anyone have a forward facing bookcase/rack?

[CloudBee]

I really want this one from Pottery Barn Kids, but Pugz says it's off-white, not basic white. I don't want to spend $129 on something that I will have to paint and seal. Or should I suck it up, but it, and put a coat of paint on it? www.potterybarnkids.com/products/madison-3-shelf-bookrack/?pkey=e|book%2Brack|15|best|0|1|24||14&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

Then Land of Nod has this one, but it's $249. I'm not looking to spend that much. www.landofnod.com/bin-there-done-that-floor-book-bin-white/f5381

$150 is my limit, and I would prefer to pay a bit less as it's an item that they probably would want out of their room by middle school. I want to avoid a regular bookcase right now because in my home, bookcases = a place for clutter. I like how nothing but books can be stored in these forward facing displays.

I'm not crazy about the book slings I'm finding on Target's website, Walmart, Amazon, etc. I really want wood. I'm also not looking to build anything. I have a lot of sewing ahead of me as is. Oh, and I keep seeing tutorials for wall mounted spice racks as book racks. I really don't want to deal with buying a bunch of those and leveling them all. I have enough pictures to hang as is, too. I want a single unit - be it large and wall mounted, or rests on the floor/leans against the wall and is secured.

White, Black, or Espresso colored would work for us. (As would aqua/turq/teal, or lime...)

Does anyone know where else I should look online?

Thanks!

[drloretta]

I would look at some unfinished furniture places and see if they have something similar. They can usually finish it for you.

[huskymom]

I have the small wall one from LoN - it's definitely white. You could do two of those?

I also have the wall shelf with the knobs for hanging things on the bottom and love that!

[CloudBee]

Dec 2, 2012 20:22:31 GMT -5 huskymom said:

I have the small wall one from LoN - it's definitely white. You could do two of those?

I also have the wall shelf with the knobs for hanging things on the bottom and love that!

Is this the small one you're referring to? www.landofnod.com/bin-there-done-that-book-bin-white/f857 If yes, do you feel like you can store a good amount of books in it?

[Redpoppy]

I saw this, but don't know if it goes with your color scheme.

www.pkolino.com/Chalkboard-Bookshelf-Fuchsia-White-p/pkffbsfu.htm

We have an expresso/khaki sling one from One Step Ahead.

[lindyanne]

These are spice racks from Ikea. You could get several dirt cheap and they are also 'display only'. They'd just have to be screwed in. 3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq8JucFCL-c/TX-VeIpVD7I/AAAAAAAANgA/-qamOMs8Xns/s640/domesticsimplicityikeabookshelf2-767465.jpg

[CloudBee]

After spending time online looking for the forward facing shelves tonight, I think I may just do the Ikea spice racks. They are popping up on so many blogs. I'm kicking myself, though. We live about 40 minutes away from one, and were there just yesterday. ugh!

Thanks for the links. I'll keep poking around online a bit, and if I have no luck, I'll head to Ikea again in a few weeks.

ETA: Their website says the racks aren't in stock at my local Ikea currently, so I feel a little better now.

[ilikedonuts]

Dec 2, 2012 21:17:30 GMT -5 lindyanne said:

These are spice racks from Ikea. You could get several dirt cheap and they are also 'display only'. They'd just have to be screwed in. 3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vq8JucFCL-c/TX-VeIpVD7I/AAAAAAAANgA/-qamOMs8Xns/s640/domesticsimplicityikeabookshelf2-767465.jpg

This was going to be my suggestion. We got 4 and painted ours white. I can post a picture if the OP wants.

[cherry1111]

It says that PB one comes in Espresso, but it looks kind of light in the pic. I'd probably buy the white and paint it as my first choice, but the Ikea spice racks are pretty cool too.

[huskymom]

Dec 2, 2012 21:03:39 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Dec 2, 2012 20:22:31 GMT -5 huskymom said:

I have the small wall one from LoN - it's definitely white. You could do two of those?

I also have the wall shelf with the knobs for hanging things on the bottom and love that!

Is this the small one you're referring to? www.landofnod.com/bin-there-done-that-book-bin-white/f857 If yes, do you feel like you can store a good amount of books in it?

Yes, that's the one. We haven't actually put it up yet, I can't commit to a spot. It won't hold a ton, (12-15?) but it would be a good shelf to display the nice books you won't want them messing with.

[arch01]

the IKEA spice racks have been out of stock for about 95% of the time for the past year. we were going to do that but decided to go with the long RIBBA ledges. we have four of them in DS' room. i'll try to remember to get a picture later.

[karinothing]

Thanks for the IKEA spice rack idea. I have been wanting to get some of these.

Also I just found this and think it is adorable but obviously WAY too expensive
www.amazon.com/Nurseryworks-Tree-Bookcase-in-Green/dp/B004WMH618/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1354542915&sr=8-4&keywords=front+facing+kids+book+shelves

[lindyanne]

Here's two other minimalist ideas that can't be catch-alls.

pennycarnival.typepad.com/penny_carnival/2009/02/tutorial-hanging-book-display.html
theardentsparrow.blogspot.com/2011/05/monday-design-inspiration-child.html?m=1

[ssmjlm]

I'm pretty sure the spice racks have been out of stock for a year now after everyone realized they could double as book shelves.

