BH | Studio Hartland Arched Bookcase

Arched niches and arch-headed bookcases were a favourite of Georgian builders, who set shelves into curved alcoves beside the chimney breast so books and china sat in a frame of their own. A rounded head turns a stack of shelves into a small piece of architecture.

Tall and arch-topped, it has open shelving in the upper half: two adjustable shelves set between two fixed ones, so the spacing can suit tall vases or short paperbacks. Below, a pair of solid doors closes over two more adjustable shelves that divide the cupboard into four compartments. Each shelf is rated to hold 44 lbs. Brass-toned ring pulls sit on the doors, soft-close hinges stop them banging, and the case stands on slim tapered wood legs with non-marking pads. The exterior is a wood-grain laminate in Jet, Cream, Almond or Cocoa with a fine trimmed edge, and a pale wood-grain interior glows behind whatever you display. Assembly is required.

Stand it in a dining room against a deep-coloured wall, with white ironstone and cookbooks on the open shelves and table linens and candles behind the doors. In a living room it makes a fine frame for a collection of pottery, and in a wide hallway it holds gloves, dog leashes and spare bulbs out of sight. Each finish makes a confident pairing with brass; it looks smart against sage, plaster pink or crisp white, with a pair of brass candlesticks in the arch.