REVIEW – When I took this reviewer role at The Gadgeteer, I did not think I would be reviewing furniture, but here we are! I love gadgets, but I also love all things analogue as well. I journal with pen and paper every day. I listen to vinyl on occasion. I read physical books (most of the time). And I also built the dinner table. I’m writing this at right now. So when the Ohwill bookshelf and buffet cabinet went up for grabs, I volunteered.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Bookshelf Price: $179.51 (on sale from $189.99 at the time of writing)
Buffet Cabinet Price: $169.99 (on sale from $199.99 at the time of writing)
Where to buy: ohwill (Save $20 with code: Gadgeteer20 expires 10/4/25)
What is it?
The “71 Inch Modern Bookshelf Bookcase 4-Tier Storage Bookshelves with Sliding Door and Adjustable Footpad” is, well, I guess the name says it all doesn’t it. It’s a 4-tier shelf unit with a sliding door cabinet at the base. And the “40 Inch Sideboard Buffet Cabinet with Sliding Door, Storage Cabinet with Adjustable Shelves, Coffee Bar Cabinet Console Table” is just that as well. These are literally the names on their website. It seems like there is some search engine optimization going on here if I had to guess.
What’s included?
- Parts to assemble
- Warranty and instruction/installation manual
- Necessary hardware
- Wall anchor kit
Tech specs for Bookshelf
- 15.2″D x 31.5″W x 70.8″H
- Engineered Wood
- 4 Shelves
- 51.25 pounds
- Adjustable Footpad
- Modern Style
Tech specs for Sideboard Buffet Cabinet
- 15.75″D x 39.37″W x 29.53″H
- 49.2 Pounds
- Walnut
- Engineered Wood
- Sliding Doors
- Adjustable Shelf
- Floor Mount
- 3 shelves (it seems they are counting the base and the top of this as shelves as well so make note that there are not 3 shelves on the inside of this unit)
Check the website for all the tech specs for these two products. I didn’t include them all because some of them are ridiculous. It seems they were just thinking of anything they could include to pad the site.
Design and features
The color is great. I love a good wood tone. The website says it’s “walnut” color, but the material is listed as “engineered wood”. Make no mistake this is a cheap pressed particle board. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not top quality hardwood construction. As is the case with so many things these days. I would put it on par with or just a hair above IKEA quality.
The metal frame of the bookshelves is very light. Which is great for moving it around. But once it’s in place, the weight is not really an issue. This ends up making the frame feel kind of cheap. I hate to be so cliché, but they just don’t make things like they used to. This is not a “pass-it-down-through-generations” type of piece.
The shelves themselves don’t sit flush against the wall when in place. Which means there is a large gap between the back of the shelves and the wall. I guess not everyone is going to put it right up against a wall, but I would have designed it with the shelves flush with the back of the unit, so that the shelves were up against or at least closer to the wall.
The adjustable feet of the bookshelf unit are fantastic. It really allowed us to even it out while one of the legs was on a rug and the other three were not. Also our house is over 100 years old and nothing is level or even.
The sliding doors are very cool, and give the pieces a mid-century modern look and feel. However, if you open both of them at the same time, they hit in the back and you can’t access the side storage section on either side. If you only open one at a time, it will go around the back far enough to access that side storage. Not a flaw, but keep it in mind.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
The assembly was pretty straightforward. The instructions were easy to read and follow for the most part, and I didn’t have any major issues putting it all together. Also, they both went together quite quickly.
All that said, I did have some minor issues. One of the holes on the bookshelf was not pre-drilled. It was very clear it should have been there because it was on the other side. So I had to just go for it and drill the screw in, and hope it didn’t split the particle board. I guess I could have gotten a drill bit and pre-drilled it myself. But I chose not to, and it was fine.
The other minor issue was a metal shaving I received while inserting one of the screws to secure the legs to the bottom. That halted the whole build for about 20 minutes while I had to dig it out. The screws are very soft and strip out easily. Even with my drill set on a very low torque setting.
The smaller buffet cabinet doesn’t have adjustable feet like the shelf one does. Not a huge deal, but when you live in an old house and the floors are not always completely level, it would be nice to have a little adjustment on that one as well.
It’s hard to see and not all that noticeable, but the smaller unit has something on the top of it. It looks to me the smallest amount of paint splatter. Or maybe an adhesive of some sort. It’s virtually unnoticeable, but you can feel it if you run your hand over the top. And I only noticed it because I’m being nitpicky.
Final thoughts
Honestly, these pieces look really good for what they are. They are cheap cabinets and shelves that serve their purpose of good looking storage that’s not going to break the bank. I like them and would recommend them if your needs match the products.
What I like about 71 Inch Modern Bookshelf Bookcase and 40 Inch Sideboard Buffet Cabinet
- Great mid-century modern look
- Easy assembly
- Sturdy
What needs to be improved?
- Cheap materials
- Not long lasting items
Bookshelf Price: $179.51 (on sale from $189.99 at the time of writing)
Buffet Cabinet Price: $169.99 (on sale from $199.99 at the time of writing)
Where to buy: ohwill (Save $20 with code: Gadgeteer20 expires 10/4/25)
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by ohwill. ohwill did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
Check out these other furniture reviews!
- Bedeep Olar Modular Sofa review – Similar to Lovesac without the hefty pricetag
- Ohwill Kitchen Island Cart review
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