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Bookshelf ideas: 53 inspiring ideas for bookcases by the world's best interior designers
“There is no furniture so charming as books, even if you never open them or read a single word,” said the nineteenth-century writer Sydney Smith. A shelf full of books adds instant appeal to any room, whether in the form of bespoke joinery or stand-alone shelves. “I don't think there can be much of an argument against the idea that books really do make a room,” says Rita Konig. “In a mix of colours, sizes and patterns, their spines add so much texture and depth to a space. Rooms need things that one does not have any control over (after all, most of us do not choose the colour or size of our book covers); that's what makes them feel as if people live there.”
Of course the shelves themselves – their size, extent and style – can make a huge difference to how the books look, and there are plenty of options to choose from, from classic built-ins to more contemporary Vitsoe shelving. Pay attention to the details: reeded details on the faces of the shelves can make the entire layout feel more interesting, and we love painting the insides of the bookshelves a different colour to the outside. Also consider squeezing shelves into unexpected places: the space over a door, an extra-deep doorway reveal, or over a bed. And have we mentioned how much we love books in the bathroom?
We've gone through the House & Garden archive to find the most inspiring bookshelf ideas from our pages. From modern designs to mid-century classics and spy novel numbers which conceal hidden doors, there are bookshelves of every type in this gallery to inspire something as intriguing as the tomes that fill them. Once you've decided on the bookshelf for you, have a think about how best to organise your books. Are you someone who likes them colour-coded? Or by size? Take a look at our piece on how to arrange your bookshelf for more advice.
Mark Anthony Fox1/53Floating shelves can be tricky, but interior designer Christian Bense has made them look brilliant in his Battersea flat. The mix of books and decorative objects is very pleasing to the eye.
Dean Hearne2/53In artist Daisy Sims-Hilditch's Notting Hill flat, Neptune bookcases painted in the brand's ‘Ink’ take up one corner of the sitting room, and are filled with Daisy's art books and pictures. We love the unusual placement, and how the dark blue contrasts with the pale pink walls.
Tom Griffiths3/53If you have books you don't need to access on a regular basis, hanging pictures from the shelves can make a fun decorative statement. In his Somerset cottage, garden designer Sean Anthony Pritchard has hung jolly prints all over his bookcases, and it creates a sense of lived-in cosiness that is very appealing.
Christopher Horwood4/53Designer Carlos Garcia likes to use these bespoke pedimented bookcases in his projects – this one comes from a north London house he decorated. Painting the outside and inside in different colours is a lovely way to draw the eye – here the colours are respectively ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Azurite’, both by Edward Bulmer.
Christopher Horwood5/53Bookshelves make the most of the second floor landing, of this house in Spitalfields designed by Rachel Allen. They have been painted in ‘Charleston Grey’ by Farrow & Ball.
Boz Gagovski6/53In the drawing room of this colourful Notting Hill house by Lucy Mayers, a paper work by Geoff Catlow hangs over the fireplace. The wall colour was matched by Dulux to a photograph. The rug is a vintage patchwork shearling, sourced from an antique shop in Bisbal, Spain.
Lucas Allen7/53Formerly a therapist's office, this reading nook on the first floor of a higgledy-piggledy house in Henley by Joanne Burgess feels cosy and warm. The walls are painted in ‘Ball Green’, with woodwork in a glossy ‘Bancha’, both by Farrow & Ball. Joanne embellished the bookshelves with a scalloped wooden trim: a motif which links them with the rest of the house.
Christopher Horwood8/53Bespoke joinery has transformed the once sparse landing of this Cornwall house by Sims Hilditch into a cosy reading nook. The blinds and window seat are both ‘Baker House Linen’ in ‘Pebble’ from GP&J Baker – a neutral material with a natural feel.
Milo Brown9/53In the sitting room of this joyful Chelsea project by Lonika Chande, the joinery was hand painted in a rich blue by Papers & Paints (7-077), and the internal cubby holes are in ‘Beresford Red’ by Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. The joinery was made by RC Joinery.
