How to Create a Floor to Ceiling Bookshelf for Your Homeschool or Library

Growing up, our old farmhouse had a built-in bookshelf that went floor to ceiling.

I loved it.

It contained books, pictures, knick-knacks and was rock solid! It held years of reading and memories.

Now that I live in a smallish ranch-style home, there was no bookshelf, and it made me sad. My husband, who knew how much I adored this type of bookshelf, wanted to give me the same kind of storage, without as much work (or cost). He put together this amazing creation, and I love it so much!

The bookshelf is actually three products combined to meet our needs.

First, we bought two of the Better Homes and Gardens 8 Cube Organizers in Espresso (priced at $88.00). They were shipped to our home for free, making it easier. They were heavy! My husband assembled them (it was easy) and used some clever DIY skills to mount them onto the walls. Since I was going to be using them to store heavy books, it was important that they were securely mounted to wall studs, and he used some extra boards to reinforce the back attachment.  He also used a board painted solid grey between the units to give them some extra support. Finally, he made sure to use strong bolts to attach the units to the ceiling as well as the walls, and to each other via the center board.

For the bottom storage, I bought a set of 6 of the Whitmore Wire Storage Cubes ($28.49) joined together horizontally. They hold lighter things that don't look as nice, like printer paper, or wires for our various tech devices.  I can even run my unsightly ethernet cables for my internet between the two units.

To keep the shelves from having to work too hard, I purchased some collapsible fabric storage cubes to hold light objects that didn't stack nicely. 

Our project was a success! Since I also blog and do administrative work in the same room that we homeschool (which is also our living and family room), this really helped to cut down on clutter in my workspace and on the floor. We still have quite a bit of stuff for a typical family, but with 8 in the 1300 square foot home, no basement or attic, and homeschooling and working from home, I think this bookshelf has made a BIG difference in our lives!

This project cost a little more than $200, and it is the highlight of my home. What would YOU use a bookshelf like this for?