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In the six years since buying our Victorian in Hudson, New York, I’ve moved my office between two rooms three times. “We’re doing this again?” my husband asked when I started dragging everything down the hallway. But when we gave up our Manhattan apartment and all my stuff came with us—art, books, paperwork, tchotchkes—I knew I needed a better setup. Something that felt intentional but not permanent.
I’ve always loved the idea of built-ins, but the room that is now my office is small. Plus, it’s one of the only true bedrooms in the house, and I didn’t want to risk the resale value with something too bulky or specific. So I started digging through Pinterest and realized many of the spaces I was saving had a similar look: open shelves, often staggered and sometimes paired with a sleek desk. The kind of setup you’d see in a French apartment or a super-functional office. A few even had that clean, modular vibe of a Vitsoe system—beautiful, yes, but not exactly in the budget at $4,000.
That’s when I found IKEA’s Boaxel system. It’s technically a closet organizer, but when I saw that someone had used it with a worktop, I was sold. It gave me the look of built-ins without the commitment—or the price tag (my combination is around $400).
I sketched the layout in Illustrator (a true design director move) to make sure everything would fit: the desk, the door swing, and plenty of vertical storage. The system’s modularity meant I could stagger the shelves to accommodate everything from framed art to a mushroom lamp. One section holds a row of books anchored by a crystal ball bookend; another is topped with baskets for the less aesthetic stuff—paperwork, receipts, and other odds and ends I’d rather keep out of sight.
Installation was surprisingly easy, even in our slightly crooked old house. My husband (a graphic designer and a perfectionist) handled the leveling, and we had it all up in under a day. Because the shelves are deeper than most bookcases, there’s plenty of space for layered styling, while the worktop is wide enough for my laptop, large monitor, and even a craft project or two.
Another perk: If my needs change, I can add drawers under the shelves or remove shelves to make room for taller objects. I’ve already shuffled the layout once to make space for more books. For now, though, the system strikes the right balance of storage and style. I’m not saying I won’t swap rooms again, but this setup makes it a lot less tempting.