In the sleek kitchen, the white Ikea cabinet uppers seem to disappear into the wall, while the bases get a distinctive custom walnut wrapping. Flanking the cabinets are open bookshelves, which provide secondary function as a spacial divider for the children’s play area. A Dornbracht faucet sits on a slab of Vermont Olympian White Danby marble, which is also used for the island and backsplash.

Shane Michael Pavonetti, an Austin-based architect and contractor, and his wife, Holly, built their eco-friendly home on a lean budget of $175,000. The cedar siding used on the exterior reappears throughout the house. Keen on recycling the wood, the couple added shelving to their kitchen as well.

Just off an internal courtyard, a mudroom provides a prime place to keep sneakers. Each family member has their own shelf, backlit by windows that illuminate every pair.

A view from the foyer into the living room, which features shelves of varying heights, shows the interplay of the bamboo-veneered plywood used throughout the house and the natural light.

Despite their dark color palette, black and white kitchens can still feel bright. This tiny kitchen perfects the art of chiaroscuro with white shiplapped walls, custom-built open shelves and dark concrete floors. The owners selected sleek faucet fixtures by Santec and a sink by Blanco to complement the white laminate countertops. The stainless steel appliances include a Bertazzoni oven, Fisher & Payel refrigerator, and Thermador dishwasher.

Bishop is an avid record collector—Rolling Stones albums are a sought-after favorite—and he keeps his vinyl in the shelving unit ”1.1,” a reproduction of Arbel’s first completed work. The kids can often be found playing video games at the desk in the great room.

"Small IKEA kitchens drive me crazy, but six kitchens' worth of IKEA cabinets can be made into something beautiful," says homeowner Andrew Dunbar. Staggered by width, the cabinets have exposed kick-plate gaps for storing CDs.

Cohen and his wife, Sally, sit in the dining room, which along with the connected living room, is a focal point of the house, lighted in part by high, remote-controlled clerestory windows.

Keeping everything in its place is critical in this tiny home. Shelving designed by Kirkpatrick helps immensely. He's also designed the coffee table; the couch was picked up at a second-hand store. The vaporproof ceiling light is from RAB lighting.

In the ground-floor gallery, 40-foot-long library shelving is punctuated by floor-to-ceiling columns made from white acrylic panels that conceal low-cost fluorescent-tube lighting.

Shelving by Riveli.

The shelving, in progress.

Open enclosures and connections to adjacent living spaces keep the home inviting and airy rather than densely packed—a key feature for an owner of two dogs: Ben, a whippet, and Flynn, an Irish gypsy dog.

A pressed-steel Parallel shelving system by Terence Woodgate holds books and mementos.

Konishi and Gaffney's bedroom is fairly austere, though a pair of dormers let in lovely natural light.

One entire wall of the space is dedicated to storage. A simple, clean iron rod shelving system was conceptualized to span the entire wall left to right, and both floors top to bottom. Depending on the location of the storage wall, the nondescript iron grid can be used to house items in the living room, kitchen, library, or bedroom areas.

This shade has a levity about it that works well with both muted neutrals and darker colors. Benjamin Moore’s Blue Seafoam (2056-60) is a good example of a relaxing blue paint color that works well for interior and exterior walls.

In a centuries-old building in Montreal, Belgian architect and designer Gaeten Havart undertook a DIY kitchen renovation that makes the most of inexpensive materials. These simple cabinets and modern cabinet pulls are from Ikea and painted with a matte black finish.

L' étagère en bois by Swiss designer Lucien Gumy is a solid wood shelving unit that requires zero screws or nails—each of the boards and uprights interlock perfectly. The overall size can be varied by using differing lengths of elements.

Designed in 1960 for Vitsœ by Dieter Rams, the 606 Shelving System remains a storage favorite because it adapts with the times—literally. Installing the modular structure is foolproof, and customizing it rewards creativity.

Container Store finds, like galvanized-steel shelving in the kitchen, maximize storage.

The Linework system of shelves by New York-based studio Visibility elevates and frames objects that one chooses to fill spaces with.

Thomson says “the house invites a frugal attitude towards ‘things.’ It demands a discipline in prioritizing what is essential in a small space.” Vitsoe shelving keeps one bedroom neat.

The Waveform's generous 13 inch depth will support the larger hardbacks, while its 22 inch length lends itself to a mix-and-match modularity that will make a neat visual statement. Read more about the Waveform here.

The Nomad Shelf System from Skagerak is part of an innovative storage system that has a thin, space-saving profile. Designed to resemble a ladder, the Nomad rests on the wall, and can be set in a variety of interiors, or even outside. The ladder comes with four hooks, which make it easy to hang small personal accessories like keys or totes. The rungs of the ladder can be draped with towels when used in a bathroom, or can be used to display scarves or other textiles in a bedroom or living space. The Nomad Ladder can be used with the Nomad Shelves to create more surface area for storing other items.

In the early stages of the addition concept process, Wibowo referred to a research publication from Australia, Dementia Care and the Built Environment, which underscores the importance of building a space that is as homelike as possible, with abundant light and many familiar objects in place. The architect accomplished this by creating custom shelving to hold ceramics that Ken made or collected over the years along with pieces by artist friends

A wall of built-in shelving runs the length of the space, providing ample room for the residents' book collection.

590BC got creative with lighting solutions for the space. The firm advises varying the light sources and details to help make dimly lit spaces feel bright. In the office, linear LED fixtures housed within ceiling coves reflect light down the brick walls. Ceiling fixtures illuminate the space as does lighting installed under the built-in shelving. Photo by Frank Oudeman.

Creating a library along a staircase out of open shelving means that the books can be accessed from both the staircase and the stair hall on the other side.

Fraher and Co designed the shelving to lighten in tone as one ascends through the house. It moves from black walnut to lighter oak to wood that's painted white.

The Chain shelving system by Nendo for Hem takes customizable home storage to the next level, allowing users to build elaborate box "chains" using specially designed connectors.

The couple's collection of books, pottery, and carvings are displayed on built-in shelves in the office and hallways.

The budget was nearly as tight as the space in this cheerful renovation of a 516-square-foot flat in Bratislava.