Like many California locals, Robert Ooley is a fan of the mid-century modern aesthetic in his home. After years of using 1x12s on shelfs brackets he was looking to upgrade to something with a more professional look. He’d seen Modern Shelving on television advertisements and on social media and was enticed by what he saw.
After scouting out the options, Ooley decided to go with mostly stock shelves but with one custom section that closed a gap to create a wall-to-wall installation. His interactions with the Modern Shelving team were great, but he had to wait a few months to complete his order.
After striking out with an installer, Ooley opted to do the installation himself. Once he figured out how the parts went together, everything was fairly straightforward. Assembling the storage units went smoothly and the instructions were clear. Ooley cut a piece of ¾” foam core as the template to set the shelve height/distance from shelf to shelf, which he found helpful for installing the legs and shelf brackets.
Ooley works as an architect and an author and came up with the concept of sloping shelves to display the mockups of the books he planned on writing. Unfortunately, many of the books are oversized and there wasn’t enough room to install sloping shelves alongside his more traditional shelves.
“I am delighted with the product,” says Ooley. “I just wish I had more wall space to install more shelves. The units are clean and professional and impressive when you walk into the room.”
Ooley’s shelving unit is in an east facing room in his home. He covered an exterior window, allowing for a wall-to-wall, floor to ceiling installation. His personal library consists of approximately 900 books and his unit can accommodate 500 of them. He also uses the storage units beneath the shelves to house art, office, and model building supplies and materials.
“If I had one, my only regret is not having room for more,” says Ooley. “The shelves are already at capacity.”
