Most bookshelves are bought on a photograph and a price. The questions come later, once the books are on it: why the atlas hangs over the edge, why the files from work will not stand up, and whether a full shelf is too much for it.
This post covers what a bookshelf costs in Kenya, the few things worth checking before you buy, and then designs for the wall you have, each with its price.
What does a bookshelf cost in Kenya?
Listings on Jiji in Nairobi mostly ask Ksh 6,800 to 15,000 for a bookshelf. Furniture shops that list their sizes ask from about Ksh 14,000 for an MDF bookcase.
Ours run from Ksh 17,500 for a four-shelf bookcase to Ksh 71,000 for a corner library. A single low unit of two shelves is Ksh 6,500. Every price is on our site, and it is the same for everyone.
How deep should a bookshelf be?
Our standard units are 28 cm deep. That takes most novels, textbooks and hardbacks, spine out, and keeps the shelf out of the way in a corridor or a small room.
Large art books and atlases kept lying flat can be deeper than that. For them, the Deep range is 45 cm. The Deep Stack is 52 cm wide, 1.63 m tall and 45 cm deep, in Sage, for Ksh 43,500.
How much room between shelves?
Each unit adds about 30 cm of height and leaves roughly 29 cm clear between one board and the next. Most books stand upright in that. A4 binders and large art books do not, so they lie flat, which is how many people keep them anyway.
If a row of box files has to stand, a design can include a section of frame with no board in it, which makes a taller opening. The Home Office has one in its tall bay, for box files and taller things. It is 2.87 m wide and 1.63 m tall, in Marine, for Ksh 49,000.
How much does a shelf hold?
A metre of books is heavy, and it is a fair question. We have not yet published a tested weight per shelf, and we would rather not guess at one here.
If your collection is a heavy one, law reports or a set of encyclopedias, mention it when you ask about a design.
What is it made of?
The frame is steel. The boards are painted MDF, 12 mm thick, and each rests on steel bars beneath it. It is not solid wood, and we do not call it that. Base units have adjustable feet, so a full shelf stands level on a floor that is not.
Our shelves are modular, which means they are made of separate parts that stack together. Each post drops into the one below with no tools, and the bookcase comes apart when you move.
A design for the wall you have
- A first bookcase. The Quadruple, four shelves, 98 cm wide and 1.03 m tall, in Marine. Ksh 17,500. When the books outgrow it, another unit stacks on top.
- A narrow wall. The Versatile Stack, six shelves on the same 98 cm of floor, 1.63 m tall, in Sage. Ksh 28,500.
- A corner. The Grand Corner, 1.27 m along one wall and 1.24 m along the other, 1.93 m tall with seven shelves a side, in Marine. Ksh 71,000.
- A whole wall. The Double Bay, ten shelves across two bays, 1.99 m wide and 1.33 m tall, in Marine. Ksh 46,000.
For low runs, shelves at two heights and other shapes, see shelves designs for a Nairobi home, or the full range on our shelving page.
Arranging the books
A shelf of books looks better with some air in it. Mix rows standing up with short stacks lying flat, and leave a space on each shelf for a plant, a basket or a carving. Keep the heaviest books on the lower shelves.
A bookend keeps a short row from falling over. Ours clamps onto a board and costs Ksh 1,000.
See it against your wall first
Every design above has its own page. Open it on your phone and you can stand the bookcase against your wall at its real size, through the camera. Or change it in our builder, which prices it as you go.
We deliver within Nairobi, assembled, within a week of payment. Delivery is charged by area, and we tell you the fee before you pay. We provide an ETR invoice.
The first bookcase does not have to be the last. Buy the one your books need now, and add a unit when they need more.