I bought this and the Tyringham ladder bookcase - they work well together. My disappointment in this piece is that the desk is high. I need a stool to reach the desk, so my original idea to use this as a sewing area doesn't work as well as I would like. I  can't reach the floor pedal for the sewing machine from the stool, if I use a regular chair, I can't reach the machine. I have to put the petal on books or something to actually sew from here. I wish I had a bottom shelf to put the pedal onto, but it's not made to add one.