Asian Bookcases

Chloe Hughes Interior Design Expert

Chloe is a highly-regarded expert in all things vintage and antique. She’s excited to share her vast knowledge with readers and clients wishing to infuse their homes with a mixture of old-time warmth and modern comfort. In addition to her design work, Chloe regularly volunteers at her local community center, teaching DIY projects to adults and kids.

Updated 15/04/2021

Are you an aficionado of oriental style? With an Asian bookcase of carved wood you'll easily organize the books as well as the knick-knacks in no time. What's more, the space will get spiced up with an eye-catching feature that emanates decorative Asian style.

Buying Guide

Deciding which furniture to buy for your home can be challenging. Asian bookcases are a great way to give your home a different effect, and there are so many styles available that it’s difficult not to find something ideal for your house. However, in order to choose the correct furniture items, you will need to take into consideration several factors. We’ll consider some of the most important things that you should be thinking about when buying any Asian bookcases.

How to determine the right size for a bookcase?

Figuring out the ideal bookcase size for your home will depend on a few factors, including:

The size of your home: Although you may want a bookcase which is large and allows room for hundreds of books, this doesn’t mean that your home will allow it. You should take some measurements in the room of your choice to figure out how much you could give away to the new bookcase.
The number of books: This is something that is personal and you should take into consideration before buying a bookcase. You don’t necessarily need to think about the number of books that you own, but rather about the number of books that you wish to store on the bookcase. You may want the case for a music room, for example, where you have fifty music books to store.
The number of shelves: This will largely depend on the number of books that you have and how much space you have in your home, but it will influence your decision ultimately. The average bookcase with straight linear shelves from one side to the other will be around three feet long. Many shelves will be able to hold at least twenty books.

What different designs of Asian bookcases are there?

The most common designs that you are likely to see are:

Cube design: This popular design involves several cubes which are all joined together to create a larger piece of furniture. In this case, each shelf may be split into two or three different sections. When you look at the full bookcase, there are many cubes, normally aligned in sets of either three or four. This means that you could have a total of 20 or 24 cubes making up an Asian bookcase.
Temple design: Many countries in Asia are associated with religion and beautiful temples of worship, so it’s no surprise that this manifests itself well within Asian style furniture. A popular design you will see is the temple design, which is a simple bookcase with extra details. Along the top are small domes, spirals or spikes which resemble those found on buildings of worship around the continent, particularly South East Asia.

Asian bookcases cover a whole range of styles, and there are many which are totally different from others. Because of this, it’s important that you get a good feel for as many different designs as possible. By doing this, you’ll give yourself the best possible chance of finding a bookcase that really suits you and your home.