When furnishing an abode, second to the bed in importance is shelving, since displaying books and collectibles is de rigeur in this age of aquisition.

From antiques to modern collectables by notable designers to self-assembled kits for the do-it-yourself junky, bookcases and shelves come in as many forms as snowflakes.

If you need something to go with the leather couch in the lounge, the stackable Barrister Bookcase with a glass front from Globe Wernicke is a classic touch.  Available both new from the same company that has been making them for over a hundred years and vintage on eBay, the Barrister Bookcase is the original modular piece of furniture.  Sandwich a fold-down writing desk in between two bookcase segments to create space in a small study.

Other collectable styles of bookcases and shelving are Shaker, Mission style, or perhaps a Gustav Stickley if you have the resources.  Check out the auction scene which is vibrant in this historic area, or take the e-route and hit the old standby, eBay.  If you can't afford an original, all of these classic styles are currently reproduced in a wide range of prices.  From Shaker Workshops, a company that produces exquisite reproductions of Shaker furniture, you can build a set of pine shelves yourself from a kit for $500, or have it come finished for $862.  For the wallet-impaired, Target has a nice set of Mission style pine shelves for only $50 that assemble with a screwdriver.

Want to juxtapose some flair into the classic farmhouse?  Instead of antique, go modern.  For those not on a budget there is Design Within Reach, the benchmark for modern furniture retailers.  Some shelving solutions available at www.dwr.com (be careful, it's addictive) include the large but sleek Chicago 8 Box Shelving for $1599 or a classic museum quality Index Four Bookcase at a couple grand.  For smaller spaces, consider the ingenious Treku Shelving ($720) that attaches to the wall at the top and stands on two sturdy legs.  Or the Sapien Bookcase ($230), essentially a post with thin platforms on which books are stacked horizontally, it practically disappears when filled.  For the budget conscious modern aficionado, don't forget Ikea.  The closest one might be in Jersey, but it is only a mouse click away online.  For $99 and less, Ikea offers an array of simple functional bookcases and shelving units.

Modular shelving units are very popular right now and DWR offers a few plastic versions such as Cubitec Shelving ($175 per 6-cube kit) and Ladoro Shelving ($90 for 2-cube kit) that give customers the ability to customize formations depending on how they are assembled.  From Target, the Qbits custom furniture system uses a similar concept but is even more malleable.  Choosing from four different cubic wooden pieces ranging in price from $24 to $39 and a couple of accessories, you can build everything from simple bookshelves to desks, dressers and entertainment centers.

With home improvement so mainstream that it has its own channel, there are literally tons of do-it-yourself ideas, many that cost no more than the price of a couple of brackets and screws.  Milk crates can be painted, stacked and wired together or attached to walls.  The classic hippy cinderblock and plank shelving can be done for just a few bucks and with a little bit of paint and imagination can be quite creative.  If you are one of those people with more books than the local library and are looking for something affordable, apple crates or wooden wine boxes are useful and often obtained for cheap or free.

And then for the do-it-yourself demographic not only is there a cable channel, but a surfeit of Web sites which offer cabinetry plans for free.  At www.diynet.com I found instructions for building a floating shelf, which is one of the hottest design ideas sweeping through world of shelves right now.  By mounting the bracket horizontally and hiding it with a decorative lip, the shelf appears to come right out of the wall with no support.  One of the more creative ideas, also the cheapest, riffs on the floating shelf concept.  Using just a single bracket, a few screws and a large book for the actual shelf, by attaching the bracket to the wall in an L-shape, you create the illusion of stacks of books hanging unsupported from your wall.