Decorating
Read All About It: Novel Ways to Put Your Books on Display
Let your books tell another story by shelving them in unique and beautiful ways
American politician and education reformer Horace Mann once said “a house without books is like a room without windows”, and I tend to agree. Though a good number of books on my shelves are yet to be read (or completed), I take comfort in the potential they hold … of things I’m yet to learn, of characters I’m yet to meet and of adventures I’m yet to have. I’ve been a book enthusiast for as long as I can remember. From seeking solitude between the school library bookshelves during lunches to donning the monitor badge in grade five, it was hardly surprising when I took a retail job at a bookseller and moved into a career in publishing not long after. I simply love books and desire to own them all.
As many bibliophiles will tell you, a nasty side effect of this condition is the gradual accumulation of all things printed and bound, and the resulting dilemma of how to store these gems. Yes, you can pop them onto the shelves, but surely there are more exciting ways to display our collections? Here are some inspiring ideas so you can rethink how to use books to create style within your home and let them weave even more magic from their pages.
As many bibliophiles will tell you, a nasty side effect of this condition is the gradual accumulation of all things printed and bound, and the resulting dilemma of how to store these gems. Yes, you can pop them onto the shelves, but surely there are more exciting ways to display our collections? Here are some inspiring ideas so you can rethink how to use books to create style within your home and let them weave even more magic from their pages.
Below sea level. Bay windows have always been a favourite feature in houses for me, but never more so than when they have the added purpose of shelving books below – this example is particularly large and wonderful.
Perfect for rooms with wide windows that aren’t floor length, what is sometimes considered to be dead space below the window can be transformed into a functional console for lazy saturday afternoon reads. Read here for more ideas on bay windows.
Perfect for rooms with wide windows that aren’t floor length, what is sometimes considered to be dead space below the window can be transformed into a functional console for lazy saturday afternoon reads. Read here for more ideas on bay windows.
Line the hallways. If you’re blessed with wide hallways or staircase landings, building shelving into the walls can create a feature like no other.
With the added benefit of extra storage, built-in shelving in more public areas of the home are perfect for displaying your books and possessions while making use of a wall that was otherwise spare. This can work for the upstairs landing and hall space where the banister lines one edge, on the mezzanine between flights of stairs, in an entry foyer or along a wide hallway where the addition of the shelving does not close up the room.
With the added benefit of extra storage, built-in shelving in more public areas of the home are perfect for displaying your books and possessions while making use of a wall that was otherwise spare. This can work for the upstairs landing and hall space where the banister lines one edge, on the mezzanine between flights of stairs, in an entry foyer or along a wide hallway where the addition of the shelving does not close up the room.
Think inside the box. Inside many, many boxes, turned on a diagonal. Contrasting beautifully with the sharp square frames on the window and dark furniture, the diagonal box shelving in this room breaks the repetition of vertical and horizontal lines. An unusual design feature, it’s ideal for books and magazines that can be shelved flat no matter the angle of the shelf. For a particularly unique look, shelve the books randomly facing opposite directions, as done here.
Bedtime stories. What could be more wonderful than an entire wall of a bedroom dedicated to books? Fall asleep in the company of the world’s greatest literature, from Shakespeare’s sonnets to EL James’s Fifty Shades of Grey. Shelving of this kind will work best in larger rooms where the furniture and linen is subdued and does not compete with the busyness of hundreds of book spines begging to be read.
Create casual display areas. You don’t have to be a serious reader or book collector to be in need of somewhere to place your stash of books. If you’re not looking to shelve a large collection, rather you’d like to display any number of items, creating casual shelving in your living or lounge room is a great solution. Complemented by vases, framed pictures, sculptures and collectables, this is an elegant and restrained method of popping a few of your favourite titles out on display. To further enhance the exhibition space, consider painting the wall behind the shelving a subtle colour to contrast with the surrounding walls and shelving, such as the mint green above.
Books as art. Children’s books are so lavishly illustrated and embellished so it’s a shame not to display their beautiful artistry. If your child’s book collection is fairly compact, instead of shelving them spine outwards, consider fixing small runners against the wall to display the books with their covers facing you. Not only are you creating a world of storytelling and possibility through the book covers, but displaying the covers will add extra enticement for your children to grab a book for quiet reading or bedtime stories.
Floating books. Walls to spare but not keen on covering them with bookshelves? Fixing brackets to a wall and shelving small piles of books is a quirky way to display your favourite titles. The height or distance apart does not have to be ordered, though it’s recommended to keep the lower shelves out of shin height or the reach of little arms, if you have small children.
Find floating shelves for your kids room
Find floating shelves for your kids room
Colour coordination. Shelving your books by colour groups is a charming way to display your books and is a personal favourite of mine. Unless you take to shelving your collection by alphabet or by a classification system, the general disorder of bookshelves often makes it difficult to locate the book you’re after. For me, when I see multicoloured books shelved together, I see a greyish/brown blur of colour; shelving books by colour helps me locate the book I’m after and creates a rainbow of books to admire.
Though some colour families can be harder to come by (why aren’t there more pink and yellow spines?) once you’ve grouped your books into their respective groups, you can shelve them in order of gradient to capture the entire spectrum.
Though some colour families can be harder to come by (why aren’t there more pink and yellow spines?) once you’ve grouped your books into their respective groups, you can shelve them in order of gradient to capture the entire spectrum.
Spare the walls. If you’re blessed with a large, spacious room with beautiful windows you may find that what you have in glass you lack in walls to place shelving against. This is where a vertical book stack comes in handy. Providing you won’t have immediate uses for the books towards the bottom of the pile, creating pillars of books is an excellent way to use less floor and wall space while still displaying your collection.
A handy hint for creating solid stacks that won’t sway over is to fix a shelving sheet every foot or so to provide stability to the stack, and also to assist in removing the occasional book from anywhere within the pile. Don’t forget about the laws of physics either – ensure the widest and heaviest books are at the bottom.
A handy hint for creating solid stacks that won’t sway over is to fix a shelving sheet every foot or so to provide stability to the stack, and also to assist in removing the occasional book from anywhere within the pile. Don’t forget about the laws of physics either – ensure the widest and heaviest books are at the bottom.
Make books fun. An additional idea for children’s bedrooms is to find exciting furniture to store books to make story time something extra special to look forward to. This old vintage cart is the perfect crate for keeping books in your child’s room.
Check beneath the bench. If you’re not planning on inserting stools under your kitchen island, how about turning some of that unused space into shelving for your favourite cookbooks? Keeping the books close at hand, but far from the splatters of stirring and chopping, this is the perfect alternative to hiding your books in the pantry or in other rooms of the house.
TELL US
How do you display your book collection? Share your ideas and photos in the comments section.
MORE ON SHELVING
Stylish Storage: Show-Stopping Shelving Suggestions
Floating Shelves: 8 Brilliant Ideas for Walls of All Shapes and Sizes
Easy Update: Give Your Bookcase a Colourful Makeover
TELL US
How do you display your book collection? Share your ideas and photos in the comments section.
MORE ON SHELVING
Stylish Storage: Show-Stopping Shelving Suggestions
Floating Shelves: 8 Brilliant Ideas for Walls of All Shapes and Sizes
Easy Update: Give Your Bookcase a Colourful Makeover
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