Monarch SpecialtiesWhite/Grey Hollow-Core Bookcase, 71-Inch

I purchased this as a companion to a Monarch Specialties White Hollow-Core/Silver Metal Office Desk.Packaging - The desk arrived in typical flat-pack fashion, with a light cardboard box, Styrofoam sheets lining the interior of the box on all sides, and the occasional piece of foam sheeting on the inside to protect individual panels. There is a plastic and cardboard tray of hardware. The side of the box was pierced (presumably in shipping), and it continued through the Styrofoam, and into one of the panels. Another panel had significant damage as well, but there are many pieces in the package.Customer Service - I took advantage of Monarch's support website. You put in the panels that you need, supply damage photos, and that's it. The first package I was sent had the panels wrapped in cardboard, with many yards of bubble wrap around the outside. Unfortunately, this packaging strategy did not protect the corners of the panels adequately, and I needed to request two more. The replacements were packaged a bit better where one panel was completely undamaged, and the other had minor corner damage. I was able to plan the assembly where the damage would not be visible. The shipping from Canada to Houston only took about a week. I was satisfied with Monarch's efforts in this regard.Assembly - Quick assembly is easy to achieve if you lay out the parts in advance (which is easy to do when inspecting the pieces for damage), and have sufficient space to both stage and assemble everything. Due to the lack of strength of most flat-pack furniture, I think it's always best to assemble the item wherever it's going to be long-term. The process of assembly went pretty quickly. All holes were indexed properly, and all of the hardware was sufficient to the task. It took me about 75 minutes to put together... while you may be able to save some time by using a power screwdriver, I really don't think it's worth the risk (regardless of the clutch options on the device). I assembled the desk per the instructions, and I have absolutely no racking from side to side. Do not skip (or skimp) on the glue, as I think it contributes significantly to the rigidity of the finished piece. I purchased the white bookcase, so YMMV if you get another color, but I found the circular finish stickers to match well with the rest of the panel finish. You do need to make sure that you properly sink the long particleboard screws, though, or the stickers will not sit flush on the panels. It's also a good idea to wipe the panels with a damp cloth (and allow it to dry), before applying the stickers. It seems that some reviewers may not have done this.Appearance/Quality - This is an inexpensive bookcase, but it looks pretty nice if you take your time during assembly. I wasn't entirely sure that this would match the desk well, since the desk is white and silver. However, I noticed that the "reclaimed look" woodgrain pieces also have silver lines in the grain pattern. It isn't a "natural" look, but how natural is something with 8 floating white boxes, anyway? In any case, I think the piece looks great, but the quality of the result has a lot to do with the workmanship you put into it.Value - I wanted a bookcase to match my Monarch desk. I'm very happy with my purchase.

I bought 2 of these. They look really good, but if you come close you can notice them. It took a long time to assemble (3 hours per unit) and they are HEAVY.The imperfections are definitely from the factory and not from shipping. They need to QA better at this price point hence the 3 stars.

This is a beautifully designed shelf, and it's rather sturdy, but there are some things that could be done much better.Pros:- Great Design, Modern- Good Size Shelves- Easy to Clean Surfaces- Plenty of Glue Supplied- Numbered Pieces HelpCons:- Very Complex Assembly (you will need tools, lots of patience, time, and space to lay everything out)- The gluing is good for sturdiness, but it's messy and a slow process- Packaging looks like a dirty diaper. The box arrives as a big bundle of sticks and planks inside an unsealed box wrapped in a cocoon of dirty plastic wrap. Don't try to bring it inside your house or touch it without gloves unless you want to turn everything black.- Internal padding was ample and protected things, but it's really cheap foam that will make a HUGE mess of little pieces everywhere.- I'm rather good at figuring out foreign furniture instructions, but these are super vague and I actually had to pry open the glue on the boxes because the direction of the holes matters a lot. *Make sure you put all the flanged opening holes on the inside!!*- The floor footer side pieces still try to spin even after tightening the cam bolts, so you have to set it somewhere and leave it. Don't drag along floor.- The holes have to be covered up with stickers and there aren't enough to cover all the holes - just the immediately visible ones from eye-level.- This is a tall and heavy piece of furniture, so it would be nice if it came with wall brackets. I ended up screwing in my own to protect myself during earthquakes.

Like the overall look! We use this in our "rewards store" at school

Good:- delivered in 7 days- sturdy (using it to hold ~200 lbs)- looks nice- all holes were pre-drilled and every hole lined up- metal-to-metal fasteners used to hold cubes together were a smart decision- assembly instructions were pretty clear and the many, many pieces were well labeledBad:- wood screws + particle board. If the shelf gets used frequently, those screw holes will wear out and the unit will become wobbly- each cube takes uses 14 phillips-head screws... you Must have an electric drill to assemble this piece of furniture or you are in for a long, wrist wrenching experience- The assembly is tedious and will take a few hours.- The product comes with a kind of watery super-glue to put on the dowels that go into Every joint of each piece. I highly recommend you buy a bottle of wood-glue and a cheap, little artist's painting brush to apply it. It will make assembly much easier and faster. It will also be easier to clean up when you're doneI use the shelf to hold lots of heavy albums and it does the job well. I would probably buy another one if I had a need to, despite the arduous assembly.