10/53In the library at Wolterton Hall in Norfolk, two panels of faux book spines, on either side of a door, drop down to reveal a drinks area hidden behind – aperitif bottles are on the left and digestifs on the right. Once closed, they are indistinguishable from the other shelves and you would never know they are there. woltertonpark.co.uk
11/53In the painter Haidee Becker's north London house, bookshelves have been built into the recess of the wall and along the top of the archway. In the fairly neutral space, the addition of hundreds of books adds colour and texture.
Mark Anthony Fox12/53Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, in a bespoke green, frame the doorway with a view across the hall to a bedroom beyond in Thomas Dane's Gloucestershire house.
Maura McEvoy13/53In this cottage in Maine, bookshelves have been built into the joinery, blending perfectly with the bones of the house. The distressed paintwork also helps to create a seamless link between the two.
Owen Gale14/53One thing that stands out in Alix Reynis' sitting room in her Paris house is the bookshelf that lines the back wall. Illuminated by hanging lights of her own design, the wooden shelving unit adds a layer of depth to the room, which has a sense of quiet glamour.
Chris Horwood15/53If you happen to have a reasonably wide hallway or landing, adding bookshelves can be a brilliant way to add interest (and storage). At her converted schoolhouse in Battersea, Atelier Ellis founder Cassandra Ellis has created a library with floor-to-ceiling shelves in the hallway.
Mark Anthony Fox16/53Bookshelves themselves can create a welcome accent of colour in a room with neutral walls. In the rented Stoke Newington home of photographer Ahmed Hassan and garden designer Atticus Branch, bookshelves painted in Little Greene's ‘Atomic Red’ pick up on the bright primary colours in the furniture and textiles, popping against the white walls.
17/53This display of cookbooks on simple homemade shelves at Farrow & Ball brand ambassador Patrick O'Donnell's house is a brilliant way to liven up a bare wall in a kitchen. Patrick has drenched the walls and woodwork in a single colour, Farrow & Ball's ‘Biscuit’ in the Dead Flat finish, which allows the colourful books themselves to become the focus.
Owen Gale18/53Double doors divide the sitting room from the study, which features built-in shelves that have been painted in Dulux’s ‘Ruby Fountain 2 Red Gloss’. The cane and metal chair was bought by the owners in Cape Town when they lived there and was woven by the blind makers at Cape Town Society for the Blind. The rug was another find from Morocco. Explore more of this colourful London house.
Paul Massey19/53This eighteenth-century barn has been converted into a stylish sitting-room-cum-guest-cottage, by its owner Emma Burns, managing director at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. Emma adapted the internal configuration to create a striking way of displaying her book collection. The built-in bookcase equipped with a ladder also acts as a secret door to a hidden bathroom.
Line T Klein20/53The bookcase in this colourful Copenhagen apartment appears to be floating. The walls, woodwork and ceiling in the TV and reading room are painted in Castle Made of Sand by File Under Pop. The low sideboard is by Tylko, and pillow by Durup. On the ceiling the pendant light is by Helle Mardahl. Wall art is by Frederik Næblerød, Cathrine Raben Davidsen and Richard Mortensen, bought in independent Copenhagen galleries and online art auctions.
Chris Tubbs21/53Designer Adam Bray transformed this typical Eighties conversion in east London for a young client to create an environment that is 'dark, exciting and sexy', stripping out non-original ornate cornicing and replacing it with simpler architectural detailing. The rear sitting room has been reinvented as a library, with book storage cleverly integrated in above-door shelves.
Hugo Rittson Thomas22/53Who says you can't fit a square peg in a round hole? This nifty bookshelf design in Beckside House fits the neoclassical style of the room perfectly, with the alcove at the top displaying three lovely vases.
Owen Gale23/53In this jewellery designer’s playful house, ‘Hunters Dunn’ in a gloss finish from Paint & Paper Library makes the bookcase and woodwork stand out against ‘Lichen’ by Farrow & Ball on the walls.
