Since 2001, Niels Dekker, owner of The Antique Warehouse, has been a leading specialist in the original Globe-Wernicke bookcase — an iconic modular library system that is valued worldwide by enthusiasts of classic interiors, collectors, and libraries.

With in-depth knowledge of these unique cabinets and a keen eye for authenticity, Niels Dekker personally selects original Globe-Wernicke elements. These are primarily sourced from the United Kingdom, where many authentic parts from the early twentieth century can still be found.

In the in-house restoration workshop, the elements undergo a careful restoration process. With respect for the original craftsmanship, the components are restored with great precision, ensuring they retain their historical character while meeting the highest aesthetic and technical standards.

The result is a collection of exceptional quality, beloved by customers around the world.

What makes Niels Dekker truly unique is that you can assemble your ideal bookcase here. From an extensive selection of authentic Globe-Wernicke elements — in various heights, sections, and finishes — a bookcase emerges that perfectly fits your interior, space, and library. You can create a stack of Globe Wernicke bookcases from a base, 1 element, and crown to an entire library.

Each bookcase comes with an official certificate of authenticity, confirming the origin and originality of the used Globe-Wernicke parts.

A Globe-Wernicke bookcase from Niels Dekker is therefore not just a piece of furniture, but a timeless heirloom — composed of original historical elements and restored with attention to detail and preservation of the past.

Oak or mahogany

First, you have the option to choose between oak or mahogany. Within these wood types, you can also vary in color — this can be adjusted to be darker or lighter during the restoration process. In the Antique Warehouse, there are always various setups in these two wood types, allowing you to make a choice and let the feel speak for itself.

The type of cabinet

Three types have been made in the past:

• The “Standard” style — most common
• The “Universal” style
• The “Ideal” style — the more elaborately crafted cabinet

The setup

Each Globe Wernicke cabinet starts at the ground with a base. These can be equipped with a drawer, or you can choose a base without a drawer.

The depths: outer depth 27 cm, 29 cm, 35 cm, and the deepest 45 cm. It should be noted that the depths of 35 cm and 45 cm are very rare.

Within these four depths, there are different heights:

It is possible to assemble a cabinet from one depth, but a combination of different depths is also quite feasible.

You can build the cabinet up to 10 elements high, or keep it low and see it more as a sideboard.

The restoration and delivery

The Globe Wernicke elements come from various sourcing locations, from different homes and offices. This means: treated differently over the last hundred years, with varying light exposure. This creates a colorful mix of diverse colors.

In our restoration workshop, we first restore the elements by ensuring the door operates smoothly — the door that disappears into the cabinet when lifted. Next, we equalize the color, so that the cabinet forms a cohesive whole.

The finishing is done in the traditional way: with shellac, polish, and finally a layer of wax. Once the glass is cleaned, the cabinet is ready for delivery.

We personally place the cabinet inside your home. This is done on a flat surface to allow for free movement of the windows. In an old house with an uneven or sloping floor, we will level it with wood.

Globe Wernicke Bookcase

Every cabinet is unique, has a history, has its own story. Where and when was it sold, by whom was it purchased? Besides this story, the system is still unique even today.

A Globe Wernicke cabinet in oak or mahogany can be fully customized to your liking: low versus high, in different depths, with corner elements, a drawer in the base, a secretary part, a panel instead of glass, facet glass or stained glass — and spans of a door are also among the possibilities. It is no coincidence that Globe Wernicke & Co. already labeled the cabinet as “The Elastic Bookcase”.

A later expansion is, of course, also possible. Thanks to our intensive contacts with the United Kingdom, we can almost always acquire the parts you desire.

Due to all these properties of history, simplicity, and flexible construction options, the Globe Wernicke bookcase has grown into an internationally sought-after object.

Globe Wernicke — always complete but never finished.

Through years of experience, The Antique Warehouse has built up expertise that guarantees we always sell genuine original Globe Wernicke parts. Assembling your cabinet from unrestored parts further emphasizes this.

The Antique Warehouse always has multiple setups in the showroom, so you can get a great impression of the composition you have in mind.