I have owned four mid century wall units over the past decade, and three of of them are now sitting in my parents basement because I bought them for the wrong reason. The first one I bought because the photo on the retailer's website looked great. The second because it was on sale. The third because a friend said mid century was having a moment. All three ended up too big for the wall, too shallow for the things I needed to store, or too low quality to survive a move. The fourth one I bought after measuring the wall three times, mapping out every item I needed to store, and budgeting for the highest quality I could afford. That wall unit is still in my living room nine years later, and it has survived three moves and two cats. Here is the six mid century wall units that actually work in a small living room, the three that I bought and regretted, the four things to measure before you buy, the three things to budget for that you cannot see in product photos, and the one mid century wall unit I would buy today if I was starting over.
The Three Mid Century Wall Units I Bought and Regretted
Before I get to the six wall units that work, here are the three I bought and why I regretted each one. Each mistake taught me something specific that I now apply to every piece of furniture I buy, and the lessons are what make the rest of this guide useful.
Regret one, the wall unit that was too big for the wall. I measured the wall at72 inches wide and ordered a 72 inch wide unit without measuring the area around the wall. When the unit arrived, I realized the wall unit extended4 inches past each side of the wall because the wall unit was 80 inches wide including the side panels. The unit stuck out into the room and made the living room feel smaller. The fix is to measure not just the wall width but also the area around the wall, and to account for any side panels or trim that extend past the wall edge.
Regret two, the wall unit that was too shallow for my books. I bought a wall unit with 10 inch deep shelves to save floor space in my small living room. The shelves could not hold my hard cover books standing up because hard covers are typically 11 inches tall. I had to lay the books on their sides, which looked messy and damaged the spines over time. The fix is to measure the items you plan to store and to make sure the shelf depth exceeds the largest item dimension by at least half an inch.
Regret three, the wall unit that was low quality and fell apart during a move. I bought a wall unit because it was on sale at a discount retailer. The unit looked fine in the store but but the back panel was thin particle board that cracked when I tried to remove it for a move. The shelves were held in place with with pegs that fell out under the weight of books. The unit lasted three years before it needed to be replaced. The fix is to budget for the highest quality wall unit you can afford, because the cheap units fail within3 to5 years and the quality units last 20 years or more.
The Six Mid Century Wall Units That Actually Work in a Small Living Room
The six wall units below are the ones I now recommend for small living rooms, ranked by storage capacity, footprint, and renter friendliness. Each one is a different style and a different price point, and the right answer depends on what you need to to store, how much wall space you have, and how long you plan to keep the unit.
Unit one, the low mid century bookcase. The most common mid century wall unit and the easiest to live with in a small space. The low bookcase is 30 to 36 inches tall, 36 to 72 inches wide, and 12 to 16 inches deep. It holds books, decorative objects, and small electronics. The footprint is small enough that it does not dominate the room, and the height is low enough that it does not block the view from across the room. Cost is $300 to $1,500 depending on the quality and the wood. This is the right unit for a renter who wants a single piece of furniture that holds a small library and a few decorative objects.
Unit two, the high mid century bookcase. The upgrade from the low bookcase for living rooms with higher ceilings and more storage needs. The high bookcase is 60 to 84 inches tall, 36 to 48 inches wide, and 12 to 16 inches deep. It holds a full library plus decorative objects, and it makes use of vertical space that would otherwise be empty wall. The taller height means it needs to be anchored to the wall for safety, especially in rentals with children or pets. Cost is $500 to $2,500 depending on the quality and the wood. This is the right unit for a homeowner who wants a statement piece and who has the ceiling height to support it.
Unit three, the modular mid century wall unit. The most flexible option because the shelves can be configured in many different ways. The modular wall unit is a system of vertical panels and horizontal shelves that can be added or rearranged over time. It can be expanded as the storage needs grow, and it can be reconfigured when the room layout changes. The cost is $800 to $3,000 for a basic system and up to $5,000 for a large system with many shelves. This is the right unit for someone who wants a custom look without the custom price.
Unit four, the mid century credenza. The right unit for a living room where the storage need is for media equipment, barware, or linens rather than books. The credenza is 30 to 36 inches tall, 60 to 84 inches wide, and 18 to 24 inches deep. It holds a TV, a record player, a bar setup, or a buffet. The deeper depth makes it less suitable for books but more suitable for items that need to lay flat or stand up. Cost is $500 to $3,000 depending on the quality and the wood. This is the right unit for a living room where the primary storage need is not for books.
Unit five, the mid century room divider with storage. The right unit for a studio apartment or a living room that needs to be divided into two zones. The room divider with storage is 60 to 72 inches tall, 48 to 72 inches wide, and 12 to 18 inches deep. It holds books and decorative objects on one side and creates a visual separation between two zones on the other side. The footprint is larger than a standard wall unit because the unit needs to be accessible from both sides. Cost is $1,000 to $4,000 depending on the quality and the wood. This is the right unit for a studio where the wall unit needs to do double duty as a room divider.
