Difficult and expensive do not mean better, as this eccentric do-it-yourself shelves can attest, requiring a random mix of recycled vintage table parts, some paint, screws, a saw and a plan.

Isabel Quiroga collected an eclectic set of desks, side tables and cabinet drawers, old and new, measured her target space and started sawing accordingly.

After painting the pieces purple – to give their mixed appearance a sense of uniformity beyond style – she piled and attached them to create an unusual site-specific solution to shelving with definite decorative flair.