Trey Bookshelf

A tall, narrow bookshelf from Four Hands that pairs a raw iron frame with solid poplar shelves and two drawers. Three fixed shelves create open bays for books and objects, and the drawers below close off the clutter. Those drawers are joined with English dovetails and run on wood side-mount glides, with an anti-tip rail built in. Each drawer is pulled by a loop of top-grain leather secured with metal, which adds a soft, worn-in texture against the hard lines of the frame.

The design borrows from clean midcentury furniture, with straight uprights, a slim profile and no doors to interrupt the grid. Poplar takes a finish well, so the wood reads differently from one version to the next, and its grain shows through the color. The iron stays dark and slightly rough, and the leather picks up warmth from the wood. It sits comfortably beside walnut and oak, and it holds its own next to painted plaster or a bold wallpaper.

Stand it alone in a corner or alcove, or double it up along a longer wall and add the matching media console from the same suite. Books and ceramics suit the open bays, and the drawers take table linens, notebooks, chargers or board games. Leg levelers under the frame help it sit true on uneven old floors, and the shelves are rated for a steady load of books.