Get inspired by 12 shelves that are the star of any space

In the selection of projects that you will see below, shelves are the main elements in the composition of the environments. Made of natural or colored wood , they can house collections of books and objects or act as a multifunctional piece of furniture , taking on the functions of a sideboard, rack and even a table. In some spaces, shelves can also be used as dividers and create a light look without completely closing off the space. So, if you’re looking for ideas for your project, take a look at these shelves in different styles and sizes below!

Green shelf

In this apartment, designed by Fabiana Cyon and Ana Paula Castro , the clients wanted plenty of space for books in the living room. Fabiana explains that when she changed the layout to make the kitchen bigger, the living room ended up with a rectangular shape. To make the most of the space, the professional designed a cabinet that takes up the entire wall opposite the windows. More than just storing books and objects, this bookcase serves a number of functions, including an entrance hall, a niche for the TV, and a pass-through window connected to the kitchen, in addition to framing access to the private area. The colors of the woodwork are a striking element throughout the apartment, indicating different uses: green for the common shelves and cabinets, blue in the kitchen, and more neutral tones, such as wood and white, in the bedrooms.

Curved design

Designed by Maycon Altera for CASACOR Minas Gerais , this space chooses stone and wood as basic elements because they present a beauty that has no expiration date. The furniture follows the same line, adding care, harmony and a dose of impact , such as the bookcase that frames the space. Note that the piece, despite being large, has a soft design, allowing the wall in the background to appear.

Cozy atmosphere

Architects Bitty Talbot and Cecília Teixeira, from Brise Arquitetura , designed this house, which features a wooden bookcase full of niches as the main feature of the living room. In the original plan, the living area was completely compartmentalized, with several small rooms that were demolished to make way for a larger, more fluid space, with the living, dining and TV areas now fully integrated. The original masonry fireplace was replaced with a ceiling-hung model that runs on gas. Note that the niches in the furniture were designed to accommodate works of art and objects from the residents' collection.

Object gallery

Affection guides every corner of this 244 ^m2 home, created by interior designer Paola Ribeiro at CASACOR São Paulo . Antique objects , which seem to be family heirlooms, and a wide variety of fabrics with reinterpretations of classic prints bring back memories, roots, childhood references and a sense of welcome. In the living room, the white bookshelf with rectangular niches that support many of these objects, in addition to dividing the spaces, is striking.

Material mix

Architect Romário Rodrigues created a classic reading room at CASACOR São Paulo . The space combines aesthetics and literature as records that transcend time. The 38 m² space contains a fireplace and a floating, illuminated bar, carved from Perla Santana quartzite, mined in Ceará. Antique and design-art pieces, such as the Rio chaise by Oscar Niemeyer, highlight roots and memories. The wooden bookshelf occupies the entire side of the space, embracing visitors.

Industrial touch

Designed by architect Cristina Bezamat , the social area of this apartment has been given a charming décor. “The clients wanted to make the space inviting to receive friends and for the decor to have a more urban , slightly rustic and industrial feel,” she says. Therefore, the professional decided to cover the main wall of the living room with natural brick and designed a bookcase with a gray metal structure, completely openwork, along its entire length.

Elegant and timeless

Two square tables placed next to each other allow the dining room designed by interior designer Rosa May Sampaio to comfortably function as an office at certain times of the day. Together, they can seat up to 12 people for festive meals. Thus, the 50 m² mixed environment, lined with natural fiber carpet and delimited by brick walls, accommodates more family occasions. To complete the space, a bookcase frames the space, serving as support for books, collections, a wine cellar and a bar, with a charming detail: small lamps were attached to the furniture.

Colored background

Created by architects Marina Romeiro , Mariana Gomes and Felipe Maia , from the Maia Romeiro Arquitetura firm, the design for this apartment was based on the clients’ old furniture . To keep the pieces on the patterned parquet floor from being visually overwhelming, the architects adopted a neutral base, consisting of white walls, curtains and dining table, off-white carpet and upholstery and clean-cut cabinetry finished in natural and white freijó, without handles or any other elements that could draw attention. “As the project evolved, we tested out pops of color throughout the house. Since the clients like blue , we painted the door, walls and ceiling of the entrance hall the same color to create a box effect and replicated this on the back of the living room bookshelf and on the wall behind the buffet ,” explains Marina.

Contemporary shape

Comprising two living areas, a lounge and a bar, the space created by David Bastos at CASACOR São Paulo uses striking elements that deconstruct the traditional idea of a living room. The ceiling, for example, reveals not only the original ribbed slab of the Conjunto Nacional, but also the metal components. “ Sustainability is present throughout the project, especially due to the limited use of civil construction elements, since the idea was to make the most of the existing facilities of the listed building,” emphasizes David. The thin metal sheet bookshelf follows the concept of the space and supports books and art objects, which complement the décor .

Room divider

A bookcase with irregular niches is the main feature of the space designed by the trio of architects Rodrigo Beze, Carlos Carvalho and Caio Carvalho, from Studio Ro+Ca at CASACOR São Paulo . In addition, the piece of furniture also acts as a divider , separating the living area from the bedroom. “We materialized our ideas in a capsule space imagined to be tailored for today or 40 years from now,” they explain. The contrast between rustic and modern materials is another characteristic of the project.

Monochromatic look

The Refúgio House, designed by Juliana Marques and Roberta Lanza of GRIFF Arquitetura for CASACOR Paraná 2024 , is a 112 m² space designed to offer rest and disconnection amidst nature. Inspired by the gabled roof houses of the immigrants who arrived in Paraná from 1820 onwards, the building brings history, modernity and current technologies, full of memories and functional for everyday experiences. Inside, a contemporary style décor fills the spaces, such as the bookcase in the living room. Gray in color and with irregular niches, the furniture goes from floor to ceiling and houses a collection of books and objects.