Heritage Hill Library/ Book shelf, Classic Cherry finish

Love how the bookshelves went together. A quick study of the assembly instructions gave me the impression that some people shouldn't try this product. I read the review of a husband/wife team who said said that they both had degrees in engineering and all they did was criticize. Having a degree is one thing, but having common sense is another. I realized that some additional tooling was necessary to keep the 90 degree angles correct as the "boxes" were quite large. Plus, I went over and above by using wood glue for the joints as I was working with particle board. I have built these before and I realized that a Milwaukee 2749-20 M18 1/4 in Narrow Crown Stapler allows quicker assembly for me, but that is a personal preference. Assembly time was a little longer as the glue drying did take time. Total assembly time was 2 days per set as I built them side by side. My wife and I are very happy how they turned out. Will be ordering 2 more next week as they look sharp!! And for the price, you cannot beat them!!!

This bookshelf was the closest to what I was looking for. My current bedroom theme is sort of a cross between medieval castle/Hogwarts mixed with Disney and anime. The bookshelf has the “fancy library” feel that I was going for and the nice rich color of the brown goes so well with the grey stone background of the wall. I would love to order a second one but my room isn’t big enough. The top half I use for the small handful of my favorite books “since I have a lot of books in storage” and the lower half of the shelf, behind the doors, was supposed to be for movies but I decided to store my video games there instead. There’s also plenty of room at the edge of the shelves in front of the books for small knickknacks. The shelf is decent in sturdiness and weight and the wood is typical particles but still pretty thick. The cardboard backing was also easy to hammer on. However, I do have a couple of complaints during assembly. 1) The cupboard doors need to be held exactly where you want them and either you need to have something hold them in place, or else have a second person hold them in place for you. Otherwise one door will scrape against the top or bottom edge of the frame, or there will be a weird gap between the doors when closed. Also, the back of the door handles have two little pegs sticking out and the cupboard doors have a little hole where the pegs should go. However, the holes are not aligned and the first time I attached the handles, one handle ended up being higher than the other. After a while, I had the idea of removing the handles and switching the doors. Once I did that, the handles were aligned correctly. But neither door or handle is marked, so there’s no way of knowing the handles won’t line up until you try putting the handles on. Bit annoying. 2) One of the final steps is to attach the trim to the individual shelves. If you look at the front of each of the two top shelves in my pictures, you will notice the thickness of the front edge. That is actually a separate piece of wood that needs to be attached. However, there are no holes to put the screws through. Instead there is a narrow opening that runs along the entire length like a thin trench. The screw goes through the opening until it reaches the bottom and then goes through the wood. Once they are attached, you can wedge the shelves into the bookshelf. However, if it turns out that the trim is uneven and there is an annoying gap on one side (which there more than likely will be) you CAN NOT unscrew it, readjust it, and screw it on again. That will split the wood. It happened to me with both trims. Now both trims tilt downward a tiny bit. Other than those two issues, this shelf is great. I managed to assemble it myself but it took me nearly 3 hours and I was assembling it in a narrow hallway. Definitely would have been faster if I had help and more space to work but was still doable alone. Despite the setbacks, I still give this 5 stars. Mostly for aesthetics, sturdiness, depth of the shelves, and the ability to assemble it alone.

