I Heart Built-In Bookcases

There are lots of little things that are different about life in Germany & Austria versus at home in the US, and one big thing we noticed right away is almost all of the apartments have NO storage, no place to put anything-- closets, bathroom cabinets, in some cases like our apartment in Berlin not even any kitchen cabinets.  So you have to make your own storage, in our case here in the living room with Ikea's least expensive open wooden shelving.

While our exposed garage shelving is great for now, someday I would love to have custom built in bookshelves in a study or library of our own.  With impossibly high ceilings and heavy, original woodwork, of course:)

via House Beautiful

via House Beautiful

via Para Interioros

via Para Interiors

I love these gorgeous ornate door handles by Elegant Additions.  Can't you imagine living in a palatial apartment with super high ceilings, French doors everywhere and these handles to complete your amazing library?   

If you want to create a library at home or update your current shelving situation, but you can't afford to hire a carpenter for custom built-ins, Ikea is a good option for finding the bones of the shelving you'll need, and then you can always add molding and extensions to it to make it more of a custom fit.  Here are some great, affordable options from good old Ikea: 

The Classic: Billy

Billy extension shelf

Hemnes

Expedit

 These custom built arched bookshelves are from Little Green Notebook's Jenny Komenda.  She and her husband made them out of Ikea's Billy bookshelves, and now they look like built-ins in their New York loft apartment.  Check out her DIY post here.

And for the final touch (what every library needs): a LADDER.

Inreda Ladder by Ikea

Or you could find your own beautiful old wooden ladder and outfit it with this library ladder kit:

from Spiral Stairs of America

I'm pretty sure I would read a LOT more books if I had a library like any of these!

Liza