When I went to the thrift store, something caught my eye. Interesting, but…hmm, I don’t know what to do with this, so let’s move on. Then, some time later, you come across a beautifully styled image of that very item in a magazine or social feed, and your body instantly becomes obsessed with FOMO. You missed an opportunity, and most likely, it has long been picked up by someone else.
Well, today I’m going to get ahead of that FOPOTBTI (fear of passing on beautiful recycled items…I know it’s clunky) by sharing a piece of furniture that I keep seeing while thumbing through the furniture on Facebook Marketplace. A lawyer’s bookshelf. This solid wood stacking furniture is usually made of oak and has a sliding glass front that gives any room a university or library feel. What did kids call that style these days? Grandpa chic? Well…this is grandpa chic at its best.
I love seeing the original wood finish, but you can easily upcycle it with paint if you prefer that look. And the best part? They typically cost around $100, are easy to transport, and have endless uses.
How to find used barrister bookshelves
For some reason, every time I open the second-hand market app, these bookshelves are offered to me. They’re like dropped pennies…they’re everywhere (though in my opinion they’re not often used in beautifully finished projects). not found. they find me I’ve seen it offered for free a few times, but it’s usually offered for around $100 as mentioned above. Of course, there are some that are more expensive depending on the region and year of production, but they cost a few hundred dollars at most. It is usually made of hardwood and may have lead decoration on the glass front.
As you can see from the list above, there are many people who list it as their lawyer’s bookshelf. It’s made of solid oak and costs $80, which is honestly a great value for something made of wood like this. It looks like there is an open section in the middle lower tier, but most have glass doors that open from the top and slide out of the way.
Some sellers may get the name right, but it’s unclear if it’s antique or what the seller above calls “vintage style.” That’s kind of the name of the game in peer-to-peer marketplaces. People are posting what they think is best, so be sure to ask questions about construction, age, and condition. The most common problem is the functionality of sliding glass doors.
I love the glasswork on the top door, but the fact that this is $50 is amazing. If you’re near Corona, California, get yours now!
A little history lesson on the barrister’s bookshelf
Before we get too far into it (just keep scrolling if you’re nervous), we should give you a little history on what these things are. Called barrister bookcases (although they are sometimes listed on the market as barrister bookcases or bookcases), they originated in England around the 17th century. As the name suggests, they were first created for courts and lawyers (known as barristers in the UK) to carry valuable legal books between offices and to store important legal documents in court. The great thing about these is that they are modular and stackable units, and at the time, this feature allowed for easy disassembly for transport.
Eventually, this type of bookshelf made its way to the United States, where it was popularized by a company called Grove-Wernicke, who sold it as a “stretchable bookshelf.” From there, it spread beyond law firms to homes, libraries, and even schools. Separated sections allow you to move through the entire library without packing or unpacking books. It’s a truly excellent and functional design.
How to style this Facebook Marketplace Marvel
The more I see them in people’s homes, beautifully styled with all kinds of trinkets, the more I’m convinced that I need to add them to my case collection once my home gets bigger and I have space for it. Lawyer bookshelves are shallow, narrow, and not very tall, so they work in so many rooms, from dining rooms to home offices, living spaces, and even bathrooms. However, I’ll share my favorite creative use at the end (and it’s a good one).
First of all, from brooklyn art boyyou’ll see how it’s perfect for small collections of candlesticks, vessels, vintage brassware, and more. This scale is best suited for older homes with low ceilings and small rooms, but we’re sure it will work beautifully in larger homes as well.
This piece is most often used in the dining room, where wine glasses and glasses, alcohol, bar utensils, etc. are stored. And as you can see from the two images in two separate homes, the height of the three-tiered bookshelf is just what you need for some artwork, a vase, and two taper candles (how funny…perhaps one informed the other??).
Do you have extra dishes or platters you’d like to show off? These also make great china cabinets. And as you can see from the image above, minnesota lastyou can skip the library/grandpa aesthetic by applying paint in a color that matches your style and home decor.
Probably like matte black simply beautiful I ran it above (click the “play” arrow to see the transformation).
Want a more modern feel? Replace the small knob with a bar pull and add something to the back panel (from here Bre purposeappears to have used reed or fluted siding). It would be nice to have wallpaper that has a punch to it and an interior that is a different color from the exterior!
yes! This is very appealing to me and is used to store old quilts and linens. It’s such a beautiful way to showcase cute things that are usually hidden behind the sturdy doors of your linen closet. Bathrooms with open floor space can have beauty products, folded towels, bath salts, etc. to give them a pharmacy look.
But most of all, my favorite “keep it in your brain until you renovate your home” concept is in the kitchen, as shown above. heartwood designs. This is better than open shelving, but still gives an open, airy feel and speaks to the British kitchen style that we all love (and for good reason). Of course, you can have a custom piece on your countertop, or you can find a lawyer bookshelf for about $50 and simply update the interior to match your cabinets. I fainted.
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Now that you’re inspired (we hope so), head to your favorite second-hand market and find your very own barrister bookshelf. And I personally love this “how to make it shine” format for used home decor and furniture, so if you see an item in stores or online over and over again that needs a little help making it look ravishingly valuable, please let me know in the comments below.
Until next time, friends…
Opening image credit: Design by Malcolm Simmons |Photo credit Malcolm Simmons and andrew hill |Source: Malcolm’s DIY office reveal
Source: Emily Henderson – stylebyemilyhenderson.com
