Updated January 2026

Looking at the stats for this blog, my most viewed post every year is usually the round-up of mid century shelving systems that I compiled all the way back in 2017 so for my first post of 2026, I thought I’d do an update.

Almost 10 years on, I’m still very fond of mid century-inspired wall-mounted shelving systems and the Poul Cadovius royal system that I inherited from my father still has pride of place on the wall of our living room.

In terms of what else is available on the market, all of the design classics that I covered in 2017 are still available but some of the high street offerings have been discontinued or replaced.

Here are my picks (with an option for every price point):

1. dk3 Royal System (£££)

While I prefer the original, chunkier version of the Cado royal system, I think that the modern slimline version reissued by dk3 still looks great and looks more contemporary. It comes in oak and walnut.

2. Vitsoe 606 system (£££)

These are a tad officey-looking but I’ve seen them in various high-end homes and they always look great. For me, the best use of Vitsoe shelving is as a room divider as per this studio flat in the Barbican.

3. String shelving system (££)

Although it’s still ubiquitous and a Scandi cliche these days, I still think String shelving elevates any room. Having put String shelving up in most rooms of our house (kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms), I would say it looks great but it’s a little flimsy – I don’t think I would rely on the wall-mounted version to bear the weight of anything heavier than a few ornaments, paperback books and toiletries.

4. Hay Pier System (££)

Hay’s streamlined, minimalistic version of a modular shelving system on rails is made out of lightweight aluminium and steel and is available in a variety of colours and set configurations that can be combined with each other.

5. On-Wall office shelving (££)

The On-Wall modular shelving system consists of steel wall uprights, plate-like brackets and lightweight shelf boards. Again, it looks a little corporate but when used in a domestic setting, it resembles the more expensive Vitsoe system, especially the drawer units.

6. La Redoute Archivita set (££)

The Architvita shelving system looks like an updated version of the Taktik system that I featured in my post from 2017 – it seems to feature the similar vertical metal rails as before (though La Redoute has stressed that the two systems are not compatible) but the shelves and cabinetry have been updated and refined.

7. IKEA Boaxel system (£)

IKEA has discontinued its Svalnas wooden wall mounted shelving system but those who want to install something modular on a budget can look to Boaxel, its flexible, wall-mounted storage solution, most commonly used in closets, bedrooms, and utility areas. I’m not sure about the version with oak veneer shelves but I love how the white version looks in the living room examples pictured here – it’s pretty similar to the more expensive examples in this list.