Pine Bookcases

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:37:00 +0000

Size matters!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:39:00 +0000

If, like me, you've tried looking for pine bookcases online then the first thing you want to know is what size the flippin' thing is so you can tell whether or not it'll fit in the space available. So why is this information so difficult to come by on some websites?

When confronted with dozens of bookcases that all look pretty much the same, I want to know how tall, wide and deep it is. Some retailers are pretty good but others are dreadful. If you see something described as a 3ft bookcase you want to know are they talking about the height or the width? And are the shelves adjustable or fixed? (and how many shelves are there?).

I feel better now I've got that off my chest but c'mon guys, if you want me to buy then give me the information I need.

Is it cheaper to make my own pine bookcases?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Mon, 24 May 2010 11:24:00 +0000

I consider myself to be reasonably good at woodwork and so a little while ago when I wanted a bookcase I thought I'd save some money and build my own. I was surprised to find out that I cannot buy and make a pine bookcase for less money than it costs to buy one ready made. I have the woodworking tools to hand but the cost of timber from the DIY store came to more than the cost of a similar sized, fully assembled bookcase delivered to my door.

Now I accept that 'my' bookcase can be custom built to be a perfect fit in the alcove where it is wanted, but when all the effort and time is taken into account it's not really worth the trouble. It's like buying a cooked chicken in the supermarket. I can't buy and cook a chicken for less money than buying one ready to eat!!!

Why pine is the best cheap bookcase

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:20:00 +0000

I suspect that most people looking for a bookcase on the internet are looking for something to do a job (that is, store books) rather than a smart piece of furniture. Therefore price is the primary consideration - provided they are convinced it will do the job required without collapsing.

There are cheap bookcases available, made from MDF or chipboard, but these really are a false economy, as they will not provide long service if fully loaded with books. The best solution is to buy solid pine - and the reason is simple.

MDF and chipboard are both made from particles of waste timber that are compressed and glued together. Under load (in compression, to use a technical term) both materials are remarkably strong. The problem is that, to take the example of a shelf loaded with books, the top surface of the shelf is being compressed but the effect on the bottom surface is to pull it apart (in tension). MDF and chipboard are not good at resisting this pulling apart and will soon sag or fail completely.

Pine on the other hand is equally as good as MDF in compression but also contains long fibres that provide good strength in tension. In other words, these long fibres make it much harder to pull pine apart - which is what happens in the bottom surface of a bookshelf. A demonstration of the strength of pine fibres can be seen in that pine roots can be woven together to form strong ropes for lashing poles together.

All woods contain these long fibres but pine is one of the cheapest woods, so a bookcase of pine is usually the cheapest way to acquire a strong, serviceable bookcase.

Pine bookcases for a cheap practical solution

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:54:00 +0000

From personal experience, finding somewhere to store lots of books can be far more of a challenge than might be expected. Take a look at lifestyle magazines and you see rooms with dozens or even hundreds of books all arranged in an attractive, artistic fashion - just how much time and money do these people have?

Me, I have a pile of books (well, several piles) and need to put them somewhere out of the way but where I can find individual books when I need them. The obvious solution is to trot along to Argos or Ikea, find the cheapest bookcase that holds the biggest number of books, take it home and screw it together.

Now, this can work pretty well - provided you can find some way to suport your chipboard or MDF creation on each side to stop it developing a middle waist spread under the weight of books. I've also found that the shelves don't carry solid rows of books very well and will eventually sag. Then you end up with the books supporting the case, rather than the other way round.

The solution experience has taught me is to buy a bookcase or bookcases made from solid wood. Ideally they should be a proper carcass or cabinet that has already been fixed or glued together by the manufacturer because these are far stronger than the screw together variety. Wooden shelves have a greater strength than manufactured board and are much less likely to sag under the weight of books.

You can choose all kinds of wood, including oak, acacia or whatever takes your fancy. The only restriction is the budget you have available - and this is why I like Pine Bookcases. Pine is about the cheapest timber you can get, it offers all the strength needed for a bookcase and, because most pine in this country comes from managed forests in Europe rather than the other side of the world, its less damaging to the environment.

Manufacturers are far more inventive with the choice of styles available these days and even offer a choice of finishes including waxed, lacquered and painted. One such manufacturer is PD Global. Their website can be a bit tortuous to navigate but this is a link to their bookcases page. A search for the company on Google should also show some of the retailers where you can buy their bookcases.

