Libraries
A library is a room of its own. From a single wall of floor-to-ceiling shelving with cupboards below to a fully panelled room with a ladder and a window seat, every library is drawn to the books and the room, made in our London workshop and fitted by our own team.
Library joinery is planned around the shelf: its span so it never sags, its depth for the books you own, and its lighting so titles can be read at night. Cupboards at the base hide files and games; a desk built into the run turns the room into a home office; a run of slatted or panelled walls between the bays adds the quiet. In a living room the shelving can wrap a media wall or a fireplace, and a drinks cabinet can sit behind matching doors from the door library.
Every library starts with a free home design visit, is made in our Wembley workshop, fitted by our own team within 21 days and guaranteed for ten years, with prices including VAT and installation. See the four commissions below, the rest of our office spaces or the price guide.
- Made in our Wembley workshop
- 10-year guarantee
- Fitted in 21 days
Shelves builtfor the books you own.
Four fitted libraries: alcove bookcases either side of a fireplace, an open grid carried over a doorway, and two bookshelf walls over cupboards, all lit and made to measure in Wembley for London living rooms, dining rooms and studies. Click any image to open the design.
4 designs · click any image to open it
Russell Alcove Library London
Russell — two oak bookcases scribed into the alcoves either side of a fireplace: open shelves lit from above for books and objects, a cupbo…
Tavistock Library Wall London
Tavistock — an open grid bookcase in pale oak from floor to ceiling and wall to wall, carried over the doorway, with a run of push-to-open …
Chesterfield Bookshelf Library London
Chesterfield — a full wall of open bookshelves to the ceiling, standing on a run of Light Grey slab cupboards with integrated profile handl…
Blackwell Library Wall London
Blackwell — a full wall of lit open shelving over six Cashmere Grey slab cupboards with knobs, planned as a library wall for a living room …
The room
the books deserve.
Even in the smartphone age, our clients have a lot of books. And they want them on display. A library is the most personal room in the house — what's on the shelves tells visitors more about you than any other room. The classical English library has been the canonical answer for 200 years. It still is.
Most library commissions skew traditional — Georgian or Victorian proportions, hand-painted bookcases, brass-railed ladders, leather reading chairs. We build the modern library too where the brief genuinely calls for it, but most of our clients ask for the timeless version. The joinery decisions are practical ones: shelves are 18mm boards up to 800mm span and 25mm beyond that so a row of hardbacks never bows them; depths run 250mm for paperbacks, 300mm for hardbacks and art books; every run is lit from the underside of the shelf above so titles can be read at night; and the cupboards at the base take box files, board games and the things that should not be on show.
Guides from our designers
Built-In Bookshelves and Home Libraries: Shelf Spacing, Depth, Lighting and Cost
Books are heavy, come in six sizes and need light. How a fitted bookcase or library wall is designed around t…
Read the guide
Media Walls and Fitted TV Units: Layouts, Cables, Fires and What They Cost
A media wall puts the television where it belongs, in a piece of furniture rather than on a bracket with cabl…
Read the guide
Alcove Storage Ideas: Fitted Cupboards and Shelving Either Side of a Chimney Breast
The alcoves either side of a chimney breast are the most useful 600mm in a London house. What to build in the…
Read the guide
Fitted Home Office Guide: Desks, Storage and Hidden Workspaces That Close Away
A fitted home office puts the desk where the room allows it and hides the work when the day ends. Desk dimens…
Read the guideTrusted by London homeowners
“Wow ! Seriously impressed by Metro Wardrobes and would highly recommend. Kinjl and his team were amazing and the end product has a high quality finish. Very competitive prices too. Thank you so much !”
“Really nice fitted wardrobe job from Metro. We are very satisfied with the process from sales visit up to installation, communication was good, installers were polite and professional. The finished wardrobes fully meet expectations. Thank you Metro!”
“Just got my new fitted wardrobe from these guys and I couldn't be happier! Starting from the design visit to the installation everything was so fast and easy - the designer, Ranto, came to my house and helped me come up with the perfect design that fit my storage needs. He sent me the 3d design on the same day and also, did the changes until I liked the design. Then the fitting team, led by Kinjal, came and installed it all in just a 2 days. I love how my new wardrobe looks - it's exactly what I wanted. I would definitely recommend Metro!”
Four commissions, one workshop.
Book a free home visit with our senior designer. Two to three hours, no charge, complete Door Library and material samples.