For the price, this item is a great buy. Let's start off with some basics, then with the negatives and the positives. Basics -------------- You can put this together yourself, as I did, but it took me about three and a half hours - the only tools I used of my own was a screwdriver and a drill screwdriver. While the box was heavy, the entire piece isn't bad. Before I stood it up, I affixed felt pads to the bottom of the bookshelf to easily slide it on my wooden floors (and I recommend that you do the same if you have wooden floors). Also, I saw a review complaining about "two of the same door" - that's the FIRST thing I noticed with my order too! Before I called to complain, I read through: those are how the doors are supposed to arrive. FYI. :) Negatives -------------- *Lining up the aesthetic pieces with their respective shelves was a huge pain - those are the decorative pieces on the sides (x2), the top/bottom (x1 each) and on each of the two shelves in the upper half of the unit. The instructions tell you to "offset 1/4 inch" -- seriously? I eyeballed it and it turned out alright, but I did have to unscrew and screw in the angle brackets several times to get everything as flush as possible. Speaking of angle brackets... there should be an easier way to affix those to the wood. It's a tight space between the short screws, the brackets and the wood so be prepared. * Read. The. Instructions. The instructions are horribly written - I mean, the instructions are there, but the lack of choice fonts, associative images (CAUTION! / STOP! / WARNING! etc) and sectioning made me auto-skim and I missed some important details, such as the rotation of certain wood pieces. Luckily I was able to figure it out and fix it when I got to later steps without having to deconstruct the entire thing. * Chipping. There was some pieces chipped - and while they included a nice little marker, that doesn't fix the problem. For the price point, I can deal with a few minor blemishes that will be hidden anyways. * The doors at the bottom aren't flush with one another - I was surprised to see a half-centimeter gap between them when I finally got them aligned. Positives -------------- All in all, this looks very nice. The decorative pieces really add "flourish" to the bookshelf, and while it's made of pressboard, it looks very good quality-wise. I do have novels on each shelf (I use the base shelf behind the doors for my heavier books) and everything fits nicely. Oh, be warned, don't lose any pieces - they didn't give me any extra screws or ANY extra pieces, so if you strip a screw you're ... well, out of a screw. ;) If your ground isn't level, make sure to affix the bookshelf to the wall, as again I could see this tipping over if not weighted appropriately or if someone pulls on it.

Five-Star Review: Sauder Heritage Hill Library with Doors/Book Shelf I am genuinely impressed with this Sauder Heritage Hill Library. It combines classic style with practical storage, making it a standout addition to any living room or home office. Timeless Design:** The Classic Cherry finish exudes warmth and traditional charm. The molding, paneling, and overall silhouette instantly elevate the room’s decor, pairing well with both antique and contemporary furnishings. Generous Storage:** With a full bookcase on top and two doors below, there’s ample space for books, decorative accents, and office essentials. The combination of open shelving and enclosed storage helps keep the area tidy while still displaying favorite items. Perfect Dimensions:** Measuring L: 29.80" x W: 12.99" x H: 71.26", it fits nicely in a variety of spaces—from compact living rooms to home offices. It doesn’t overwhelm a room and still provides substantial storage. Solid Construction:** The piece feels sturdy and well-made. The materials and craftsmanship reflect Sauder’s reputation for durability, giving me confidence it will endure daily use for years. Easy Assembly:** While any bookshelf can be a bit of a project, the assembly process was straightforward with clear instructions. The hardware and fittings lined up as expected, and it came together without issue. Versatile Styling:** The neutral cherry finish blends with a range of color schemes—from rich burgundies and creams to soft grays and blues. It’s easy to accessorize with framed photos, lamps, and keepsakes. Practical Features:** The doors on the bottom are great for concealing clutter, while the open shelves top show off favorites. The overall footprint is efficient for maximizing storage without sacrificing style. Value:** Given the blend of classic aesthetics, functional shelving, and robust build, this is excellent value for money in its category. If you’re looking for a stylish, durable, and versatile library with doors that adds character and organized storage to your space, the Sauder Heritage Hill Library is a superb choice. Five stars from me. Highly recommended!

