Ha, I just looked at the IKEA Hemnes and Billy bookcases. You are sure that the Billys are out? Billy also comes in ash veneer. And, of course, the lighter birch and black-brown.

Hemnes in pine.

If you might ever use the bookcases somewhere else I might just go with four and keep them at 82 inches tall as that would go better with doors/windows. You have more options that way. Five more narrow ones might just look too crammed on one wall.

82 inches tall sounds like a winner, keeping that horizontal visual line with the windows. I would think hard about 32 versus 36 wide, though. Depending on how they are made, 36" shelves will have a greater chance of sagging if holding heavy books. Draw out the looks of 4 wider vs. 5 narrower shelves. An odd number may be more pleasing, or it might not?

Why not have 4 36" units with a middle unit 32"? That would cover the whole wall.

I was just going to add the opposite of suero. How about one center 36" shelf flanked by double 32" shelves on each side?

I agree with suero and voila as far as filling the wall, but unlike everyone else, I would choose the taller version. I would like the contrast/variation with the window height rather than having everything all in a line.

Thanks all. I guess I'm not quite ready yet, am I?

Naturally, the 32" and 36" are in two different lines so I can't mix them, although I think one can be custom sized (or I could keep looking). If I do a custom size order, I can just go ahead and fill the wall. And...there are different depths. Would it be weird to have the one (ones?) in the middle be extra deep, breakfront style? I'd like the extra depth but I have a light switch to consider. :)

It's very possible that they will be moved at some point. I've been told that I have a bad habit of rearranging furniture (and then telling the spouse to redo all the media hookups heh heh).

Nosocc, I tried to make IKEA work for me. I really did! But it would have to be painted and I have too many unfinished projects. (I actually kinda enjoy the assembly part.) The wood species/colors on Billy just don't work with what we have. Psst, isn't that Billy and not Hemnes? See? I've been looking! The styling on Hemnes is too contemporary? Modern? Current? Pottery Barnish? Anyway, not neutral (like Billy) enough to slip in to my used furniture mix.

It is Billy, yes, the medium brown (ash veneer).

Hemnes looks more traditional IMO, but in the PB sense. And is either black brown or natural pine.

Billy is pretty neutral. I do like the styling on Hemnes (my kid has the storage bed) but our wood stuff is more the mid century colors and styles. Not to say it all matches, but it kinda goes. They also have this one that I like: