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Lead Times

The truth is, good furniture takes time.

Every Relic Modern™ piece is built by me, start to finish, in my Minneapolis studio — no warehouse, no assembly line. I select and mill the lumber, join, sand, and finish each piece by hand. That care takes time, but it's also why the wait exists: it's the difference between something pulled off a shelf and something built for you, by hand, meant to last generations.
Pair of wedge walnut bookends, one showing cork base, layered birch edges, neutral background
Pair of wedge bookends showing striped layered Baltic birch edges and cork base
Layered birch wedge bookends holding three upright books, striped edge grain forward
Wide triangular layered-birch bookends bracketing three upright books, striped grain facing forward
Styled walnut bookshelf with books, ceramic vases, and wooden tree sculptures on top
Layered Baltic birch triangular bookend holding books on a walnut shelf
Close-up of layered birch bookend with visible plywood edges holding three books

Bookends

$89.00

Handmade Solid Mid-Century Modern Wood Bookends in Natural Walnut or Layered Edge-Grain Baltic Birch

  • Up to 150 layers of solid Baltic birch — each pair reads as a small architectural object
  • Substantial enough to hold a book collection or a stack of LPs
  • Available in walnut face or layered edge-grain — two expressions of the same material
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Reviews of the Bookends

Stunning! These look exactly like the picture.
Monique
The variegated bookends are just lovely and a pleasure to view every time my eyes land on them!
Linda M.
These hand-made walnut bookends show masterful craftsmanship with subtle, refined details.
Tony

More information

About this Piece

Approximately 75 individual layers of Baltic birch are stacked into each walnut bookend, with the layered edge-grain version pushing that closer to 150. Each pair reads as a small architectural object — a wedge of layered wood with the construction left visible. Sold as a pair, either with a walnut face or a layered edge-grain face. Substantial enough to hold a Vonnegut collection or a stack of LPs on a bookshelf, shelf, or mantel.

These bookends sit in mid-century modern lineage — a nod to the layered Baltic birch and exposed-edge style that Charles and Ray Eames brought into modern wood furniture in the 1940s, scaled down here to fit on a shelf, a mantel, or an entry console. They make a strong gift for a reader, a record collector, or anyone furnishing a first home — substantial, handmade, and built to last decades. A cork pad on the underside grips the surface to keep the pair in place under a typical row of books or LPs.

Finished with a hand-rubbed oil and wax blend, the piece has a matte, warm look that enhances the natural grain of the walnut or the layered edge-grain.

American Made · Ships Free

Dimensions

Overall

  • 4 ¾"H × 3"W × 4 ¾"D, approximately 2 lbs each
  • Sold as a pair
Materials

(01) Wood (Walnut Face): 75-layer laminated Baltic birch stack with walnut face

(02) Wood (Edge-Grain Face): 150-layer edge-grain Baltic birch (striped face)

(03) Finish: pure tung oil, boiled linseed oil, beeswax, carnauba wax — a durable, water-resistant matte finish that feels like silky-smooth wood

Product FAQ

(01) Can I buy a single bookend, or mix the two styles? Bookends are sold as a matched pair — either two walnut or two edge-grain — to keep the layered construction reading consistently across both ends of a shelf. For a single bookend or a custom mismatched pair, reach out directly.

(02) How long does shipping take? This piece is made in batches and ready to ship from Minneapolis. Current lead time is listed in the box above the Add to Cart button. See Shipping, Pickup & Returns for details.

(03) Will the wood color change over time? Yes — for the walnut variant. The walnut face will deepen and take on warmer, reddish tones over the first year or two. This is a natural characteristic of the species and part of what makes the piece feel alive. The hand-rubbed oil and wax finish supports this patina rather than sealing it off. The layered edge-grain variant won't shift much over time — the striped face stays close to its original tone.

(04) Will these actually hold my books up? The cork pad on the underside grips the shelf well, so the pair holds its place under a typical row of books or LPs.

(05) How do I care for this piece? A damp cloth is all that's needed for cleaning — no furniture polishes. The piece can be refreshed with a bit of furniture wax when it feels dry. Additional details are on the FAQ page.

(06) Edge Grain Baltic Birch: 13 thin layers of birch are glued together, with the grain alternating in direction, to create sheets that make it more stable than solid wood. On most Relic Modern™ pieces, a single sheet is cut flat — the walnut or maple face you see on a nightstand, a media console, an end table. An edge-grain piece is built differently: multiple sheets are laminated together and then cut and turned on their side, so the 13-layer stripes run through the wood and appear on every face of the piece. On a sculpture like the Robin or the Heron, you see the stripes on the front, the back, and the sides — the same layered pattern wrapping the whole form. At the fullest expression of the technique — the Entryway Bench— it's nearly 300 layers laminated and rotated, every face of the piece showing the same layered wood. The same material, taken as far as it can go.

Meet Justin

The Maker Behind Every Piece
Justin Hood sanding furniture in the Relic Modern woodshop

Real Furniture,Made by Real Hands

I build every piece by hand in my Minneapolis workshop — one maker, one standard, no shortcuts. While big-box stores fill warehouses with particle board and mass-produced templates, Relic Modern™ starts with real, high-quality wood and ends with something built to last. Some things are worth buying from a real person.

Original Designs
Stale, Recycled Templates
Hand-Built Craftsmanship
Factory Assembly Lines
Real, High-Quality Wood
Particle Board & Cheap Fillers
Built to Last a Lifetime
Disposable by Design

Mid-century modern isn't a trend — it's a discipline. Clean lines, reasonable proportions, and modest, organic shapes. At Relic Modern™, that means stripping every design down to its essential form and building it from high-quality Baltic birch with walnut or maple faces, finished with a hand-rubbed oil and wax blend that lets the wood speak for itself.

Relic Modern logo in brown text on a white background

2205 California St NE, Suite 123, Minneapolis, MN 55418

(612) 300-1950 | info@relicmodern.com

Showroom Hours

Tues/Wed: by appointment
Thurs/Fri: 12-4
Sat: 11-2
Sun/Mon: Closed

Closed August 14, Sept 5, 12 and 24-26

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© 2026 RELIC MODERN™ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Site Credits: Liam Hood Studio