Ubabub · Booksee Bookshelf
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4th June, 2013
New clear acrylic 'Booksee' bookshelves, by Melbourne start-up Ubabub. Photo by Danielle Trovato.
The clear acrylic 'Booksee' bookshelf by Ubabub. Photo by Danielle Trovato.
'Booksee' bookshelf by Ubabub. Photo by Danielle Trovato.
Daniel and Natasha Dumais, the Melbourne-based husband and wife team behind Ubabub! Photo by Roy Chu.
We don't often cover kids things around here, but when this super cool kids bookshelf from Melbourne start-up Ubabub crossed my path recently I just had to share - such a clever design idea for any kids room!
We covered Ubabub a very long time ago, when they first launched their super stylish range of nursery furniture back in 2010. The business is run husband and wife team Natasha and Daniel Dumais, who were inspired to create their range after hunting for stylish pieces for their own kids. Since then they've been on an incredible ride! Ubabub's gorgeous range of pieces for the modern nursery has won them many new fans and stockists across Australia, New Zealand and now the United States!
Natasha and Daniel's latest design, the 'Booksee' bookshelf is such a winner. It cleverly displays books face out - which of course makes for a beautiful ever-changing wall feature (because illustrated kids books are so gorgeous these days), but importantly, it also means kids can clearly see and reach their favourite titles, encouraging them to read. The durable, clear acrylic allows for the covers to be viewed without obstruction, and the lip securely holds books in place. So simple and effective.
'The inspiration for most of our products to date have been things that we've really needed for our own kids' explains Natasha. 'When designing a shared bedroom for our older girls Bianca (6 yrs) and Sabine (4 yrs), we wanted to include a bookshelf but lacked the space for a regular boxed unit. The Booksee shelf design allows for a functional use of wall space, as well as displaying the books face up for the kids to be enticed to read. We felt this was a great way to really emphasise the joy and importance of reading, as well as providing a brilliant decorative element within the bedroom space'.
We couldn't agree more! Ace work you guys. If I had kids I would totally make a whole wall of these.
The Booksee shelves measure 22cm high, 90cm wide and 7cm deep. They are sold as a set of two bookshelves for $199.00, and are now available online from Ubabub's online shop!
These are great – both in form and function. My comment is about my perception of a changing tone in my daily Design Files. It used to feel like a magazine article arriving in my inbox each morning. Now it’s more of a daily advertorial. They are always great products/ design but a less enjoyable read. Its time for me to unsubscribe and just check in every now and again.
Brilliant Tash and Daniel. Love it! Keep on inventing … can’t wait to see what you create next!
Love the “booksee” bookshelf. Would love to own it one day to display all the books for my 6 grandchildren when the come to visit. Such a great idea.
Lucy and team
BOOKSEE SHELF $199.00 AUD
Set of 2 Bookshelves. 220 high x 900mm wide x 70mm deep each.
(Taken from their website.)
Sorry guys, but doesn’t this just look like any old magazine rack you see used in newsagent?
Thanks Johno for picking up my typo in the specs for these bookshelves, I have amended that now!
Carol – thanks for your comment. I’m not sure what to say in response except that as clearly outlined time and time again, all content on TDF is editorial, I am very clear on this policy and accept no payment of any kind for written content on this site, unlike most other blogs. ‘Advertorial’ is not something you will ever see on TDF. I guess 5 years on TDF probably does have a different tone to the early days, because I’m always striving to lift keep the site growing and improving in quality, both the image quality and written content has lifted in the past few years. I still write all the content personally which is a pretty good effort reckon (!) and I only ever write about things I really like!
Sarah – yes, these are very similar to magazine racks at the newsagent, but I’ve never seen them for sale for the home, and particularly not designed with kids rooms in mind, so I thought worth sharing!
Oh, love these! Going on my wish list for kiddos reading area.
How do they attach to the wall?
Wow Carol, your tone seems really aggressive and harsh. The point of Design Files for me is being introduced to new things. I enjoy Lucy’s point of view and being made aware of new products. Just because it’s an editorial on a product doesn’t mean it’s an advertisement. Magazines are full of products, too.
These are fantastic! I love that the colourful book covers become decoration in the room, rather than being hidden away in a standard bookshelf.
These would be perfect for my classroom. I doubt my principal would budget them in for me, but still, really good idea. I really like how they allow for the whole cover illustration to be on display… makes books more appealing.
Hi
Love these – and have been trying to “pin” them from phone and PC but no luck. I see 21 have pinned – is anyone else having any problems? It’s only working on my TDF pics?
