Q. What kind of bookcases do you sell?

A. Small or large, adjustable or fixed spacing, standard or custom, pine or birch or poplar or alder or maple or oak, finished or unfinished. In simple plain styles or with elaborate decorative molding—there are numerous options. Just stop in and show us what you are looking for and we will find it or make it in your size.

Q. Do you make custom bookcases?

A. Yes, but not exclusively. We also have ready-made pieces in a variety of sizes and styles ready to deliver

Q. How can I have something custom made?

A. First, measure the space the proposed object would go in and bring us the dimensions. Then bring us a rough sketch of the item you want built with the dimensions written on the drawing. You might also bring pictures of similar items you have clipped from magazines, etc. If you need the color of the piece custom matched, it would be helpful to bring a color sample. If there is a particular trim style or detail that you want, it would be informative to bring a snapshot. Of course, if you want simple pine bookcases with no particular ornament, then all we need is height, width, depth, and possibly shelf spacing.

Q. What other kinds of furniture do you sell?

A. We sell chests of drawers, blanket chests, stacking cubes, armoires, wardrobes, tables, chairs, nightstands, etc.

Q. Is everything you sell unfinished?

A. No. Some things are pre-finished. We also offer custom finishing services for painting, staining, oiling, waxing, etc. We sell finishing supplies for customers who would like to do the finishing themselves.

Q. Do you make all this stuff yourself?

A. We make a lot of the bookcases and most of the custom orders, but we do not make everything we sell. Sometimes we fill orders through independent woodworkers or various other manufacturers who we are able to hold to our own high standards of construction.

Q. Do you sell kits or are your pieces assembled?

A. Our furniture is sold fully assembled and either ready to finish or fully finished. We do not believe that kit furniture is really furniture at all; it is just a box of parts, usually fake wood, from which you might hope to build something, if you can somehow find all the parts and get them to fit together right. If that i€™s what you want, you might want to try one of those big box stores that advertises on bus stops. Let us know how that works out for you.

Q. Is your furniture wood or is it something else?

A. Our products are constructed of solid wood, wood veneers, and high grade ply woods. We avoid the use of plastic, particle board, oriented strand board, fiberboard or anything that resembles oatmeal held together by formaldehyde.

Q. What are some of the finishing options?

A. We can apply a clear polyurethane finish, or lacquer, or tung oil, or wax. Or we can apply a stain and varnish finish, usually two coats of each with sanding between coats. Or we can paint your furniture with oil paint, or latex, or non-toxic milk paint. We also sell finishing supplies for do-it-yourselfers. Sometimes people just leave their furniture unfinished and that is OK with us, too.

Q. Do you deliver?

A. Yes; the current rate is $59 within San Francisco plus $3 per mile beyond the city limits.The delivery charge is per delivery, rather than per item, so that you can have several items delivered for $59. We usually do deliveries on Saturday afternoons, but if that is inconvenient for you, we will work to accommodate your schedule, provided that you can give us a two hour window of time in which to accomplish your delivery.

Q. How long have you been doing this?

A. About 24 years, although the merchandise we display and the custom options we offer vary from time to time, so that we may not seem to be exactly the same store you may have visited six months or a year ago. We think that that it’s a good thing, evolution and continuity combined.

Q. What types of events do you host?

A. Poetry readings, publication parties, writing groups and workshops, and opening receptions for art we exhibit.

Q.What kinds of books do you sell?

A. We specialize in small press poetry books by local authors and publishers, and take great pride in our selection, which we think is one of the best around. We like to stock books that you may not find elsewhere.

Q. Is not your retail concept just a frivolous combination of unrelated businesses: books and bookshelves?

A. We think they kind of go together.