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The Best White Bookcases

Nelia L/Shutterstock.com
🕚 Updated November 2021

If you want a versatile piece of furniture to hold your books and decor, look for a white bookcase. They're great options for many homes since they fit with most decor styles. Check out our top picks.

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  Best for Small Rooms Best Narrow Bookcase Best Wall Mounted Best for Large Rooms Best Tree Bookcase
 
  FURINNO
JAYA 3-Tier Adjustable Shelf Bookcase
South Shore
Axess 5-Shelf Narrow Bookcase
Nathan James
5-Shelf Ladder Bookcase
Sunon
5-Shelf Freestanding Bookcase
VASAGLE
8-Tier Wooden Tree Bookshelf
 
Our SummaryThis three-tier compact bookcase features adjustable shelves to personalize organization style. It's great for kids and tight corners at the office.This chic five-shelf narrow bookcase offers organization for books and display space for decor.This fun five-shelf ladder bookcase has a wall-mounted design for an added sense of openness.This white bookcase makes a bold statement and provides spacious storage space.This tree branch inspired five-tier bookcase adds uniqueness and organization to a favorite reading room.
ProsSmall and compact, adjustable shelves, efficient organization, non-toxic, high-quality particleboard that's easy to clean and lightweight, fits in tight spaces.Clever design, space-saving and modern, five open and accessible shelves, narrow frame sits tightly in a corner or against an open wall.Industrial flair, durable metal, easy access to books, shelves can bear up to 50 pounds, versatile, easy assembly.Five shelves, made of melamine-faced chipboard panels, good-looking, ideal for large rooms.Eye-catching, shelves hold up to 22 pounds, can jazz up or add subtle flair to any room.
ConsWood scratches easily, put it on a completely flat surface.Requires assembly, tools aren't included, not meant to be moved around much.Requires tools for assembly, a bit pricey.Installation process may be complicated and frustrating.May be unstable, limited in what you can put on the shelves.
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The Best White Bookcases

A white bookcase with various books and small pieces of decor.
Nelia L/Shutterstock.com

The color white embodies what is clean, bright, and elegant. Adding white furniture, like a bookcase, to your home can bring that brightness and balance other colorful or dark decors you may have. Yes, books need a place for organization’s sake, but white bookcases offer more than just a place for your favorite reads. Add a bright green plant for color contrast, a candle, or framed art to make your bookcase even more functional and decorative. In a way, a white bookcase is like a canvas; it can make a bold statement, but it’s also unassuming and harmonizes well with most environments.

Buying Guide for White Bookcases

A dining room with a white bookcase and various decor items.
Photographee.eu/Shutterstock.com

Why buy a white bookcase?

Buy a white bookcase to increase the spaciousness and lighten the mood of a room or office space. Sure, bookcases can look nice in other colors, but white has a nice snap to it—a certain freshness you can’t get with other colors. A white bookcase is also versatile functionally and ornamentally. Most homes could benefit from the addition of a white bookcase.

What should you look for in a white bookcase?

  • Design: If you’re looking to improve the appearance and mood of a room in your house or office, it makes sense to add a bookcase to improve organization. Another important characteristic to look for in a bookcase is how it will fit in your home. Some bookcases take up more floor and wall space than others, and there are variations in shape, too, so keep an eye out for designs that are appropriate for your space.
  • Practicality: Like couches, tables, and chairs, bookcases are practical. If you have a lot of books stacked on end tables, the floor, countertops, or nightstands and want to clear up the clutter, a bookcase will do the trick. To maximize the utility of a bookcase, remember to take into consideration its design. Design, practicality, and material, which you’ll read about below, are interconnected.
  • Material: Like a lot of home furniture, most bookcases are made of composite wood or engineered wood. While solid wood may be the most desirable option in terms of longevity and perhaps even decoration, a good composite wood product can work well and save you money. You’ll come across metal bookcases, too, which add an industrial, modern look and can save space compared to their wooden counterparts.

Are there special features you should consider when purchasing a white bookcase?

When you’re ready to add decorative accents that might highlight a bookcase, such as black and white photos or colorful book spines, look for bookcases that offer versatility. Adjustable shelves, for instance, allow you to create your own look and design simply by moving a shelf up or down.

Our Picks for the Best White Bookcases

Best for Small Rooms

FURINNO JAYA 3-Tier Adjustable Shelf Bookcase

This three-tier compact bookcase features adjustable shelves to personalize organization style. It's great for tight corners at the office.

Pros: Measuring a meager 9.5 by 24.5 by 40.3 inches, the Furinno three-tier adjustable shelf bookcase is compact and provides an efficient means to organize your books. The adjustable shelf design allows for that desirable, create-your-own design capability. It’s made of nontoxic, high-quality particleboard that’s easy to clean and lightweight. While it’s available in several different colors, the white option creates a refreshing, clean atmosphere. The Furinno is made to fit into tight spaces like busy children’s bedrooms.