PROS: - Looks pretty nice once fully assembled - Higher load bearing weight than most other book shelves/cases CONS: - It's all made of particle board, which chips easily - Chipping occurs when you screw in screws during assembly - Parts machined inconsistently in factory, unacceptable number of screw holes did not line up on the one I got - Molding and backing also did not sit flush on the one I got - Exposed particle board facing the ceiling - Backing of unit is just cardboard - Wobbly when assembled, even worse on carpet - No spare parts included REVIEW: My girlfriend and I both went to college for engineering. We put together model kits and do 3D printing as hobbies. We read the negative reviews on this product, and we thought, "These other people just didn't put their units together correctly. We can do much better." We were wrong. It's not the reviewer, it's the product itself. This product comes with 60 screws. The instruction manual says that all you need is a #2 hand screwdriver to assemble it. If screwing in 60 screws by hand sounds like too much of a hassle for you, then stop here. You'll also be using 59 finishing nails and a hammer to affix the backing cardboard to the unit. This admittedly reinforces structural integrity so the unit doesn't collapse in on itself, but it doesn't address the unsturdiness of the unit. Putting 10 LBS of force on the side is enough to tip it over. So they ask that you use an electric drill to affix an anchor strap into your wall. Lots of work, huh? We used only the prerequisite tools outlined in the instruction manual and followed all instructions perfectly. It took us 4 hours total. Assembly would've been much faster if the screw holes lined up properly. We counted 11 screw holes that were completely misaligned. We had to re-measure and then re-drill these 11 screw holes. At least 30 of the other 49 screw holes were not fully drilled. Most of these screw holes are for angle brackets that have to sit flush with edges; I had to pre-thread all of these before attaching angle brackets. We put it together correctly, but the fixed sectional shelf is inlaid by ~1/16". The horizontal molding is also offset by ~1/8" from the vertical molding. The cardboard backing comes in 2 pieces and is supposed to interlock perfectly. We measured the bottom and affixed it as level as possible. When we interlocked the top piece, the top stuck out on the very top right corner by ~1/16". We had to adjust this, which meant that more particle board is exposed on the back. And this is a minor complaint, but the instruction manual tries to be endearing by having flavor text blurbs for different steps. The last step says "time to go take a nap" which just adds insult to injury in my opinion. My black 5 shelf Basic Editions Walmart bookshelf cost less than half of this and was easier to assemble. It's wider and less prone to tipping on the same flooring, but it doesn't have as high of a weight limit per shelf. We wanted this to actually store BOOKS on. You get what you pay for with this. I'd rather have spent more for a real wood bookcase.

Just finished putting this together and we're fully impressed. The product itself is exactly what it says on the tin, looks just like the photos. It takes a little bit of extra effort from your standard DIY bookshelf just because it has some extra decorative pieces, but we think it's worth it and that's one of the reasons we picked it out. Did have a MINOR bit of confusion since some of the decorative pieces weren't labeled, but they were easy to identify with the instruction manual. Which, let me just say, this is clearly a company who has seen the problems in the DIY furniture industry and has actually taken HUGE strides to make the whole experience easier on the customer and make the product sturdier. There are no bamboo pegs that might not even fit into their assigned holes, no weird turn-to-lock things that may are may not be tight enough to not unlock themselves, no ten different pieces of tiny hardware that barely look different from each other, and NO ALLEN WRENCHES. The entire piece can be put together with a regular screwdriver and a hammer (or just the screwdriver if you can't find the hammer and are determined enough, since you only need the hammer to tack on the cardboard backing); and because the structure's entirely put together with screws and because it's actually separated into two pieces, it makes the entire structure way more stable than your standard DIY bookshelf. The instruction manual is also not only EXCEEDINGLY, PAINSTAKINGLY clear about which way each piece should be facing and what hole you should be screwing it into, spelling it out for you when they can't just point it out on the diagram, or sometimes even doing both; it also comes with a little pre-measured spacer that you can cut right out of it to help you center the moldings on the shelves just right. And just as the icing on the cake, they also include a marker in the color of the laminate to fill in accidental scratches. We are extremely happy with this bookcase, and we'll be looking at Sauder products for future DIY furniture needs.