Oak & Pine Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:23:00 +0000

Whenever buying Pine & Oak Furniture it's always a good idea to mindful of the quality of your purchase.

Realistically look out for the words Solid Wood. The more detail the retailer shows on an item the better. So in the case of Bookcases the shelves, backs should all be solid wood if your paying top doller.

Naturally if your buying from cheaper sources then you have accept that some of MDF in the bookcase.

New Furniture Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:16:00 +0000

As I spend a lot of my time blogging about furniture I've recently gone and bought a few new domains:-

Dwell Furniture
Talking about the company, their quite a new bunch and have expanded rapidly.

G-Plan Furniture
Whilst Dwell is fairly new G Plan are much older! Same sort of site though.

Heals Furniture
At the time of writing it's not yet up but this company ancient established 1810!

The right time of year to buy a Bookcase

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:45:00 +0000

It seems to me that some types of furniture have 'seasons' - certain times of year when it is more appropriate or necessary to buy them than others. Perhaps the most obvious example is garden furniture which people tend to buy in the spring or summer when they plan on sitting outside in the light evenings and (hopefully) warm summer weather.

So what about bookcases? Well in my view, bookcases are the sort of thing for the autumn and the winter - especially just after Christmas. Why? well Christmas in particular is when people are likely to receive new books as presents, so surely it makes sense to have somewhere to house these new additions to your collection. The other argument is that because the winter does not lend itself to outdoor activity, then what better than to be able to glance along neat rows of books, pick out a favourite, nestle in a comfortable chair in front of the fire and sit out the raging weather outside.

Of course bookcases come in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles (Thank goodness - can you imagine massive bookcases in a tiny flat or, conversely, compact half-height bookcases in a huge library?). One of the best places to see a good variety of bookcases at reasonable prices is the bookcases section of Right Price Furniture's website.

A Great 'Discovery' - Pine Furniture!

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:05:00 +0000

At the weekend I was looking at some pine furniture and it was like meeting an old friend I hadn’t seen for some time. I’d forgotten just how new pine furniture can be so fresh and natural – add a few pebbles and some sisal rope and it feels like the seaside, but add a thick rug and a blazing log fire and it feels like a cabin in the mountains.

For a great choice of pine furniture in traditional and contemporary styles I’d look for pine furniture on Right Price furniture’s website. They have dozens of ranges of genuine solid pine furniture and Right Price Furniture is now one of the biggest and most trusted online furniture retailers in the UK.

Pine Bookcases for a Touch of Elegance

noreply@blogger.com (Divazzy) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:24:00 +0000

Throughout history, bookcases have garnered a reputation for being one of the most important pieces of furniture in any home. Having a classy pine bookcase in your home affords a measure of elegance and sophistication, and nothing can be better at producing an atmosphere of relaxation in a room than a bookcase.

When you choose a bookcase for your home, you will obviously have to be aware of the materials used to construct it. As the shelves usually have to bear a heavy burden, sturdy materials are essential to the long-life of the bookcase, so as well as wood, you very often find them with metal support for extra sturdiness. These are usually well hidden though so as not to detract from the wooden facade of the bookcase itself. As there are many types of bookcase available today, the one you choose will depend on many overriding factors, including the amount of space you have allocated for it, the kind of home you live in, and most importantly your own tastes and preferences.

Everybody knows that bookcases can vary in size dramatically; from tiny corner bookcases to huge, entire wall monsters more akin to a public library! Below we shall outline just a few of the different kinds available today.

Ladder bookcases are considered to be the classical bookcase. As well as being highly fashionable, they are also highly functional. Many people also choose this type of bookcase for its decorative appeal in a room.

Built-in bookcases are another option to consider, and these too are very popular. This alternative needs to be well thought out before having the bookcase constructed because you will obviously have many options open to you depending on the set out and architecture of your house. Pine bookcases are an extremely popular choice when it comes to built-in bookcases because of the versatility of the wood in question.

Barrister bookcases call to mind bygone days of huge mansions and colonialism and are a great piece of furniture to showcase old family heirlooms or valuable possessions worthy of showing off. They normally have a piece of glass pain in front of each shelf as a kind of protective barrier, but these are easily moved aside to get to the riches within. This bookcase-cum-display cabinet is ideal for books that have great sentimental or monetary value.

