I have a particular fondness for bookcases, because I love to read. Like Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, “I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” If I get to construct my dream bibliotheca, I know all too intimately the bookshelves I would fill it with. New among my list of bookish wonders to add to this oneiric space filled with tomes is Edge Bookcase, designed by Vincent Dupont-Rougier for Roche Bobois.

Edge Bookcase. Designed by Vincent Dupont-Rougier. Manufactured by Roche Bobois.

Modular Bookshelves Frame Books and Collectibles

Part of the Les Contemporains Collection, which features “striking furniture” and “the most avant-garde pieces of today’s design world,” Edge Bookcase is a modular unit with a slatted wood structure with oak veneer and/or lacquered MDF in satin or glossy finish. The wood is available in five shades and the MDF in seven, so the combinations are numerous (I would do the math for you, but alas, I am not good with computative issues). Roche Bobois pictures Edge Bookcase in a combination of light wood and bright, glossy orange, which is both subtle and arresting.

The flame-colored vertical strip seems a great place to shelve racy novels like Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin and Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert. It might also serve as someone’s special section of library: a spot for your child’s picture books or your partner’s birding volumes. Generally, the idea of using different finishes to classify books is a good one. I’m not sure this was Vincent Dupont-Rougier’s intention, but it’s clever regardless.

If you’re not a bibliophile, Edge provides excellent, compartmentalized display space for just about anything. A celadon pottery collector might use a monochromatic stretch of wood Edge units to highlight color and shape. Someone who collects miniature reproductions of mid-century chairs might use Edge in a satin MDF finish. The open edges at the top and bottom of Edge Bookcase give the furniture a feeling of openness that is often missing from bookshelves, while the small squares offer the ability to frame whatever fits inside.

About the Manufacturer: French furniture company Roche Bobois offers high-end pieces, including beds, sofas, chairs, tables, bookcases, sideboards, and modular units. The company even manufactures a line of bedroom furniture for kids. The Roche Bobois style is sui generis: “each piece is above all furniture with a unique character, inspired by multiple personalities.” Among the world-famous designers who have contributed to Roche Bobois’ line are Vladimir Kagan, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Christophe Delcourt.