How Interior Designers Create Bespoke Joinery

When our lovely Waterloo client mentioned her growing book collection, we knew we had to go big. Literally. The brief? Design a home library that was both contemporary and functional, and could handle a serious amount of reading material.

At Kinder Design, we love a book-filled space - there’s something about shelves stacked high with colour and character that makes a home feel truly lived-in. So for this room, we went for floor-to-ceiling shelving that stretches the full width of the space. No alcoves. No gaps. Just wall-to-wall book heaven.

From the start, I knew I didn’t want this library to lean too traditional. The rest of the home had evolved into something really colourful and characterful, so this needed to hold its own. We decided to use metal framing for the shelves, giving the room a slightly industrial edge while still feeling polished and architectural.

We worked with the brilliant team at East JR, whose craftsmanship is second to none. They handled all the custom joinery in this project, including the bookshelf. We collaborated closely to get the detailing just right - streamlined, functional, and beautiful, without blowing the budget.

This dreamy mid-century lounge chair was sourced by Amy and Martin at By Barnabas, who are masters at finding vintage gems. We reupholstered it in a vibrant Pierre Frey fabric that brings just the right amount of texture and colour to the space. Paired with the deep shelves and layered book spines, the chair adds a softness that balances out the clean lines of the joinery.

I’ve popped in a little “before” shot at the end because, let’s face it, we all love a good transformation. Seeing how a room can be reimagined with clever design decisions and thoughtful detailing is what makes this job so rewarding. This home library is now a quiet, cocooning corner where books and design sit happily side by side.

If your home is crying out for storage that actually works and looks great doing it, get in touch. At Kinder Design, we create bespoke joinery solutions that are as functional as they are beautiful.