When practicality rules the day, corner bookcases have to be king. They are fantastic for all homes short of space and are ideal for most family homes. They can be found in any room and as long as there is a corner to put them in, they will never look out of place. Corner pine bookcases are especially ideal for children’s bedrooms as it gives them somewhere to put all their books but without taking up too much of their valuable space.

Finally, leaning bookshelves are the ultimate in bookshelf safety. As they lean into the wall, there is never a fear of the bookcase toppling over.

Prepare Yourself before You go Furniture Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Divazzy) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:51:00 +0000

Visiting furniture stores can be a lot of fun. You get to sit in different chairs, try out different dining tables, and look at the many different options you have for your home. However, if you’re furniture shopping, you do need to be prepared. Some people don’t think ahead of time and end up needing to make a second trip to the furniture store once they realize they don’t have everything they need.

So what do you need to know when you head out to the furniture store? First, you need to have an idea of what you need to buy. Going to a furniture store and browsing is one thing, but if you’re seriously looking to buy furniture, you need to have an idea of what you want. Do you need a new sofa? Are you looking for dining room furniture? Bedroom furniture? It helps to know exactly what you’re looking for so that you don’t get off track while shopping. It can be easy to get distracted by all of the nice, new furniture in the store. This is one of the reasons why shopping online for furniture can be a good idea.

Another thing you absolutely must have when you’re furniture shopping is a set of measurements. If you are looking for a dining room table and have a good sized room, you may not necessarily need to know the size of the room. However, if you are looking for a new sofa and have a limited amount of space, you need to know how large of a sofa you can accommodate. The last thing you want is to return with your new furniture only to find that it won’t fit in the space you thought it would.

If you’re looking for a piece of furniture that matches your other furniture, you may need to know exactly what colour you need. Do you know what finish your oak furniture features? What about the exact colour of your sofa? If you don’t have any other way of matching the colour, you may want to take a picture of your current furniture with your cell phone. Don’t leave it to chance—just because a piece of furniture looks like it will match in the store doesn’t necessarily mean it will. Furniture can look slightly different under the lights of a furniture store, after all.

Another thing to keep in mind is delivery. In most cases, your vehicle is not going to be large enough to transport a large piece of furniture. You need to have an idea of what dates are best for delivery. In some cases, you may be able to get same-day delivery, but that is not always a guarantee. Also realize that you may have to pay extra for delivery, especially if you want same-day or next-day delivery.

If you head to the furniture store with these pieces of information, you’ll find the entire process goes much more smoothly. You’ll have everything you need to pick out your new furniture.

Bookcases Made From Wood

noreply@blogger.com (Divazzy) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 08:25:00 +0000

Wooden bookcases are available in a plethora of different designs and styles nowadays, and not only... the different types of wood that can be used to create these masterpieces is also very large. You can find pine bookcases, birch bookcases and basically bookcases made from a range of hardwoods and softwoods, meaning you have to make your choice wisely when it comes to purchasing one. As well as this, you can find bookcases suitable for a range of places including the home, the office and even the garage.

There are many different facades you can have for a bookcase, and one of these is the antique look. Guaranteed to add a degree of elegance and sophistication to any room, these are ever-increasing in popularity. You can also have a bookcase with a more chic look, giving a contemporary aspect to the room it’s in. Whatever style you choose for your space, you are guaranteed that a bookcase will offer an attractive showcase for all your books and ornaments.
Pine bookcases can also be placed in rooms not usually associated with bookcases – kitchens, hallways and easy rooms can all benefit from this piece of furniture. Whatever combination of shelving you desire and in whatever style, bookcases offer more than just a place to dump books on.

Today, many people have found that building their own bookcase is an ideal way to save on the cost. It is not too difficult to build one successfully and there are many instructional guides available to show you how to do it. The internet is a great source of information when it comes to building your bookcase; not only for instructions, but for inspiration as well.

Bookcases constructed by you can be as intricate or as plain as you like; or can muster. Once you have decided on the material to use for the bookcase and its facade putting the basics together should never cause a problem. The great thing about building your own bookcase is the fact that you can add as many, or as few, shelves as you like, as well as deciding whether you would like to add things such as door or drawers to certain parts of it.

You can choose to have your wood coloured or natural. Natural wood pine bookcases always look stunning when completed. There are many other options available for your bookcase as well. These include making the design compatible for adding video or audio cabinets to them, thinking about replacing wooden shelves with glass ones and having shelves that can be routinely adjusted.

