We’ve all been there: You’re at the thrift store and something catches your eye. It’s interesting, but…meh, you’re not sure what you’d do with it, so you move on. Then, some time later, you stumble upon an image in a magazine or social feed of that very item styled beautifully, and your body is consumed with instant FOMO. You missed out, and chances are, it’s long been scooped up by someone else.

Well, today, I’m preempting that FOPOTBTI (Fear of Passing on That Beautiful Thrifted Item…clunky, I know), by sharing a piece of furniture I see over and over again any time I’m thumb-cruising through Facebook Marketplace Furniture: The barrister’s bookcase. This solid wood stacking furnishing is usually made of oak, has top-sliding glass fronts, and lends a collegiate or library vibe to any room it graces. What were all the kids calling that style recently…grandpa chic? Well…this is peak grandpa chic in all the best ways.

I love to see them in their original wood finish, though they can easily be upcycled with paint if you prefer that look. And the best part? They’re usually around $100, easy to move, and endlessly versatile.

How To Find A Barrister’s Bookcase Secondhand

For whatever reason, any time I open a secondhand marketplace app, I get served with these bookcases. They’re like a dropped penny… You find them everywhere (but, imho, not used often enough in beautiful, finished projects). I don’t find them; they find me. There have even been a few times when they have been offered for free, but typically, I see them for around $100, as mentioned. There are, of course, far more expensive ones depending on their provenance and age, but at most, they’ll run you a few hundred dollars. They are typically made from solid hardwood and sometimes have decorative leaded work in the glass fronts.

As you can see from the listing above, many people list them as lawyers’ bookcases, as well. This one is solid oak for $80, which, honestly, is such an immensely good deal for anything constructed from a wood like this. It appears to have an open section on the bottom middle tier, though most will have the glass doors that open from the top and slide in to be out of the way.

You may find that some listers get the name right, but it’s unclear if it’s an antique or what the above seller is calling “vintage style.” That’s kind of the name of the game with peer-to-peer marketplaces. People are posting things however they think best, so just be sure to ask some questions about the construction, age, and condition. The most common issue is the functionality of the sliding glass doors.

I love the glasswork on the top door, and the fact that this is $50 is mindblowing! If you’re near Corona, California, GRAB IT NOW!

A Little History Lesson On The Barrister’s Bookcase

Before we get into all the pretty stuff (feel free to keep scrolling if you’re getting antsy), I gotta drop a little history into what these things even are. Called barrister bookcases (though sometimes listed as lawyer bookcases or bookshelves on marketplaces), they originated in England around the 17th century. As their name suggests, they were first created for courthouses and lawyers—or barristers as they are called in England—to transport their valuable law books between offices or to store important legal documents in the courtroom. The cool thing about these is that they are modular and stackable units, a feature that, back then, made it easy to take them apart for transport.

Eventually, as things do, this type of bookcase made its way to the U.S., popularized by a company called Globe-Wernicke that marketed them as “elastic bookcases.” From there, they spread beyond law offices into homes, libraries, and even schools. Thanks to their separate sections, you could move entire libraries without packing and unpacking books! They are truly a good, functional design.

How To Style This Facebook Marketplace Marvel

The more I see these in people’s homes, styled beautifully with all kinds of trinkets, the more I’m convinced I’m going to need to add one to my case good collection when my home is larger and I have space for it. Because they are shallow, narrow, and not that tall, the barrister’s bookcase works in so many rooms, from the dining room to a home office to a living space, and even a bathroom. Though I’ll share my favorite creative use for it last (it’s a good one).

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A post shared by Matthew James (@brooklynartboy)

First up, from Brooklyn Art Boy, you can see how perfect it is for smaller collections like candlesticks, vessels, and vintage brass wares. The scale of it is ideal for older homes where the ceilings may be lower and rooms may be smaller, though I’m sure it would also work beautifully in a larger house, too.

How I see this piece used most often is in the dining room, housing wine and drinking glasses, alcohol, and barware. And as you can see from the two images in two separate homes, the height of a three-stacked bookcase is just begging for a piece of art, a vase, and two taper candles (how funny is that…though perhaps one informed the other??).

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A post shared by Minnesota Rust (@minnesota_rust)

Have extra dinnerware and platters you want to show off? These are great as China cabinets, too. And as you can see in the image above from Minnesota Rust, you can skip the library/grandpa aesthetic with a coat of paint in a color that better suits your style and home decor.

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A post shared by Kimberly (@simplybeyoutified)

Like perhaps a matte black as Simply Beyoutified did above (you can click the “play” arrow to see the transformation).

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A post shared by Bre Bertolini (@brepurposed)

Want it to feel even more modern? Swap out the petite knobs for a bar pull, add something to the back panel (here, from Bre Purposed, it looks like they did a reeded or fluted paneling). If you’re going to go all in, maybe even a punchy wallpaper or a different colored interior than the exterior would be absolutely fabulous!

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A post shared by Chrissy Irvine – Antiques & Vintage (@the.workers.cottage)

Yes! This is so wildly charming to me, put to use to store old quilts and linens. It’s such a beautiful way to showcase pretty things that are normally hidden behind a solid door in a linen closet. In a bathroom with some open floor space, you can put beauty products, folded towels, bath salts, and give it an apothecary look.

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A post shared by Heartwood Designs (@heartwooddesignsltd)

But above all, my absolute favorite store-away-in-my-brain-until-I-renovate-a-home concept is in a kitchen, as shown above by Heartwood Designs. This beats open shelving any day but still lends an open, airy feel that also speaks to the English kitchen style everyone loves so much (for a reason). Sure, you could have a custom-built piece atop your counters, or you could find a barrister’s bookcase for like $50 and just update the interior to match your cabinetry. I’m swooning.

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Now that you’re inspired (I hope), onward to your favorite secondhand marketplace to find your own barrister’s bookcase. And because I personally love this “How to Make It Shine” format for secondhand home decor and furnishings, please let me know in the comments below if you’re seeing something in store or online time and again that you need a little help making look swoon-worthy.

Until next time, friends…

Opening Image Credits: Design by Malcolm Simmons | Photo by Malcolm Simmons and Andrew Hill | From: Malcolm’s DIY-FILLED Office Reveal