A reclaimed wood bookcase with doors is a bookcase built from salvaged timber with glazed (glass) or solid panel doors over some or all of its shelves. Glass doors keep dust off the books and still show them. Panel doors hide everything, which suits a dining room or a cluttered shelf. Open shelving is the lightest look and the easiest to reach, and it gathers the most dust. Our reclaimed pine and reclaimed oak bookcases run from 67 inches to over 100 inches tall, and most of the tall ones arrive in two or three sections that stack in the room.
Glass Doors, Panel Doors or Open Shelving: Which Should You Choose?
Start with what lives on the shelves. Books you read every week want open shelving or glass doors you will actually open. A collection you want to see but not dust, like china, pottery or older books, wants glass. Anything you want out of sight, like board games, paperwork or table linen in a dining room, wants panel doors or a base with drawers.
| Front | Dust | Shows what is inside | Reads in the room as | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass doors | Keeps it off | Yes | Lighter than its size, because you see through it | China, pottery, a book collection on display |
| Panel doors | Keeps it off | No | Solid and formal | Dining room storage, anything you want hidden |
| Open shelving | Collects it | Yes | Lightest and most casual | Everyday books, a narrow wall |
| Glass top, drawers below | Keeps it off the top | Top only | A hutch or library cabinet | Display above, clutter hidden below |
The last row is the one most people end up wanting. Our pine bookcase with two glazed doors and two drawers (40 inches wide, 87 inches tall) and its wider four-door, four-drawer sibling (67 inches wide) both put display above and storage below.
How Tall a Bookcase Can Your Room Take?
Measure your ceiling height first, then the height of every door and stair the piece has to pass through. A 102.5-inch bookcase like our Biedermeier bookcase in reclaimed pine needs a ceiling above 102.5 inches, which rules out most rooms with standard 8-foot (96-inch) ceilings. For an 8-foot ceiling, look at pieces in the 85 to 95 inch range, like the pine 2-door glazed bookcase at 85 inches or the reclaimed oak bookcase at 91 inches.
Doorways matter less than you would expect, because most of our tall bookcases ship in two or three sections that stack: a base plus one or two uppers. That is how a 100-inch bookcase gets through a standard doorway and up a staircase. Our delivery team places the sections and stacks them in the room.
Reclaimed Pine or Reclaimed Oak for a Bookcase?
Oak is harder, carries a wider span and holds its finish longer. Pine is lighter to move, warmer in color, and can be waxed back at home when it marks. For a bookcase loaded with heavy books, the shelf span matters more than the species: a shorter span sags less in either wood.
| Wood | Reads as | Finish care | In our range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reclaimed oak | Heavier, more formal | Takes oil, wax or polyurethane evenly | Four-door bookcase in natural old oak, 92 inches wide |
| Reclaimed pine | Warmer, softer | Waxes back at home; resin can lift a water-based finish | Large pine bookcase with six glazed doors, 96 inches wide |
| Bleached elm | Pale, light | Shows water marks; wipe with a dry cloth rather than oil | Bleached elm cabinet with four doors and two drawers |
How Deep Should a Bookcase Be?
Most paperbacks and hardcovers fit on a 10 to 12 inch shelf. Our bookcases run from 12.5 inches deep (the Dawson bookcase in oak honey) to 23.5 inches (the Biedermeier). A deeper case takes plates, platters and art books, but it also comes further into the room, so measure the walkway in front of it before you order.
Common questions
What is a reclaimed wood bookcase?
A bookcase built today from timber that had a first life in an older structure. The wood keeps its knots, nail holes and marks, which is why no two of our reclaimed pieces look exactly alike.
Are bookcases with glass doors worth it?
Yes, if the shelves hold anything you want to see but not dust: china, pottery or a book collection. Glass doors also make a tall bookcase read lighter in a small room. For everyday books you reach for weekly, open shelving is easier.
How is a 100-inch bookcase delivered?
Most of our tall bookcases ship in two or three stacking sections, so they fit through a standard doorway and up a staircase. Delivery is free in the contiguous United States, and our team places and stacks the sections in the room.
What ceiling height do I need for a tall bookcase?
More than the height of the piece. A standard 8-foot ceiling is 96 inches, so pieces up to about 95 inches fit, and anything taller needs a higher ceiling. Check the listed height on each product page against your ceiling before ordering.
Reclaimed pine or reclaimed oak for a bookcase?
Oak is harder and holds its finish longer. Pine is lighter, warmer in color and easy to wax back at home. For heavy books, a shorter shelf span matters more than the wood.
See the full range: bookcases and shelves and tall display cabinets.
