Clever Ways to Store Books

Turn Your Books into Stylish Decor

Have you run out of shelf space for your books? Perhaps you should think outside the shelf for more storage. Can’t find room to add another bookshelf anywhere in your home? These clever ideas can make book storage part of your decor, regardless of your style or reading material.

Color: If you want more pizazz with your existing shelves, try arranging books by color. Group spines of similar shades together on the shelf. Or put all the books from one color family together in a room that highlights that color scheme. Whether you go with complementary or contrasting colors, this system makes books part of the character of your home.

Spines Facing In: On the other hand, if you want to remove color from the storage equation, try the new trend of facing all the spines into the shelf or storage space. Fill the gaps in any display with a stack of books with the page side visible. The consistency of a neutral color can highlight an interesting architectural feature, or just keep lots of bright colors from distracting from your other decor. This method can make it tricky to find books when you want them, so it works best for books you don’t reach for often.

Horizontal: Who says you have to stick to vertical rows of books on shelves? If you want to switch up your display and get more space from your existing shelves, try stacking books horizontally. You can alternate horizontal and vertical displays for more visual interest. Or just use this strategy to get more books in the same amount of space.

Tabletop: If you’ve run out of space for your books on shelves, they stack just as nicely on almost any flat surface, including tabletops and window sills. A side table can store multiple books with no shelving needed, and they will stay handy when you reach for reading material.

Bins: Book bins also work great for sorting and storage. Keep library books in one place with the help of a bin. Or let kids use a bin for their favorite bedtime stories, and set it near your favorite place to curl up and read together.

Shoe Storage: These IKEA bins work great for storing shoes. But they can do so much more. Install one next to your child’s bed to keep bedtime reads in easy access. Or put one near the front door to keep homework and textbooks nearby for the morning school rush.

Fireplaces: Not using your fireplace year round? They make great book storage. Line up the books along the hearth. Or stack them into the opening of a non-functional fireplace to put the space to good use all year long. The books can bring more attention to this living room staple, or help distract from other fireplace features you don’t love.

Where do you find yourself storing all your books? Let us know in the comments.