Whatever way you eventually want to personalise your new bookcase, remember it is exactly that what you are doing – personalising them for your own use. The golden rule to bookcase construction is to make sure your final design is going to be something that is both practical and pleasing to the eye, not some monstrosity that you cannot use properly.

Time to Upgrade Your Furniture?

noreply@blogger.com (Divazzy) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:37:00 +0000

Upgrading your existing furniture is a necessity at times. After all, no matter how great a piece of furniture is chances are that it will need to be replaced at some point. Even oak furniture and pine furniture get worn down over the years. If you’re looking to upgrade some of your furniture, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Size matters. Don’t just replace your existing bed or dining table with one of the same size. Purchasing new furniture is a great time to expand. If you have the room in your bedroom, why not upgrade your full sized bed to a queen sized or even a king if you can afford it? Likewise, now is the perfect time to get a larger dining table. Even if you don’t necessarily need one right now, think of the future. Will there come a time when you wish you’d purchased a larger table? You’re going to have this furniture for years, so think carefully about what your future needs will be.

Think about quality. If you’re replacing a cheap pressed board piece of furniture you purchased from a department store, you probably only got a few years use out of it. Why replace it with something just as cheap? Instead, invest a little more money in a piece of oak furniture that you know is going to last for years. You’ll be glad you did for several reasons. This type of furniture is more durable, so it won’t get dents and dings as easily as cheap furniture. It will also look better. That cheap kind of furniture is very obviously, well, cheap looking. Pine furniture, oak furniture, and other hardwoods look much nicer. You can often choose the finish, too, so you can find furniture that will fit in with the rest of the pieces in a room.

Do you want to replace everything? If you’re changing out your bed, for example, do you want to go ahead and get a new chest of drawers, dresser, and other bedroom furniture pieces? You can often purchase an entire bedroom suite instead of just the bed frame, headboard, and footboard. If you do this, you’ll have a coordinated set of bedroom furniture that looks great together, and you won’t have to worry about your bedroom looking mismatched. However, this does involve spending more money.

While it’s not a concern when shopping, you also need to think about what to do with your old furniture. If it’s worn out, the best solution may be to throw it away. However, if it’s still somewhat useful, you may want to see if any of your friends or family members want it. You can also take it to a second-hand shop. If you’re the handy type of person, you might even be able to disassemble it and use it for something else. An old bed frame, for example, could be taken apart and used as shelving. Think about the various recycling options here before you just throw it away.

Pine Bookcases Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:39:00 +0000

When it comes to buying furniture, surely one of the most versatile items available must be the Pine Bookcases. They can be used as TV stands, room dividers, sideboards, for displaying ornaments or collectables – or even for storing books! However, it is important when buying bookcases to make sure they will be able to withstand normal wear and tear and be able to last well into the future. So what are the tips for buying a good bookcase?

Choice of Materials
The first point is to check on the material from which it is made. If you’ve ever picked up a large box full of books you will realise just how heavy books can be – and this means the bookcase must be able to cope with heavy loads. Bookcase that are not made from solid timber but made instead from melamine or veneer faced chipboard or particle board simply do not have the strength to stand up to much wear.

Bookcase Design
It is possible to reinforce the joints to add strength, but by the time the extra money and effort has been expended it would be better to have chosen a better quality bookcase than end up with a heavily reinforced cheap bookcase.

The next point is to consider the method of construction. Two simple sides with the shelves used to join them together is an inherently weak design. Every joint is placed under strain as the Bookcase tries to fold up to one side or the other. Storage flexibility is also limited as the height of fixed-position shelves cannot be raised or lowered.

The addition of a rear panel will add considerable strength to the bookcase and undoubtedly extend its life. This can be further improved where fascia panels are added to the top of the bookcase or plinths added to the base. Transforming the bookcase into an open-fronted cabinet in this way also allows some or all of the shelves to be height adjustable.

Choice of finishes
A Solid Wooden Bookcase with wooden rear panel that is supplied fully glued and assembled is a durable item of furniture that can, if required serve as a room divider. When completed in a wax or lacquer finish it is an attractive item in its own right and the ideal way to store or display a host of items, including books.

Most high street furniture retailers will have a selection of bookcases in their showrooms but to get an appreciation of the huge choice currently available it is a good idea to view the websites of online retailers. One such online retailer is Right Price Furniture

Pine Bookcases

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Phillips) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:09:00 +0000

A blog about Pine Bookcases