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Always choose high-quality furniture-grade wood for a built-in bookshelf. Softer woods, including pine and particle boards like MDF, can sag under the weight of heavy books. The ideal shelf can hold 20 to 40 pounds per foot, so opt for scratch-resistant hardwood plywood or solid wood. Popular options include mahogany, cherry, koa, maple, oak, walnut, birch, and cedar.

Built-in bookshelves should seamlessly blend into your space. Often, this means floor-to-ceiling units ending at a natural cutoff point like a door. You can also create a custom corner unit or suspended units hung at eye level. If you want to install a prefabricated unit, you’ll often see sizes ranging from 24 to 48 inches wide, 10 to 12 inches deep, and five to six feet tall.

The time it takes to install a built-in bookshelf depends on the complexity of the design. A contractor can install a simple, prefabricated unit in a few hours, while an elaborate, custom unit could take up to a week.