2015 Italian Designer Shelving Trends

Those who haven't fully switched to an e-book might be looking for a bookshelf; Those who want to display special keepsakes will find the perfect stage in a wall-mounted shelf. No matter which shelf you want to enrich your home with, Livarea shows you the latest shelving trends. Because designer shelves are not just wooden boards screwed together!

Although trendy e-book readers hold several 1.000 books, shelves are still an integral part of almost every interior. In them, we store books or film collections in a small space, showcase keepsakes and photos, and allow free access and insight into the contents. Furthermore, the open storage areas can be used as visual and spatial dividers. As a boundary between cooking and dining, for spices and crockery in the kitchen, as well as storage space and a line between working and living. Hardly any other piece of furniture is as versatile as the good old shelf. These bookshelf trends might make choosing the right piece of furniture a little difficult for you.

However, it is precisely this versatility that makes the design of shelves crucially important.

Bookshelves: the classic among shelves

When thinking of bookshelves, one might picture grandfather's reading room with ceiling-high shelves. Modern designer shelves like the Compar Book bookshelf with its glass shelves and diagonal element offer an ideal platform, especially for those who perhaps only want to display a few selected books. Those who need more space can opt for the FGF Mobili KS14 bookshelf – it allows for a larger book collection to be stylishly accommodated, and book lovers will be fully satisfied.

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Wall-mounted Shelves: the lightweight alternative

If space is limited or nothing bulky should dominate the room, one can opt for a wall-mounted shelf. These are – as the name suggests – mounted on the wall and therefore cannot bear as much weight as a classic bookshelf.

Open or closed designer wall-mounted shelves – in matt white or metal – can be used in any room, both in the living room and, for example, in the bathroom, where regular cleaning is required. Generally, a wall-mounted shelf is “light” in two respects: both in terms of the shelf's own appearance with thin shelves and in terms of its possible load-bearing capacity.

A variant that contains both open and closed elements is the Novamobili Reverse, which can be assembled from several horizontal elements and is considered a prototype for wall-mounted shelf trends.

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Freestanding Shelves: minimal space requirement

Designer freestanding shelves, e.g., made of metal, in white or high-gloss black, are related to bookshelves, as most bookshelves are freestanding shelves for reasons of stability. An exciting variant is the Novamobili Freebook, which consists of three individual elements that can each be oriented differently. Magnets then hold the elements in their respective positions; the entire shelf can be easily reoriented thanks to a rotating base – for example, depending on whether you are expecting guests or simply want to spend a quiet evening on the sofa. A special feature of the Freebook is its small footprint of 38x38cm, allowing it to be placed almost anywhere.

Due to the special design of freestanding shelves, these are primarily conceived as eye-catchers in the room – Italian furniture designers focus here mainly on a minimalist and clear aesthetic.

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Shelving Systems: Designer Shelves according to individual wishes

Looking for a designer living room wall unit? An unusual apartment layout? Modern designer shelving systems for the office or living room can also fulfil unusual wishes. For example, if different colours or materials are to be combined, or if the same basic look is desired on different walls, but with different accents – Italian-designed shelving systems are the solution. Livarea offers individual consultation and planning for such a shelving system!

Generally, the trend is towards lighter shelves, whose design aims to set accents. Hanging designer shelves do not appear as bulky as classic bookshelves or freestanding shelves, even with large dimensions, so a clear trend towards this variant is discernible here. Whether it then becomes an open or closed version, or a combination of both variants, is, of course, entirely up to the individual!

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