Three open shelves on an exposed metal frame, sized 33-in wide by 14-in deep and only 31.5-in tall, which is low enough to sit under a window or beside a sofa rather than dominating a wall the way a full-height bookcase does. Each tier carries 90 lbs, and 13-in of clear height between shelves takes hardback books upright, storage boxes or a row of records without anything having to lie flat. Load capacity at that level depends on the frame, not the boards. Welded metal uprights and rails carry the weight and hold the geometry square, so the shelves stay level under a full load instead of bowing at the middle the way an all-panel unit does after a year. Two anti-toppling devices come in the box. They fasten the frame back to the wall, which matters on any shelf loaded from the top down, and they take a few minutes to fit during assembly. Along the back edge of every shelf sits a raised baffle. It stops books and boxes from being pushed off the far side when something is slid in from the front, which is exactly where an open-back shelf normally loses things. The engineered wood shelves are finished splinter-free, so a wipe with a cloth is all the daily care needed and nothing catches on a sleeve reaching across them. The finished unit weighs 26.5 lbs. Rustic brown boards against a black frame give the industrial look that infuses a sophisticated touch to a home, and the compact dimensions suit rooms with limited space in a living room, bedroom or home office. Assembly is required and an instruction sheet is packed with the shelf.