5 min readBuying and collecting books is easy. But organizing and displaying said books around the home so that they actually look good? That takes a bit more effort. There’s a lot to consider, from where to showcase your collection of romance reads and hardcover design tomes to how to artfully arrange them so your room doesn’t feel cluttered.
We’ve turned to interior designers for tips on how to style your favorite reads in all sorts of ways: in built-ins, on top of a spacious coffee table, in modular shelving systems, and more. After all, they’ve worked their magic on hundreds of homes, many of which feature the most stunningly curated shelves that also feel personal to the people living in those homes.
While you can tap a designer to help you with styling directly, if you consider yourself a DIY-er, all you need is a point in the right direction and some imagery inspo. Start with the book styling tips below from the pros, and in no time, you could have a totally new organizational setup in your home.
Mix Books With Different Objects
When you want to break up all your framed pictures in a gallery wall, you add in objects and other sentimental items. Take the same approach when styling your books if you feel you need to break up the monotony of spines.
“Mix in objects such as sculptural pieces, personal items, or collected objects. It creates rhythm and gives the shelf a more layered, dimensional feel,” says San Francisco–based designer Heather Hilliard.
“I always want styling to look as natural as possible; it shouldn't look forced or overthought. I like it when it looks like things have been added over time,” adds designer Meg McSherry. Take a page out of the slow decorating playbook and don’t rush to fill your shelves with items that have no meaning to you; instead, build out your trinket collection with each trip to the thrift store, local estate sales, or while traveling abroad.
“I have an Hermès Baby typewriter in the middle of one row of built-ins [with books] in my Paris apartment, and a huge ceramic jar from a summer I spent in San Miguel Allende in the middle of another [row]. These objects are primarily orange, yellow, and red, and pull these colors beautifully from the spines of nearby books,” says Elizabeth Nicholas, writer and founder of library advisory service Forma Libris.
You Can Display Your Books Anywhere
All the designers we spoke with agree that there isn’t a specific “right” place to display your books. You can style them anywhere you want, provided it’s not in a high-traffic area that could limit your day-to-day tasks.
“Books should live where your life happens, not just where they look good,” says Samantha Feuer, founder of Tennessee-based design firm Norris Studio.
While the coffee table, built-ins, and bedside stacks are all the usual spots for displaying your favorite reads, other unexpected places can include stacks on the floor next to a reading chair, layered on a console, next to the tub, or even on your windowsill if you live in a small apartment where there’s no room for a built-in library.
“I love books most when they are woven throughout a house. That is when they begin to give a home real character. A coffee table can hold a few special books, but shelves and quieter corners often allow for a more personal, relaxed kind of storytelling,” says New York designer Lilse McKenna.
Don’t Hide the Spines or Color-Coordinate
We’ve all seen these two book-styling Pinterest trends: turning the spines of your novels inward so the outlines of the pages face out, and organizing your books into a rainbow, circa 2014. If your books are styled like this, rearrange them immediately.
“Never turn a book around! A book is a book, and you should be able to admire it for what it is,” says Texas-based designer Bambi A’Lynn Bratton. “While color coordination is nice, I never style books in a forced color order or pattern, because this look can make a space feel clinical and pristine instead of lived-in.”
Following a book-styling trend will not only make your space feel like everyone else’s, but once that method becomes a faux pas, your home will feel dated. “A bit of looseness is what makes them charming. The best book styling has a sense of ease to it, as though it evolved over time rather than being arranged all at once,” adds McKenna.
Group Books by Categories
If you want to organize your books so you can easily identify them and recommend them to friends and family who come over, consider this next tip from Nicholas, who has curated tomes and works for every space, from hotel libraries to private collectors to corporate libraries.
“I would encourage people to create categories that mean something to them,” she says. “For example, Daunt Books in London organizes books by country rather than genre, so you'll have a Greek cookbook next to The Odyssey next to Zorba the Greek. It makes walking through the bookstore feel like traveling the world, and it makes you dream.” Have a bunch of interior books? Group them together to show off your design acumen.
Focus on Authenticity
No matter how you choose to style your books, the key to making the display feel authentic is to be, well, authentic. According to Hilliard, there’s a shift toward interiors that feel personal and lived in, so this applies to bookshelves as well. The focus is on authenticity: books you actually own and use, arranged in a way that feels natural, even slightly imperfect,” says Hilliard.
If you like gardening, fill your space with books that reflect that hobby. If you appreciate black-and-white photography, load up on photo books by your favorite artists. Whatever niche category you’re into, don’t be afraid to showcase it.
“I think when the books feel authentically linked to your interests—and not like props purchased for a set, the bookshelf will inherently feel real and dynamic,” says Ariel Okin. “Books should feel true to the people who live in a space and to the room itself. The most beautiful shelves are the ones that feel personal, collected, and genuinely lived with. If a book arrangement feels too contrived or overly styled, you can usually sense it immediately,” McKenna stresses.
