SEM Bookcases

Italian, 1863-1934

Furniture brand SEM started as a spin-off from Milanese brand Spotti and now has an exceptional reputation of its own. Working with acclaimed furniture designers, including Valentina Cameranesi Sgroi, Vormen and Elisa Ossino, SEM creates personalized and finely crafted solutions for modern living.

During the 1950s, large furniture manufacturers often had difficulty providing customized, high-quality furniture while producing other products on a mass scale. SEM originated from that demand and has evolved to complement Spotti and offer simple, functional and highly ergonomic furniture for both work and home environments.

SEM, which stands for Spotti Edizioni Milano, has attracted a wide range of talent to design its furniture collections. Pivot, named for a hingeless door mechanism in its cupboards, is a design by Giacomo Moor, named as Elle Decor Italia’s Best Young Designer of 2016. Futuraforma, designed by architecture and interior design team Marcante-Testa, is a sophisticated collection featuring the Duale table, the Genio chandelier and the Magico carpet.

Italian architect Hannes Peer lent his expertise to the Paesaggio collection, which features notable designs like the Nuvola armchair, the Alea dining chair, the Petali table lamp and the Butterfly table. Peer’s Butterfly console tables and other tables are a meeting between architecture, design and engineering to produce a complex and organic form that catches the eye.

SEM displayed collections at Milan Design Week in 2018 and 2019 and with AD France’s AD Intérieurs in 2019. SEM also expanded the Paesaggio collection during the 2021 FuoriSalone, Alcova, in Milan.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of SEM tables, seating, lighting and more.

Creator: SEM

Contemporary Bookcase C, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves

$22,140Sale Price / item|20% Off

Contemporary Bookcase C, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves

By Giacomo Moor, SEM

Located in Brooklyn, NY

SEM Pivot collection, bookcase C, simple and sculptural. The supporting structure is a rigid system of metal tubes to which are added shelves in beautiful stone elm wood combined with various lacquered...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern SEM Bookcases

Materials

Metal, Brass

Contemporary Bookcase A, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves

$21,841Sale Price / item|20% Off

Contemporary Bookcase A, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves

By Giacomo Moor, SEM

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Sem Pivot collection, Bookcase A, simple and sculptural. The supporting structure is a rigid system of metal tubes to which are added shelves in beautiful stone elm wood combined with various lacquered...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern SEM Bookcases

Materials

Metal, Brass

Contemporary Bookcase B, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves

$21,692Sale Price / item|20% Off

Contemporary Bookcase B, Etched Brass, Pivoting Doors and Stone Elm Shelves

By SEM, Giacomo Moor

Located in Brooklyn, NY

SEM Pivot Contemporary collection, bookcase B, simple and sculptural. The supporting structure is a rigid system of metal tubes to which are added shelves in beautiful stone elm wood combined with various lacquered containers...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern SEM Bookcases

Materials

Metal, Brass

Gold Contemporary Modular Bookshelf of, 24-Karat Gold-Plated

$14,481Sale Price / item|20% Off

Gold Contemporary Modular Bookshelf of, 24-Karat Gold-Plated

By Paolo Rizzo, SEM

Located in Brooklyn, NY

SEM Gold collection, modular bookshelf of interlocking steel elements plated in 24-karat polished yellow gold. Elements measurement: (35/30/25/18 cm)...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern SEM Bookcases

Materials

Steel, Gold

Vintage 4 Tier Freestanding Corner Whatnot Shelves Bookcase Display Stand

$236

H 42.33 in W 19.1 in D 13.55 in

Vintage 4 Tier Freestanding Corner Whatnot Shelves Bookcase Display Stand

Located in West Sussex, Pulborough

Here we have for sale this vintage 4 tier freestanding corner Whatnot bookcase, shelves, display stand. Perfect for the corner of any room to stand book...

Category

20th Century English Mid-Century Modern SEM Bookcases

Materials

Bamboo, Pine

Singolo Walnut Bookshelf

$3,870 / item

H 40.95 in W 30.71 in D 6.3 in

Singolo Walnut Bookshelf

By Durame

Located in Milan, IT

Minimalist and sophisticated, this bookshelf can be directly put on a wall or in the middle of a room as a divider. Its light Silhouette and exquisite craftsmanship make it a strikin...

Category

2010s Italian Minimalist SEM Bookcases

Materials

Walnut

“Sistema Reale” Modular Bookshelf by Poul Cadovius for Cado

$12,263

H 116.93 in W 158.67 in D 18.9 in

“Sistema Reale” Modular Bookshelf by Poul Cadovius for Cado

By Poul Cadovius, Cado

Located in Roma, RM

“Sistema Reale” Modular Bookshelf by Poul Cadovius for Cado Product details Scandinavian shelving system with five wall panels supporting various shelves, drawers, and display cabine...

