Quality studio shelving is critical to organization, efficiency, and owning a LOT of books. Often times, the best solutions for an artist don’t come from the obvious source. Rather than head to the nearest office supply store for bookshelves, I modeled the shelving in my shipping container studio after the garage workshop of a friend. He used standards and brackets to create adjustable height plywood shelving.
I spaced four standards along the back wall to marry with the studs used to frame the wall. The standards come in six foot lengths which gives me floor-to-ceiling shelving on the back wall of my studio.
Each of the brackets I purchased will hold 300 lbs. Four standards means four brackets supporting each shelf. Savor with me the vision of just how many books these shelves could theoretically hold…
The boards for the shelves are multi-layered plywood rather that composite board. Composite board is the stuff used in the average laminated bookshelf. Who hasn’t experienced the dreaded sagging shelves of composite board bookcases? Multi-layered plywood is more expensive, but it will not warp so easily.
These shelves may not be chic, but they support the weight of my library plus art supplies, and that is a beautiful thing!
