Best shops for shelving

Sid’s Hardware
Sid’s offers plain wood, wooden units, wire shelving and the ever-popular chrome rack. If the adjustable five-shelf unit, complete with its own set of wheels, has you non-DIYers worried about assembly, manager Richard Popper promises the staff will “open packages and show you how to put it together.” 345 Jay St between Myrtle Ave and Willoughby St, Downtown Brooklyn (sidshardware.com, 718-875-2259)

Holler and Squall
Reclaimed water pipes and floorboards make for one good-lookin’, superstrong shelf. The customizable, everlasting units (made by this curiosities shop’s co-owner, Zak Wing) are $200 per six- to-eight-foot-high shelf, including installation. Once you’ve got your unit, fill it with knickknacks and jewelry from co-owner Gillette Wing’s collection of reworked vintage pieces. 71 Atlantic Ave at Hicks St, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn (347-405-3734)

The Shelf Shop
The Shelf Shop is in the business of crafting durable, simple-setup installations that start at $400. Aluminum poles are held between the floor and ceiling using spring pressure; the arrangement allows for deeper shelves or units that go around corners. Packing up? Poles can be cut, or spacer pieces added, to fit the height of your new room. 1295 First Ave between 69th and 70th Sts (212-988-9800)

The Container Store
A trip to the Chelsea or midtown location of this national chaininvariable yields a smorgasbord of shelving—wall-mounted, freestanding, modular steel cubes—for any space. The best-selling custom drawer-and-shelving system Elfa fits in all kinds of places; design it yourself for free or pick a premade model. Plus, if you hire the Container Store to install your system, they’ll haul away your old shelves, too. 629 Sixth Ave between 18th and 19th Sts (212-366-4200) • 725 Lexington Ave between 58th and 59th Sts (212-366-4200) • thecontainerstore.com

BoConcept
If it’s a high-end wall system you’re after, the consultants at this design shop are what you need. The Lecco unit (starting around $1,200) has three different types of wood finish. From there, you can continue choosing, right down to the exact width of the shelf. Stop by the Soho store right before Thanksgiving, when new shelving line Modena ($400–$600) will make its in-store debut; it’s designed specifically for smaller studio spaces. Various locations; boconcept.us

Ikea
Oh, Ikea, how we hate to love you as much as we do. The Ekby Tryggve wood shelf is $3 and brackets start at 50¢, giving even the most frugal no excuse for disarray. 1 Beard St at Otsego St, Red Hook, Brooklyn (ikea.com, 718-246-4532) • 1100 Broadway Mall, Hicksville, L.I. (516-681-4532)

Vitsœ
Founded in 1959, Vitsœ still shills the same design that Dieter Rams, praised for his sustainable product design ideas, came up with in the ’60s: Rearrangeable cabinets and shelves make up this system. A newly opened store in Noho is one of only a handful of places to find this 606 Universal Shelving System in the U.S. 33 Bond St between Bowery and Lafayette St (917-675-6990, vitsoe.com)

Atlas Industries
The as4 is Atlas Industries’ substitute for shelving installation, replete with drawers for storage, files or even pencils. This is the only insta-shelving option we’ve seen that’s super easy to experiment with. 333 Douglass St between Third and Fourth Aves, Gowanus, Brooklyn (718-596-5045, atlaseast.com)

Muji
Muji’s Japanese wares get straight to the point: functionality. If you need it, purchase it, even if it doesn’t come in seven different colors. Makeup boxes and stand-alone shelves offer simple organization for any part of the house. Various locations; muji.us

Organize.com
Shop by room, system or even finish to find the right product for your space. Get specific with laundry shelves, browse the seemingly endless options for storage…organize every aspect of your life, right down to handbags and bread. organize.com

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