Simon Brown24/53A jib door opens from the library into the kitchen in this London flat designed by Hugh Henry.
Michael Sinclair25/53A painting by Sidney Sime hangs on bookshelves above a Gothic Revival desk in Guy Tobin's London house. ‘I put it here partly due to a lack of wall space, but also because it depicts a Shakespeare play, so having it over a library feels appropriate,’ says Guy.
Line T. Klein26/53A bed with built in booksheves is quite possibly a book lover's dream. The bed is designed by Vidar Malmsten and is called ‘Fata Morsgris’. Explore more of this Swedish home.
Paul Massey27/53Green covers both the walls and bookshelves in the eclectic, colourful London house of a novelist and lifelong collector.
A vintage Venetian mirror from Tarquin Bilgen is flanked by paintings by Anne Rothenstein and a pink lamp by Cressida Bell. A flamingo from Graham & Green is beside an armchair in an Ian Mankin blue stripe, next to which is a statue of a boy from Bora Bora.
Simon Brown28/53When Emma Burns inherited the former stables that her parents had progressively converted as a weekend retreat, she put into practice the principles that guide her professional work as a designer. The oak corner cupboard is eighteenth century and came from Cowbridge in Wales.
Maura McEvoy29/53Stained walls in four different shades of blue-green in varying states of wear never seem to date in this shingled cottage in Maine.
Michael Sinclair30/53Interior designer Pallas Kalamotusis of Studio Krokalia designed the bespoke joinery for her bookshelves herself. The space at the top is cleverly kept for displaying a collection of pots.
Owen Gale31/53George Saumarez Smith designed his bookshelves himself to be the exact height of his books, filling them with books on architecture. A Howard armchair sits in front of the chimneypiece, on top of a French rug that belonged to George's grandparents.
Paul Massey32/53The bookcases in tech entrepreneur Rose Hulse's house were designed by Rose and built by Brian Purnell from Distinctive Country Furniture. Walls in ‘Mossy Stone’ by Dulux create a refined backdrop. The painting above the mantelpiece was bought in Hamburg, where Rose’s husband George has an office.
Alex James33/53There's something so charming about an abundance of books. Eschewing the trend for a perfectly harmonious, colour-coded display, the study in this family home designed by architect Chris Dyson makes the most of unusual shelving, from the vintage Danish desk from The Conran Shop, to the stackable shelf (pictured right).
Lucas Allen34/53The walls, ceiling and woodwork of this snug reading nook in a house by Rose Uniacke are painted in a custom-mixed shade of blue with a textured finish. The dark colour allows the colour on the books to pop.
Simon Upton35/53In a Chelsea townhouse by David Mlinaric, the bookshelves are divided into symmetrical boxes, with a mirrored chimney breast in the middle.
36/53'This used to be one big, open space,' says Beata Heuman of her living room and dining room, 'and I added the bookshelf wall and sliding door. Strangely, I think it makes the house feel larger. The walls are light, but the bottle-green hue inside the bookshelves adds depth and mystery.'
Andreas von Einsiedel37/53In the library area of Farrow & Ball colour curator Joa Studholme's house, the bookshelves and ceiling below the gallery were painted in ‘Railings’ by Farrow & Ball to create a dramatic contrast with the lighter look of the main living space. The rugs are from Bluebellgray.
38/53Kate Aslangul of Oakley Moore decorated this light-flooded library on the second floor of a Parisian home, in which architect Pascal Collange incorporated a bookshelf into the staircase, a signature style. The room is painted in Farrow & Ball's 'New White' while the pendant lights are from Mullan. Bespoke metal spindles create an arts and crafts feel together with a striped runner from Hartley Tissier, an Anglo-French carpet company.
Yuki Sugiura39/53At Matilda Goad's new north London house, the sitting room contains reeded joinery designed by Matilda's husband Tom and built by his company Blockhouse Build. It hides a radiator and is flanked by deep drawers either side. The paint colour is 'Beetle Nut' from Paint and Paper Library. Matilda added brass bow-shaped handles from Beata Heuman.
