I’d had my eye on DWR’s Story Bookcase for years. This heavy, powder-coated steel shelf comes in great colors like Tomato (a rusty red), Pineapple (a bright yellow), and Sky (a beautiful pale blue).

There’s no dispute that bookcases are useful, the problem is that most aren’t very interesting. Here’s an exception: This DIY bookshelf is easy to build, and it combines horizontal shelves and ...