DIY bookcase made from cardboard tubes and pine plywood, by Sepideh

A custom-designed library that breaks the mold.

Combining cardboard tubes with pine plywood to create a bookcase? That's the challenge Sepideh took on, crafting this piece entirely from wood custom-cut by OPMAATZAGEN.nl. The result: an open bookcase, perfectly integrated into an alcove, where books sit alongside a few carefully chosen objects. A great idea if you want to transform a recess into personal storage.

Light-colored shelves and exposed cardboard tubes

In the photos of the finished piece of furniture, you can see five rectangular shelves made of light wood. The grain of the pine remains visible, as do the thin layers of plywood on the edges of the panels. No cladding conceals this construction: the materials are part of the design.

The brown kraft cardboard tubes are arranged vertically beneath the shelves and between the different levels. Their diameter and number vary: the two upper spaces each contain three rather thin tubes, while the lower levels accommodate two wider ones. Below the bottom shelf, tubes extend the arrangement down to the floor. This interplay of cylinders and horizontal lines gives the piece of furniture its own unique character.

A construction visible in the photos

The initial images show two shelves, followed by the addition of tubes and extra levels. The series thus allows viewers to follow the furniture's progress until its final installation. The assembly details are not visible: the photos primarily show the arrangement of the panels and tubes, rather than a specific fastening method to be replicated.

A storage solution that fits perfectly in a niche

The bookcase occupies a narrow alcove between two sections of wall painted off-white. To the left, exposed pipes run along the niche; to the right, an illustration in a gilt frame accompanies the piece. The warm-toned parquet flooring echoes the light wood and brown cardboard.

By adapting the shelf widths to this niche, Sepideh makes the most of the available height without adding large side panels. The wall remains visible behind the books, preserving a feeling of openness. You can keep this idea in mind for furnishing a space that's difficult to fit with a standard bookcase.

Books, but also objects to display

In this arrangement, the books are displayed upright or stacked flat. Some large art books have their covers facing the room. A small frame containing a floral arrangement, a brown object, a dried bouquet, and a perforated basket placed at the very top complete the display. The tubes create a rhythm within the space without forming solid partitions: this allows you to alternate books and decorative items while still letting the overall composition breathe.

Custom-made solutions: a boost for your DIY project

Sepideh built this bookcase herself; OPMAATZAGEN.nl handled the custom cutting of the pine plywood panels. This preparation allows them to start with shelves of the dimensions required for the project and then focus on preparing, assembling, and installing the furniture.

If you use this design as inspiration, you retain the freedom to choose the width, depth, and spacing of the shelves to suit your space and your books. You can also adjust your choice of materials and the number of shelves to fit your budget. The final cost will depend primarily on the dimensions, the tubing, the fixings, and the chosen finish: DIY allows you to decide where to allocate your budget.

A few precautions before you start

Measure your alcove at several heights and check the baseboard placement before ordering your panels. For a tall bookcase, ensure you have an anti-tip bracket suitable for the wall type. The choice of tubes and their assembly also require specific verification: a photo alone cannot guarantee the safety of an assembly.

Natural and minimalist style

Light wood, kraft cardboard, and cream walls create a soft and warm atmosphere. The shapes remain simple, but the alternating tubes add an almost sculptural, graphic touch. With art books and small personal items, you get a piece of furniture that evokes both a library and an exhibition space, without sacrificing its storage function.

The wood used: Underlayment Radiata Pine B/C

Radiata Pine B/C plywood brings the light color and expressive grain of pine to this project. Its overlapping layers of wood create decorative edges that you can leave exposed, as shown here. The B/C designation refers to two different face qualities: you can reserve the higher-quality face for the most visible areas. This panel is suitable for custom cutting and can be finished with a suitable interior coating, depending on the look you want to achieve.