BH | Studio Gudhjem Arched Bookcase

The open shelf for display, the étagère or what-not, was a fixture of the nineteenth-century sitting room, built to show off shells, china and treasured books. Tall, open and light, it let a room hold a great deal without looking full, and it is just as useful today.

This version has a tall wooden frame wrapped in natural rattan, rising to a smooth round arch at the top. Four deep shelves sit inside with generous height between them, room for books, folded towels, baskets or display pieces, and the back is left open so the wall shows through and the piece stays light. Raised legs lift it off the floor, the boards are protected by non-marking caps on the feet, and it arrives fully assembled. As with any natural rattan, colour and weave vary a little from piece to piece.

Set it in a living room with a run of cookbooks, a stack of baskets and a jug of dried grasses, or in a home office beside the desk for files, notebooks and a few framed photographs. It also makes a bathroom shelf for towels and soaps. The golden rattan warms a white wall, and suits a breezy room of linen, palms and woven lampshades.