Bookshelves or expedit?

[susannahmoodie]

We are having kitchen extended to accommodate dining table and going to convert existing dining room into second living room/playroom. Most of dcs toys will be in there plus books.

I want to have bookshelves put in along the back wall, perhaps get a joiner to build them. Dh thinks instead we should just get big expedit boxy units from ikea for the whole wall. Then we could use some of the squares for books but others for storage, toys etc.

We already have a few if the smaller expedit units in the boys' bedrooms and IMO they just seem to attract clutter. I'm more and more convinced that what we need is not less storage but less stuff!!

I think books look nice on bookshelves and we'll have to keep them tidy as they'll be on display.

Wwyd?

[Thurlow]

We have two Expedit cases in our dining room, so 16 squares, four of which are cupboards/drawers. I like them a lot and you can fit a ridiculous number of books into them - most of ours are 3 rows deep - and of course the boxes will be incredibly useful for toys etc.

But yes, they can attract clutter as you can shove a lot more on top of the books than you could on a standard bookshelf.

If it's just books you want to store I'd go for bookshelves, but if you do want to put toys and other stuff then I'd go for Expedit, or whatever they've replaced it with (new name, looks exactly the same). I really like having a few drawers, they're so handy.

[Bonsoir]

I don't personally like the look of Expedit at all and it isn't that convenient for all sizes of books and possessions.

[susannahmoodie]

I think it would be predominantly books.

[TessTackle]

You could go for a four square expedit or an 8 square one so it runs along the wall 2 sqayrea high rather than standing? Then get a bookcase or make the spice rack shelves so your DC can see what books there are?

[TessTackle]

Squares*

Sorry I meant to say expedit with doors or tubs inside for toy storage.

[erin99]

I like bookshelves, but then we have bookshelves as our main toy storage in the playroom. Most toys seem to fit more or less on Billy. Tempting to include a cupboard or 2 and some drawers to hide mess, but some nice baskets could do a similar job.

Expedit with drona can hold loads more but I'm with you, I think less stuff would make me happier than more storage.

[SilverSixpence]

We have an expedit 4x2 on it's side with 4 of the new grey Kvarnvik boxes in them along the bottom to hide clutter and books and other bits in the top 4. We also have a few display items on top - looks nice and not too messy.

I didn't really like the look of the Drona boxes when we had them, overall effect was much more studenty

[littlegreengloworm]

I would go for expedit myself. It stores so much

[MoreSkyThanWeNeed]

Expedits are deep.
I didn't like the look of my books on the Expedit so got bookcases, but they are great for putting baskets of stuff in.

[chocoshopoholic]

In my study I've put an expedit on its side across the bottom with the acrylic tubs for odd shaped stuff. Then I've put a white bookcase set to the back for books on top.

[Pannacotta]

I think Expedit is excellent, you can add drawers or cupboard fronts if you would like it to look neat.
I like it best on its side as its less obtrusive that way.
Like the pic on here
www.foodfitnessandfamilyblog.com/2013/07/playroom-makeover/

[Tansie]

The good thing about Expedit is that it can be a bookshelf or a storage cabinet. A thing to also consider is that for a lot of us, sooner or later, we come to the realisation that our entire library could be stored on one i-reader... I found that when I culled my books back to 'only keep for sentimental reasons' there weren't that many left!

[InternetFOREVER]

Don't think they sell Expedit anymore, I went to Ikea (MK) a couple of weeks ago and they said the ones they had on the shop floor were the last they were getting in. New range, Kallax, with thin frame, due out in July I think.

[InternetFOREVER]

OK scrap that, just had a look on the website and they're showing as back in stock. Think the staff at Ikea just like having a laugh!

[RoganJosh]

If it's mostly for books then expedit or the replacement are a bit deep. It is very cheap though.

[Tansie]

What I did with books was to either make sure the A4, taller ones were in the back row and the smaller ones to the front or I cut polystyrene blocks so I could stand the back row on them so you can still read the top of the spine!

[Tansie]

maybe IKEA are ditching Expedit!

[CokeFan]

InternetFOREVER is right - Expedit is going to become Kallax. Same internal size so they fit the same boxes but the outside frames are going to be a bit thinner and more rounded and the white colour is going to be slightly different and you can get shelves for them.

expedit becomes kallax

We're getting some for toy/stuff storage.

They probably are a bit deep for books - we have lots of billy bookcases instead.