As someone who first entered adulthood during the reign of Ikea, I'm no stranger to self-assembled furniture. I'm quite certain that 115% of the furniture in my first apartment were things that I put together myself. I might not be a furniture assembly expert, but I've seen my fair share of allen wrenches part 8s. The Good: Once you're done, the piece looks nice. There's really no getting around it. The size strikes a good balance between height and width, giving you plenty of space for storage, without an overly large footprint or causing me to break out a step stool. The Bad: Assembly is horrid. This isn't a simple 30 minute job. Be prepared to devote hours to getting this together, and getting all the pieces lined up right. This is the single most fiddly piece of furniture I've ever put together, and there was no need for it to be that. While the main structure was built with properly measured & spaced holes, every bit of molding uses groves instead. The angle brackets they include for attaching the molding have problems with both allowing too much slack, and were horribly manufactured. Mine came not only with flashing filling most channels, but with excess plastic at the outer corners which keep the molding from being able to mount flush. Finally, all structural rigidity relies on having the cardboard backing in place... until then, it's even more unsteady than I was in my 20's after a night out drinking. The Ugly: While the laminate they use on this piece does look nice, it's thin and fragile. Almost every piece came with the corners rubbed through and showing raw particle board beneath. There were also a few sizeable scratches along different surfaces. This is in spite of the fact that the box showed no sign of damage or rough handling. They do include a touchup pen, which went to good use (and accounted for another 20 minutes of my build time). Overall, this piece can look nice, but it will take a lot of time and effort to get it there. Just make sure you're prepared to spend 90 minutes fiddling with trim, drawing on the shelves with a marker, and wondering why you didn't just order something from the local furniture store.

I LOVE the color of this bookcase. The bookcases at the big chain store generally cost around $100, so this is about what I was expecting. It's a nicer quality with thicker shelves than the big chain store bookshelves and I really wanted the cherry color, which, on this bookcase, is gorgeous. It was a bit difficult to assemble only because I asked for help from a male friend who insisted that we skip through the directions. We ended up getting a screw caught between two beams because he didn't want to sort out the screws like I ALWAYS do before assembling any furniture. Note: just breathe, relax and take your time and follow the directions, and if you ask for help from someone, give them a sedative, like a big dose of kava or something because it's going to take several hours. Once it's finished, though, it's really lovely. I filled it with books and so far, it's been fine. It is particle board with a finish, so if you scratch it, it's going to show. But, it comes with a brown color-coordinated marker so you can cover up minor scratches or flaws in the finish. I was a little surprised that the top of the bookcase is unfinished, but maybe a lot of bookcases are not nowadays. I wouldn't put it in a location where the top of it shows - like next to a staircase. The backboard is cardboard folded in half with the same cherry finish, which for me really wasn't an issue because I always fill my bookcases completely with books so the back doesn't really show. There are weight restrictions for each shelf, so make sure you pay attention to those - some shelves hold more weight than others. I plan to assemble the second one by myself now that I understand what's involved. I have to give five stars because customer service was so amazing. I didn't open the second bookcase for a long time, but despite the time that had passed, they still replaced a damaged beam very quickly, and even reshipped the beam a second time because I had given the wrong address. That was really amazing! Never had such a good experience with customer service before.

Excellent product with fantastic instructions both with video and paper. A bit tricky at some points, but looks absolutely amazing!!! We actually bought the whole set and then for another room 2 of the 2-door bookcase. Very elegant!

Très bel article et assemblage facile.

Sorprendido! El producto llegó en un empaque súper maltratado, le pusieron cinta en el empaque para poder tapar lo mal que estaba el empaque. Al abrirlo el empaque prácticamente se deshizo, además de que traía piezas raspadas y no traía nada de tornillos, manual, ni nada para armarlo. Pensé de regresarlo pero la verdad ya no había empaque! Trate de buscar ayuda para que me enviaran lo faltante pero nada.. hablé a Sauder EEUU (porque en Mexico no hay) y le dijeron que me podrían enviar lo faltante, pero que no embarcaban a Mexico.. tuve que pedirle a un conocido en McAllen que lo recibiera y luego me lo enviara.. mala experiencia

Good looking bookcase

I have a set of Sauder Heritage Hill 5 Shelve Bookcases and needed more. Checked on line and found the exact match, ordered 3. Web site is easy to navigate. Received confirmation of order and advised delivery. We actually received delivery faster than stated. Wonderful service.