9 Ways to Style Your Home With Books
Affordable, impactful, and unique: books are the underrated heroes of home décor.
More affordable than a rare coffee table or a one-off artwork, books are a great way to add visual appeal and personality to your home. A lot of us already have a decent collection, but for those who don't secondhand stores and online are a great place for start.
It's not just what's inside them that counts – books are also the underrated heroes of home décor. Here are eight ways to style your home with books.
1. Front-facing shelf
The oversized, forward-facing bookshelf is one of Poppy Lissiman's favourite pieces (among the many incredible finds at her vintage-filled apartment). Anyone with an impressive collection of art books – and enough space – should seriously consider one of these for their home. Each book cover acts as a work of art when displayed front-on, and with the right books you have even more options inside each one. Just open at a new page and you've got something new to look at.
2. Room dividing shelf
Get yourself a freestanding bookshelf, not too deep, and use it as a room divider to demarcate an entryway from a living space, or your bed from the rest of your bedroom. The large timber-framed bookshelf inside Kelsey Coppetti's Joshua Tree home is a perfect example of how to use a bookshelf to add structure to your home. A jumble of ceramic pieces in varying sizes adds depth and dimension to the piece, without overcrowding the space or blocking light.
3. The pile
So simple, so effective: gather together your favourite assortment of coffee table books, varying sizes, and stack next to a chair or sofa. Pop a vase or small plant on top and you've got yourself a piece of furniture that feels infinitely more personal than even an amazing vintage find would. Be sure the floor is level and your books aren't overly warped if you want your stack to function as a table.
4. The artefacts
Treat your home like a museum and display your best books on a stone plinth. A vase of fresh flowers on top provides an extra special touch.
5. Up, down, across
Purposefully alternating between vertical and horizontal stacking creates a sense of balance, and makes it easier to store books of varying size. Adam Leng's open-faced mid-century wall unit bookshelf is the perfect example of how to use space efficiently without creating a crammed-in effect.
6. The tower
Stack your books in a super high pile for a furniture-free way to keep them in one place without taking up much space – like this impressive tower in Maxine Wylde's maximalist haven. If you're worried about structural integrity, find yourself an invisible bookshelf to help keep the tower intact.
7. The cascade
This sprawling bookshelf in Chelsae Anne Sahlman's Florida rental is fantastic way of utilising space in a small area. The large shelves are fixed to the walls and house everything from bespoke ceramic pieces, to gorgeous coffee table books. If you want a more neutral look on your shelves, simply flip the books around so their spines aren't facing out.
8. The wavy way
We are in love with artist Charlie Bennell's wavy book shelf in her Bondi terrace home. A fun and innovative way to display a myriad of books, this curvy creation is perfect for books of all different shapes and sizes.
9. Low-rise shelf
Diana Ryu's minimalist home is full of inspiring ideas, including her open-front, low-rise wooden bookshelf. This piece provides the perfect base to display her unique wooden sculptures, with a selection of hard-cover books sitting beneath them to add texture and detail. Keep your stacks neat – you don't want clutter, you want thoughtfully placed items working in harmony with bigger pieces of furniture and artworks.
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