes. You may choose this if you want a classical or modular style.
Asymmetrical Shapes
If you want to take a step further to acquire a decorative piece, then the asymmetrical types are really an option. With varying designs, asymmetrical designs give uniqueness to the look of the furniture. Some asymmetrical bookcases can have a mixture of rectangular (vertical or normal) and square units. Also, an asymmetrical bookcase with 8 shelving units, for example, may have 6 or 7 symmetrical units.
Then, the rest of the units can be smaller in size or different in shape. These irregular units can take the center or strategic position of the furniture. They are used to hold decorative objects such as flowers, picture frames, etc. Hence, they add spice to the overall look of the furniture or eliminate blandness.
6. The Dimensions of the Bookcase
The dimensions depend mainly on the number of books to be displayed. As an indication, the height of a comic strip is around 30 centimeters. On the other hand, a pocketbook rarely exceeds 20 centimeters. The space available for installing the bookcase is also to be taken into account when choosing the size of the furniture. If you plan to acquire other books over time, opting for a bookcase with modular shelves is the best option.
On the overall dimensions of the bookcase, the dimensions can range from 40 to 60 inches. It’s up to you to choose according to the space available in your home.
7. Vertical, Horizontal or Perfect Square Cube Bookcases?
The advantage of going for a cube bookcase is that each prospective user will find their options, irrespective of space available.
Vertical Bookcases
These are ideal for those who have space constraints. For example, you’ll find models with just a single or double rows. So, with two rows of shelving units and 4 columns, you’ll have an upright bookcase with 8 shelving units. These types can have between 10 to 20 inches of width and as much as 60 inches of height. The storage units of vertical bookcases are symmetrical in shape. So, they aren’t as decorative due to the constraints of width space.
Rectangular and Square Bookcases
These are great options if you have space to spare. The main advantage of this is that they provide additional storage spaces on the top since they aren’t usually so high. Another advantage of rectangular or square bookcases is that they can have asymmetrical shapes.
8. Bookcases With or Without Doors?
Closed Cube Bookcases
Depending on the model, the bookcase can be fitted with open storage. We already said most models could come with no front or back covers or doors. However, if you have playful and inquisitive kids around, a model with at least a front door is necessary. The major advantages of this are that it keeps books from dust and indiscriminate access. However, a wooden or metal door will shut out the decorations the stored items may bring. So, choose a model that has a single or double doors with transparent glass material. Regarding the glass doors, these can be locked or not locked.
Open Design Bookcases
The open option are the most eye-catching and simplest types. With no back support and door, they greatly facilitate access to various works. They’re great for the display of decorative materials asides from books.
Wrapping Up
Before embarking on the acquisition of a cube bookcase, various details must be studied. The choice of this piece of furniture is made, among other things according to the space to install it. Indeed, this furniture can quickly become bulky in a narrow space. In addition, the choice of furniture must be made according to future storage needs.
Choose vertical designs if you lack space, square or rectangular if you are looking for aesthetic design. Choose a closed storage design if you have kids around and an open design if you want the shelves to be accessible. There are also symmetrical shapes for those who want classic and modular designs and the asymmetrical shapes if you want a beautifying and uniquely-designed bookcase. You have a wide range to choose from. So, analyze what your needs are and choose!
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