Category

1960s Danish Vintage SEM Bookcases

Materials

Metal

Angelo Mangiarotti Italian Wood Bookcases Shelves Cavalletto Model for Agapecasa

$2,709Sale Price|20% Off

H 46.46 in W 41.74 in D 15.75 in

Angelo Mangiarotti Italian Wood Bookcases Shelves Cavalletto Model for Agapecasa

By AgapeCasa, Angelo Mangiarotti

Located in Reggio Emilia, IT

A furnishing system made entirely of wood, designed by Angelo Mangiarotti in 1953. Its distinctive feature is a trestle in the shape of an upturned “V”, which means it is superimposable by means of a siply gravity joint, and whose special perimeter section can accomodate bookshelves on which closed containers...

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern SEM Bookcases

Materials

Wood

Sheraton Revival Burr Elm Walnut Inlay Dwarf Library Open Bookcase Bookshelf

$2,029

H 36.82 in W 33.47 in D 12.8 in

Sheraton Revival Burr Elm Walnut Inlay Dwarf Library Open Bookcase Bookshelf

By Sheraton Revival

Located in West Sussex, Pulborough

We are delighted to offer for this lovely Burr Elm, Walnut inlaid, Sheraton Revival style dwarf open library bookcase A very good looking well made and decorative piece, the shelf is height adjustable and or removable so it can be adjusted to take any size books/ Each piece is in light mahogany with lovely walnut Sheraton inlay...

Category

20th Century English Sheraton SEM Bookcases

Materials

Elm, Walnut

Asteroid Bookshelf

$9,990 / item

H 74.81 in W 39.38 in D 15.75 in

Asteroid Bookshelf

By Durame

Located in Milan, IT

The shelves of this elegant bookshelf available in oak or "Canaletto" walnut wood are pierced on one side as if an asteroid fell on them and left a h...

Category

2010s Italian SEM Bookcases

Materials

Marble

Vintage Oak Bookcase Folding Desk Shelves French Midcentury

$1,973

H 70.87 in W 43.31 in D 10.44 in

Vintage Oak Bookcase Folding Desk Shelves French Midcentury

Located in Labrit, Landes

Bookcase folding desk vintage shelves, mid-20th century Massive oak Depth of the shelves: 8.46 in. (21,5 cm) Dimension of the foldable desk: D 19.29 x L 24.41 x H 25.98 in. (D: 49 L:...

Category

1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage SEM Bookcases

Materials

Oak

Bamboo Bookshelf – 1970s

$1,308

H 31.89 in W 53.55 in D 18.51 in

Bamboo Bookshelf – 1970s

Located in Roma, RM

Bamboo Bookshelf – 1970s Product details Dimensions: 136 L x 81,5 H x 47 P cm

Category

1970s Italian Vintage SEM Bookcases

Materials

Bamboo, Rush

Antique Italian Carved Walnut Wood Three Shelves Open Bookcase Library Etagere

$2,043

H 32.29 in W 47.25 in D 10.63 in

Antique Italian Carved Walnut Wood Three Shelves Open Bookcase Library Etagere

Located in Carimate, Como

A beautiful Italian antique walnut three shelves, open bookcase or etagere standing on four great shaped carved turned wooden legs with top finials. This very elegant one-of-a-kind o...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern SEM Bookcases

Materials

Wood

1960s Italian Mid-century Walnut Wood Three Shelves Open Bookcase Library

$1,635

H 37.8 in W 40.56 in D 13.78 in

1960s Italian Mid-century Walnut Wood Three Shelves Open Bookcase Library

Located in Carimate, Como

A beautiful Italian walnut, frame carved, three shelves, open bookcase, with great details and frames shaped in typical Mid-Century style with beautiful wood veneer veins color and d...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern SEM Bookcases

Materials

Wood

Mogens Koch Bookcases in Elm for Rud, Rasmussen

$6,622 / set

H 21.86 in W 89.77 in D 10.83 in

Mogens Koch Bookcases in Elm for Rud, Rasmussen

By Mogens Koch, Rud Rasmussen

Located in Copenhagen, DK

Mogens Koch set of three bookcases in elm with plinths. Executed by Rud Rasmussen. Reverse with paper labels ‘RUD. RASMUSSENS/SNEDKERIER/KØBENHAVN/DENMARK.

Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern SEM Bookcases

Materials

Elm

Secession Bookshelf

$2,102

H 48.82 in W 31.5 in D 10.63 in

Secession Bookshelf

Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK

Secession bookshelf professionally stained and repolished.

Category

Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique SEM Bookcases

Materials

Wood

Sem bookcases for sale on 1stDibs.

SEM bookcases are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of SEM bookcases, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original bookcases by SEM were created in the modern style in italy during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider bookcases by Michele de Lucchi, Paolo Rizzatto, and Mauro Accardi & Silvia Buccheri. Prices for SEM bookcases can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $16,456 and can go as high as $25,160, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $22,874.