Page 12 · Furniture
2,000 books under the eaves
An attic, a wall sloping at 38 degrees and a collection that lived in moving boxes. Now every book has its place – right into the last corner.
Starting point
The brief
After retiring, Dr. Kessler wanted a library. The only free room was the converted attic – with a knee wall of 1.10 m and a slope that defeats every standard bookcase.
He wanted a bookcase that follows the slope exactly, closed cupboards at the bottom for files and photo albums, and a reading bench under the roof window.
The budget was fixed, so we combined solid beech with birch plywood: solid where hands touch, plywood where it has to carry weight.
A shelf won’t sag under books if you did the maths first.
Wood and finish
Materials
Birch & plywood Betula pendula
25 mm shelves, back panels, framing
Birch & plywood to the wood guide →
Also used
- Water-based matt lacquer
- No visible shelf pins – shelves housed in grooves
- LED strip in the bench
Sizes & facts
- Width
- 7.20 m
- Roof pitch
- 38°
- Shelf length
- about 42 m
- Load per shelf
- up to 60 kg
How we went about it
Process
Surveying in 3D
A roof slope is never a flat plane. We measured twelve points and recorded the twist.
Calculating, not guessing
Shelf spans limited to 80 cm so they don’t visibly sag under 60 kg.
Built in parts
The stairwell was 78 cm wide. So: separate modules, bolted together upstairs.
Following the slope
The top edge follows the slope with a 4 cm gap – enough room for the roof timbers to move.
The reading bench
Under the roof window: a bench with two big drawers and an oxblood-red cushion.
7 weeks
Timeline
- Survey & design2 wk
- Workshop4 wk
- Fitting1 wk
4 drawings
Picture story
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