Natalie Dinham40/53Tara Craig designed this living room in a London house, finding the perfectly proportioned bookcase for the living room. The shape adds interest to the space and mirrors the lines of the cornicing.
Paul Massey41/53In the open plan living area of Bridie Hall's North London home, the shelves are painted in Paint & Paper Library’s ‘Chinese Emperor’ and filled with books, trinkets and decorative objects.
Paul Massey42/53Beata Heuman worked on a Sussex cottage, giving it a modern country look. The carpeted dining room has a wall of bookshelves in a calming teal, broken up by a central pair of French doors through which light floods.
Ngoc Minh Mgo43/53This cosy corner in the informal snug of designer Harriet Anstruther's restored Sussex farmhouse features a stand-out armchair in front of casually arranged books.
Simon Brown44/53Taking time to execute his ideas, the owner of this London flat has created a spacious and airy home with interiors to match the stunning views. The large open-plan living area contains a library, which has bespoke bookcases that draws your eye up to the high ceilings adding height to the room.
Michael Sinclair45/53In the drawing room of the London house of Lady Wakefield the fireplace is flanked with traditional fitted bookcases which hold both a treasured collection of fiction and ceramics from Iran.
Paul Massey46/53A recessed bookcase has deeper shelves for larger tomes and, above a ledge, space for smaller books, in a spare bedroom at Giles Vincent's west London townhouse, rich with inherited and collected antiques. The dark, handsome wooden furniture in front of it make the space a seamless study area.
Simon Brown47/53In interior designer Vanessa Macdonald's elegant Georgian home, a large bookcase with Georgian-style reeded uprights and an elegant architrave fills a wall and provides both book storage and cupboard space. Details which seem as though they have always been here - a tribute to her sense of proportion.
Michael Sinclair48/53An ethos of timelessness combined with simplicity and sophistication characterises Arnaud Zannier's collection of hotels, and his family home. The elegant rural villa not far from Aalter, between Ghent and Bruges, is styled with a wealth of organic materials lending it depth and warmth. This library area adjoins the living room, which has plenty of shelving to display books and family photographs.
Paul Massey49/53The library in the Tudor wing of this Neoclassical pavilion English country house has bookcases from Langford Grove, a demolished house also designed by John Johnson. The bust of Darcy John is by Sheila Arbuthnot.
Simon Brown50/53The sitting room of this converted artist's studio decorated by Caroline Holdaway is lined with books. A fire flickers within a stone chimneypiece and in the broad, high alcoves on either side of the chimney breast, bookshelves climb towards the apex of the double-height, sloping ceiling. Around the fire, two plump sofas and two stout armchairs offer an irresistible temptation to sink down, kick off your shoes and settle in for a quiet read or a long conversation, while admiring the view of trees, birds and sky through the towering studio window. The painting hanging about the chimneypiece is by John Bellany.
Davide Lovatti51/53The library of Carskiey Estate, returned to the first floor by owner Tom Helme, has a B&B Italia sofa and Maxalto ottoman, covered in Fermoie 'Silver Something' linen. The bookcases are original to the house and were made by Whytock and Reid.
Simon Upton52/53A hallway or landing is a prime location for a floor-to-ceiling bookcase. 'Never be afraid to scale up; rooms can be theatrical and comfortable at the same time,' says Emma Burns, one of the leading interior design directors at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. The lesson was gleaned from legendary designer Roger Banks-Pye and executed at The Dovecote, Emma's home in the country.
Rachel Whiting53/53The bookshelves were already in place, but were repainted by Maria Speake for the owners of this Barbican flat, high up in one of the towers of the Grade II-listed Seventies brutalist landmark. Maria created a sliding door so that the sitting room can be shut off from the hall for extra warmth. Maria runs Retrouvius - the reclamation company - with her husband Adam Hills.
