This Brooklyn Loft Keeps 2,500 Books Tidy With Angled Shelves

Set at a 45-degree angle, the staggered shelves in Publisher’s Loft create a colorful, three-dimensional motif while maximizing storage.

Text by

Kathryn M.

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Can a 1,100-square-foot apartment hold thousands of books? If you ask New York–based firm Büro Koray Duman, the answer is yes. When a Brooklyn couple approached the award-winning studio to renovate their small Williamsburg loft into a space that would elegantly showcase their extensive book collection, the architects embraced the challenge.

Sited in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, Publisher's Loft has been remodeled by Büro Koray Duman for a book publisher and furniture dealer couple, who share 2,500 books.

In order to showcase the 2,500 books without cluttering the residence, the team has designed a custom library which wraps the perimeter of the open-plan apartment via staggered shelves.

To elegantly showcase the couple's extensive book collection without cluttering the 1,100-square-foot home, the New York–based firm has created a custom library via angled shelving.

Set at a 45-degree angle, the shelves allow the collection to be viewed from one direction, while hiding it via a three-dimensional wall in the other.

Rectangular blue and white tiles are positioned at an angle in the loft's bathroom, and continue onto the floor and into the hallway, adding a vibrant, playful touch.

"The diagonal created by the shelves provides a motif, which is extended throughout the space with custom tile work and wood flooring," explains the firm. As a result, the collection is cleverly incorporated into the home—now known as Publisher's Loft—without being an overwhelming omnipresent element in the space.