5 Practical & Chic Book Storage Ideas for Your Home

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1. Hallway Book Storage

Hallway book storage is probably one of my favorite ways of storing books. Opting to line your hallway with bookshelves can be a fantastic way to utilize underused space while also creating a visually striking feature in your home.

Hallways are often neglected when it comes to decor, and the long, boring nature of a hallway can be very uninspiring and sometimes even intimidating, to design! But by installing bookshelves along the walls, you can turn them into functional and beautiful spaces that showcase your favorite books. Plus, hallway book storage can make it easy to access your books as you move throughout your home, making it a practical solution for avid readers.

2. Bookshelves are Your Best Friends

I know, I know, I’m stating the glaringly obvious here. But hear me out!

Bookshelves really are a book lover’s best friend. Not only do they provide a practical solution for storing and organizing your books, but they can also serve as a beautiful and versatile piece of home decor. They come in all shapes and sizes, from classic traditional designs to modern, minimalist styles, making it (hopefully) easy to find a shelf that fits your personal aesthetic.

Not sure what your personal aesthetic even is?! Read this post, STAT!

If you have a lot of space to work with, lucky you! One of the best ways to store a large collection of books is by building floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. This creates a beautiful, cohesive look and maximizes storage space. You can choose to build them yourself or hire a professional to do it for you. Clearly this is an investment however if you’re serious about your books then it makes sense to have them arranged in a way that makes them easy to find and access and of course, beautiful to look at.

I dream of having a cozy home library to retreat to with a cup of tea! One day!

If you’re needing to store your books in smaller, tighter spaces, that can be a challenge, but there are ways to do it efficiently. First of all:

• Utilize Vertical Space: When space is limited, it’s important to make the most of your vertical space. Consider installing floor-to-ceiling bookshelves or using stacking bookshelves that allow you to stack books on top of each other.
• Choose Slim Bookcases: Instead of bulky bookcases, consider using slim bookcases that take up less floor space. These can be placed in corners or other tight spaces to maximize storage.
• Floating shelves are also a great way to maximize your vertical wall space without losing floor space. To make your very own custom floating shelves, all you need is some wood, a saw, paint, and hardware, and you’re good to go. This way, you can create unique shelves at a low cost.

Bookshelves offer a practical and beautiful way to store a large collection of books, while also showcasing your personal style and taste. They can be customized to fit any space, whether it’s a small corner of your home or an entire wall. Bookshelves allow you to organize your books by genre, author, or color (I go into ALL of those ideas in this other post!!), making it easy to find the book you’re looking for.

They also provide a beautiful backdrop for displaying art, family photos, or decorative items. Bookshelves are not just functional – they are an important part of your home decor that adds personality and character to any room.

3. Create a Bespoke Reading Nook

A reading nook can be a cozy and inviting space that is designed specifically for comfort, relaxation and when needed, concentration. For book lovers, building a reading nook can be the ultimate way to create a space that is dedicated to their passion for reading.

Having a dedicated reading nook means that you can fully immerse yourself in your favorite book without the distractions of the outside world. With a dedicated space to read, you may find that you spend more time with your nose in a book, which can help to foster a lifelong love of reading. You may even find that members of your family (who may not be as interested in reading as you), suddenly become more invested in books if there is a dedicated reading nook in the home.

Keep in mind that your reading nook doesn’t have to be anything fancy – it can be as simple as a comfortable chair and a small side table with a lamp and a place to put your mug 🙂 The most important thing is to create a space that is dedicated to reading and is comfortable and inviting. With a little creativity and some DIY know-how, you can transform any small corner of your home into a cozy reading nook that you’ll love to spend time in.

You can also DIY yourself a reading nook, by repurposing old furniture and wooden crates, creating some bookends, or even fashioning your own window seat. Just remember to use the appropriate tools and materials – superglue is your friend 🤣

(And if you get over-excited when creating your reading nook, there are some handy tips and tricks to remove superglue from places where it’s unwanted. Soap is a simple solution, but other lesser-known tricks include lemon juice and olive oil!)

I love window seat book nooks …

But if that’s too complicated, how about creating a window book bench that you can store your books directly inside of? Love the idea!

The beautiful example above was designed by Aaron Neubert Architects, but you could easily DIY this on a budget – it’d be as simple as buying a 1×4 Kallax IKEA storage unit, some firm foam, and recovering the foam in your favorite fabric and presto! You have the most functional, personalized book bench ever!

4. Utilize Under-bed Book Storage

Under bed storage can be an excellent way to store your books, especially if you have limited space. It’s an easy and affordable way to keep your books organized, within easy reach and out of sight when they’re not needed.

Investing in a few under bed storage boxes or drawers can help you get the most out of what little space you have. Make sure you choose the right containers: There are a variety of storage containers that are designed to fit under a bed, including plastic bins and fabric boxes. Measure, and choose containers that are the right size for your books and will fit comfortably under your bed and that are easy to move.

You may want to add little caster wheels below your under-bed book storage containers because, well, books are heavy…!

You may want to label your under-bed book storage containers, so you can quickly find the book or magazine you need. You don’t want to be rummaging around for hours trying to locate a specific item! Label each container with its contents and make sure that any items related to one another are stored together. This will help create order and organization within your storage containers.

5. Book Storage In Unexpected Places

Book storage doesn’t have to be limited to traditional bookshelves or designated libraries. In fact, some of the most creative and unexpected book storage solutions can be found in the most surprising places.

For example, you can use floating shelves installed over doorways to store books. I’ve always loved this idea!

Or you could create a wall of books under the staircase. Or above it. Or both!

Or books stored…. inside the stairs… wait, what? Yep! Maximalists and book-lovers rejoice! But seriously, this is cool: this unique approach to storage is the epitome of multifunctionality.

Get creative and work with what you have! You might be surprised as to what kind of cool, very personalized solutions you come up with. This will add personality to your space and will definitely help make your house feel like a home.

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I hope that these tips and ideas inspire you to transform your home into a book lover’s paradise while keeping your books organized and protected! Happy reading!

For more gorgeous, aesthetic ways to display your books, be sure to check out this post next: 17 Stylish Ways to Display Bookshelves with a Lot of Books