Cons: You may find that the wood scratches easily. Remember to set it on a flat surface where it won’t tip over, especially if you’ll be using the bookcase in your kids’ room.

Bottom Line: The Furinno white bookcase is useful for tidying up a messy kids’ room, an office, or a living room. In addition to a sensible solution, this lovely furniture piece can enhance the mood of the space you set it in. It’s easy to assemble and lightweight, two desirable attributes for those with busy lives.

 

Best Narrow Bookcase

South Shore Axess 5-Shelf Narrow Bookcase

This chic five-shelf narrow bookcase offers organization for books and display space for decor.

Pros: This cleverly designed bookcase is a great choice if you want something that’s both space-saving and modern in style. It features five open and accessible shelves, with one fixed shelf and three adjustable shelves. The 11.5- by 19- by 68.75-inch bookcase is notably taller than it is wide; its narrow frame sits tightly in a corner or against an open wall.

Cons: This bookcase requires assembly, and tools are not included. Also, because it’s tall and narrow, the bookcase isn’t designed to be moved around much. Just place it where you think it will work best.

Bottom Line: This white bookcase saves space, looks fantastic, and serves a great purpose. You can clear up the floor where you’ve been piling books and magazines by using this bookshelf. It’s a promising option for readers who want to display their books and add a note of intrigue to their room’s decorative scheme.

 

Best Industrial

Nathan James 5-Shelf Ladder Bookcase

This fun five-shelf ladder bookcase has a wall-mounted design for an added sense of openness.

Pros: Want to update your decor to give your reading room some hip, industrial flair? This cool five-tier ladder bookcase could be your next great decision. It’s built with a durable metal wall-mounted frame that’s open on the sides and top, allowing easy access to books and creating visual spaciousness. The engineered wood shelves can bear up to 50 pounds. Place two or three of these bookcases side by side to make an engaging display of your favorite reads, artwork, and photos. It requires only around 30 minutes to assemble.

Cons: This bookcase doesn’t come with parts or tools, so you’ll need a Phillips-head screwdriver and drill with a 1/4-inch drill bit for assembly. It’s also on the pricier side.

Bottom Line: If you’re simply looking for a fresh, new bookcase for your space, this is a high-quality option that will create a nice open look.

 

Best for Large Rooms

Sunon Collection 5-Shelf Freestanding Bookcase

This white bookcase makes a bold statement and provides spacious storage space.

Pros: Have you ever had a bookcase with shelves that would bow in the middle because of the weight of your books? The Sunon five-shelf bookcase could be a promising option for you. The high-quality adjustable shelves are made of P2 melamine-faced chipboard panels that are denser and more durable particleboard than other materials, owing to their finer chips for increased strength and quality. This good-looking white bookcase is ideal for displaying and storing your favorite books and expressive art pieces. At 36 by 11.6 by 59.8 inches, this is a large bookcase that looks great in a large room.

Cons: You might find the installation process complicated and frustrating, but the product does come with a detailed instruction manual that might help. It’s not a good size for small rooms.

Bottom Line: With waterproof, anti-scratch, easy-to-clean shelving that also holds up to the weight of a large book collection, the Sunon five-shelf white bookcase is quite a catch. If you have the patience to handle complications that could arise while you put it together, consider the potential this bookcase might hold for your storage needs and creative aspirations!

 

Best Tree Bookcase

VASAGLE 8-Tier Wooden Tree Bookshelf

This tree-inspired bookcase adds uniqueness and organization to a favorite reading room.

Pros: If you’re looking for a way to spruce up the living room or study and need a place for your beloved books, check out this eight-tier tree-shaped bookcase by VASAGLE. It’s eye-catching and unique. The strong eight storage shelves hold up to 22 pounds of your favorite books (and the new ones you haven’t started yet). You can use it to make a statement, or place it in the corner for a more subtle touch.

Cons: Some users find the bookcase unstable while arranging books because of the angles. If this is the case, it might be helpful to set heavier books on the bottom and lighter books and magazines at the top. It might not work well for things that aren’t books.

Bottom Line: This unique bookcase provides a way to organize those piles of books you keep meaning to sort through. Think about adding this free-standing white bookshelf if you’re ready to get creative. With quality hardware and anti-toppling prevention, this furniture piece by VAGASLE will warm your bookworm heart for years to come.

Final Thoughts

Eliminate the clutter of your home or reading space with one of the white bookcases we’ve reviewed for you. From small and compact to modern, wall-mountable, and beyond, there’s a bookcase solution for nearly everyone.

Britta Kallevang Britta Kallevang
Britta is a professional writing tutor and freelance writer that is trained in journalistic, technical, and creative copywriting. At LifeSavvy, she researches products, writes about the items, and shares what she's uncovered with readers. Her writing is comprehensive and sometimes a bit silly. Read Full Bio »
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