Yes I like the desk/shelves combo featured in Mill Valley, Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs. Thanks.

I was gonna shelve mine. I've got a lot of books and the TV to deal with. But then I decided to keep them free of built in shelves and put a whole wall of shelving behind the sofa instead. Which means the books aren't the first things you'll see walking into the room. And from the sofa the view will be more relaxing. Plus pulling the sofa out almost into the middle of the room is a lot cosier and on trend than having it up against the wall. I haven't built the shelf unit yet but here's a sketch, and the most recent photo of the alcove. I've got a brass fender there now too.

The pic with the exposed pipes - see how you feel about boxing in the pipes. A cardboard mock up painted white would help give you an idea. If it works then you might be able to find a handy man who could make up a box which could have a shallow cupboard incorporated and you would have some storage and cover the pipes in one faux vanity.

I would buy sheets of MDF and have them cut to size. Even Homebase used to offer cutting at a very reasonable price. Floating shelves need to be thicker because of the hidden support screws. If you considered batterns painted the same colour as the walls to disguise then you could get away with much thinner shelves possibly in a good wood like oak or walnut. Have a look at all the DIY stores first for timber although there are some suppliers that offer very competitive prices. I would also decide whether you want the shelving painted to match the wall or natural wood. Scaffold boards also make amazing shelves.