Unit six, the mid century wall unit with integrated desk. The right unit for a living room that doubles as a home office. The wall unit with integrated desk is 60 to 72 inches tall, 60 to 84 inches wide, and 18 to 24 inches deep. It holds books and decorative objects on the upper shelves and provides a desk surface on the lower section. The integrated desk is typically28 to 30 inches tall, which is the standard desk height. Cost is $1,500 to $5,000 depending on the quality and the wood. This is the right unit for someone who works from home and needs the desk to disappear into the living room decor when not in use.
The Four Things to Measure Before You Buy a Mid Century Wall Unit
Measuring before buying is what I learned the hard way from my three regretted purchases. Here are the four specific measurements that determine whether a wall unit will work in your space.
Measure one, the wall width. Measure the wall width at three points (top, middle, bottom) because walls are rarely perfectly straight. Use the smallest measurement as the maximum width for the wall unit. Add4 inches for the side panels if the unit has side panels, and add another 2 inches for clearance on each side so the unit does not look crammed against the wall.
Measure two, the wall height. Measure the wall height from floor to ceiling. Subtract 6 to12 inches for the baseboard and any trim, and subtract another 1 inch for the clearance between the top of the unit and the ceiling. The result is the maximum height for the wall unit.
Measure three, the items you plan to store. Measure the height, width, and depth of every item you plan to store on the wall unit. Books, decorative objects, electronics, and media equipment all have different dimensions. The shelf height must exceed the tallest item, the shelf width must exceed the widest item, and the shelf depth must exceed the deepest item by at least half an inch.
Measure four, the doorways and stairways on the path to the final location. Measure every doorway and stairway that the wall unit will need to pass through on the way from the front door to the final location in the living room. The wall unit must fit through every doorway and turn every corner. A unit that is 36 inches wide will not fit through a 32 inch doorway, and a unit that is 84 inches tall will not fit through a stairway with low low clearance.
The Three Things to Budget for That You Cannot See in Product Photos
Product photos show the wall unit looking great in a styled room, but they do not show the three things that determine whether the unit will last5 years or 25 years. Here is what to look for beyond the photo.
Budget item one, the joinery quality. The best mid century wall units use dovetail joints, mortise and tenon joints, or dowel joints that are glued and screwed. The cheapest units use staples, nails, or just glue. The difference shows up in3 to 5 years when the cheap joints loosen and the unit starts to wobble. Look for photos of the unit from the back or the inside of a drawer to see the joinery quality.
Budget item two, the shelf material. The best mid century wall units use solid wood shelves at least0.75 inches thick. The cheapest units use thin particle board or MDF shelves that sag under the weight of books over time. Solid wood shelves can hold 30 to 50 pounds per shelf without sagging. Particle board shelves start to sag at 15 to 20 pounds per shelf.
Budget item three, the hardware. The best mid century wall units use metal drawer slides, metal hinges, and metal shelf pegs. The cheapest units use plastic slides, plastic hinges, and plastic pegs that break within a few years. The hardware is what takes the most wear and tear in a wall unit, and the cheap hardware is the first thing to fail.
What I Would Buy Today If I Was Starting Over With a Mid Century Wall Unit
If I was buying a mid century wall unit today, I would buy a modular mid century wall unit from a manufacturer with a reputation for quality (such as Vitsoe, USM, or Room and Board) and I would budget $2,000 to $3,000 for the system. The modular system would let me configure the shelves for my specific storage needs, and the manufacturer reputation would ensure the joinery, shelf material, and hardware are all high quality. I would measure my wall three times before ordering, I would measure my books and decorative objects to confirm the shelf dimensions, and I would measure every doorway and stairway on the path to the living room.
The one thing I would not do is buy a wall unit from a discount retailer because the price was good. The cheap wall units fail within 3 to 5 years and they end up costing more in the long run than a quality wall unit that lasts 20 years. The mid century wall unit is one of those purchases where spending more upfront is worth it because the unit will be in your living room for decades.
The four measurement steps above and the three budget items are what I now apply to every piece of furniture I buy, and they are what I recommend to anyone who asks about mid century wall units. The right unit for your living room depends on what you need to to store, how much wall space you have, and how long you plan to keep the unit. The wrong unit is the one that does not match any of those three factors, even if it looks great in the product photo. The six units above are the ones that work for most small living rooms, and the three I bought and regretted are the ones that taught me to measure before I buy.
The Final Decision Framework for Choosing a Mid Century Wall Unit
The decision framework I now use for any mid century wall unit purchase is this. First, measure the wall width, height, and depth at three points each and use the smallest measurement as the maximum size. Second, measure the items you plan to store and confirm the shelf dimensions exceed the largest item. Third, measure every doorway and stairway on the path to the final location. Fourth, decide whether the unit is for a renter or a homeowner and choose a unit that can be moved and reassembled if needed. Fifth, budget for the highest quality you can afford because the cheap units fail and end up costing more over time. Sixth, buy from a manufacturer with a reputation for quality and a return policy that allows you to return the unit if it does not fit your space.
The six wall units above cover the most common storage needs for small living rooms, and the three budget items above are the quality markers that distinguish a unit that will last 20 years from one that will fail within 5 years. The mid century wall unit is one of those pieces of furniture that defines the look of a room, and the right unit for your space is the one that matches your storage needs, your wall dimensions, and your budget. The wrong unit is the one that does not match any of those three factors, no matter how good it looks in the product photo.
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