:)
Hi There Mel, I have just tested off my Mac and having no problems pinning directly from the Ubabub site. You can see my pins in Pinterest, just search for Ubabub under Pinners or hit the Pinterest button on our homepage. Not sure why yours wouldn’t be working, have just forwarded your comment onto our tech guys to see if they can assist.
Louisa –
Re your question about fixing to the wall, there are holes on the back panel, so can be screwed directly to any wall with the appropriate fixing. BTW Once the books are on the shelves you don’t see these holes.
Sending virtual applause to Daniel and Natasha!!! I am very privileged to know them personally and recognise their talent and passion for contemporary nursery furniture and accessories. They juggle a young family and local thriving business, well done guys for all your hard work and quality products! x
I don’t think Design Files has become advertorial at all. I have been following for years and you have always maintained a great standard. How else are you suppose to talk about new stuff?! Congratulations on an excellent high standard.
See? This is awesome. The books on her wall…well, I want’em all! The shelves are aaaaamazing. I would even want them for certain books and magazines. Imagine those in the kitchen/dining area. All the cookbooks and delicious recipes showcasing. Okay, okay. Clearly, I love.
These are gorgeous. I had trouble finding nice display shelves for my little one, and would have loved these. I ended up getting IKEA spice racks for $2.00 each and painting them white. Looked cute, but not as stylish as these!
Hello, just to say I guess I’m a blog ‘lurker’ in that I NEVER comment, but I really felt compelled to on this occasion due to some of the comments being made. Firstly, I think TDF is the most beautiful blog I’ve come across, it’s intelligent, fresh and different. No one is forced to read any blog, so it upsets me when harsh comments are made – it’s completely uncalled for! You’re essentially getting free information to your inbox every day, but if you don’t like it, just unsubscribe. Secondly, no, these are not just like any newsagents shelves. Believe me when I say that it’s so hard to find nice kids furniture that doesn’t cost a fortune. I have some acrylic retail display shelves that are very similar to these in my daughters room, but they’re not the right dimensions for books, and I’ve been looking for something like this for YEARS! This design is perfect, and I hope they ship to the UK. Good on you Lucy for maintaining such an incredibly high standard of content, both image and copy wise, and thank you for what I imagine to be a very hard slog. That’s all, yours, The Lurker X
What a shame they are 900mm not 600mm- they would have fit perfectly in my little one’s reading corner. I wonder if getting them cut would damage them.
These would be fab for displaying beautiful design books too! Damn rental property no-drilly hole-drilling rules. Boo!
(And Lucy many of us who have been reading your blog from its humble beginnings still adore it – those of us who blog ourselves know how difficult it is to find something new to blog about daily, you do a tremendous job of curating! Xx)
A beautifully designed product from an inspirational Australian company, thankyou so much for sharing Lucy!
Gorgeous… shelves that make the books the star! Love … simple and no fuss. Great find Lucy. Always impressed… Hx
Hi Lucy,
I popped into DesignEx on Saturday and running through my mind as I took in all the lovely designs was how much of it I recognized from reading TDF. You are ahead of the curve and always showing us lovely emerging designers and products. You provide a stage for talented fledgling designers and artists that might not be picked up by magazines who focus on paid advertisers. I feel so much better informed for having read your blog these last few years. You have a friendly and engaging writing style and your enthusiasm definitely comes across. Keep doing what you are doing please.
Love TDF and receiving everything that comes through including this lovely story.
Good luck to them and also TDF – brilliant – and remember you will ever please everyone all of the time
Just yesterday a client asked us if there was anything we could recommend for her child’s bedroom that could display books and lean prints for an ever changing display – these are perfect and this is why we love your daily inspiration!!
It’s interesting that Carol thinks magazine material is somehow unbiased editorial. Unlike TDF, most mags include product purely to appease their advertisers! Either way, I love my morning TDF browsing!
These are fabulous for kids rooms and even for craft rooms to display finished art as I have recommended to a client. Lucy, I commend you for keeping TDF advertorial free – I know this is increasingly hard to do in the changing space, given what is happening with many blogs and so I commend you for your high standard. It is so great to get so many new ideas and I appreciate all the work that goes into bringing us this content everyday. Thank you.
A FOOL AND THEIR MONEY ARE SOON PARTED
Great idea……….sale price is daylight robbery though!
$199 for 2 perspex bookshelves COME ON!!!!!
The true & reasonable value of this product people would be around a quarter of the price.
I work in the industry & have an understanding of the true value of things, this leaves me feeling disappointed to see naive people being suckered into “designer” jargon.