DH is making me some of our own to custom fit the wall I want to put them on, but I have always like the PBK one. What about a few cans of spraypaint?

[liveintheville]

Dec 2, 2012 21:03:39 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Dec 2, 2012 20:22:31 GMT -5 huskymom said:

I have the small wall one from LoN - it's definitely white. You could do two of those?

I also have the wall shelf with the knobs for hanging things on the bottom and love that!

Is this the small one you're referring to? www.landofnod.com/bin-there-done-that-book-bin-white/f857 If yes, do you feel like you can store a good amount of books in it?

We have that one. We like it a lot. Our kids are nutballs and there is no way something shallow, like the spice rack or straight shelves with a lip, would work in their room. I like the LON one because it holds taller books no problem and they can't just randomly knock them all over.

Eventually we'll get some more but not until we move them into bunk beds and rearrange the room. We keep the majority of their books in the living room. We have the potter barn cameron storage wall unit.

[karinothing]

How about the boon ones? www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007D1SK2Y/ref=s9_simh_gw_p201_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1J0459HJ7XRYSVWWMAKF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

[CloudBee]

Dec 3, 2012 9:32:40 GMT -5 karinothing said:

How about the boon ones? www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007D1SK2Y/ref=s9_simh_gw_p201_d0_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_r=1J0459HJ7XRYSVWWMAKF&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938811&pf_rd_i=507846

I like these! Lime is on eof the accent colors in the room. I'm saving the link as I might get one set of these regardless.

[carolinagirl831]

Cloud bee,
Actually I would look into the pottery barn kids one, They have done away with their off white color and now have bright white and simply white in all their furniture lines. I saw that book shelf at their outlet recently and it was definitely their new white not the old off white.
Almost all their furniture has been discontinued from the original PBK off white.
EDIT- i just looked on their website and the white is the new simply white. This is the new white not the old off white. I think this option looks the nicest of the ones you posted.

[pugz]

interesting, I bought the PBK one in the spring and it's definitely off white, but maybe they got enough complaints about it not coordinating with their other furniture that they changed it!

[carolinagirl831]

Pugz- they did just change it this fall. They said they were getting complaints, so they have are discontinuing that old color. I just bought my crib, night stand and a different book shelf there in the new "simply white" and it is white, the old color looks yellow against it.

[pugz]

makes me wish I'd waited to buy it! but it's good news for you cloudbee!

[anna7602]

We would not be able to fit DD's book collection in those, even if you only count the books we have acquired while abroad in the last 10 months.

I get what you are saying about clutter (and the built-in bookshelves around the fireplace in the apartment we're renting attest to that), but I really would want room for your book collection to grow over the years.

[pugz]

it is definitely not large enough for our all books. It's really more of a decorative piece for the nursery, I put my favorites in it to display their covers, then all the others are in a bin next to it. When we get an IKEA in a couple of years and move G to a big girl room we'll likely get an expedit keep the forward facing one in the nursery for the next baby.

[CloudBee]

Dec 3, 2012 15:39:11 GMT -5 anna7602 said:

We would not be able to fit DD's book collection in those, even if you only count the books we have acquired while abroad in the last 10 months.

I get what you are saying about clutter (and the built-in bookshelves around the fireplace in the apartment we're renting attest to that), but I really would want room for your book collection to grow over the years.

Yeah, I assume we will end up getting a regular bookcase at some point. Probably sooner than I had imagined. I would rather do the forward facing to start, though. As Pugz said, she keeps books in a bin. I may do that as well, as we have all of those Land of Nod baskets I posted about last week. (No clue if you saw the post.)

We'll also keep a lot of their books in the living room on the bottom shelves of our current bookcase, I imagine. It spans almost an entire wall.

[Deleted]

I know you said you don't like slings, but I have this one from Amazon in Natural, I LOVE IT. It comes in espresso too. The sling shelves hold a TON of books, with no bars to cover them up like the ones in your OP. The bins on the bottom are great for toys. It is good quality and sturdy, we've been very happy with it.

www.amazon.com/Kids-Sling-Bookshelf-Storage-ESPRESSO/dp/B007AYS1F0/ref=pd_cp_ba_0

[CloudBee]

Dec 3, 2012 14:49:46 GMT -5 pugz said:

makes me wish I'd waited to buy it! but it's good news for you cloudbee!

Agreed!

I purchased an armoire online a few years ago that was listed as white, but arrived as off-white. I was so annoyed. So when you told me that your bookcase was off-white, I took a step back from purchasing, lol.

White should be white!

I'm happy PBK transitioned.

[anna7602]

Dec 3, 2012 16:13:15 GMT -5 @supergreen said:

I know you said you don't like slings, but I have this one from Amazon in Natural, I LOVE IT. It comes in espresso too. The sling shelves hold a TON of books, with no bars to cover them up like the ones in your OP. The bins on the bottom are great for toys. It is good quality and sturdy, we've been very happy with it.

www.amazon.com/Kids-Sling-Bookshelf-Storage-ESPRESSO/dp/B007AYS1F0/ref=pd_cp_ba_0

Does your child stare in amazement at it every day like the girl in the picture? (I am mocking the picture, not you, I promise!)