I couldn't find actual "before" pictures of our office/playroom, but this image sums it up very well...

Ready-made bookshelves (well, any furniture, really) are quite pricey down here, so we hired our landscaper/carpenter to reproduce some shelving units I spied in Ballard. He did a great job, although I regret using a high gloss finish. Still, at least our myriad of books no longer provide free housing to spiders, etc..