Decorate With Books in Your Apartment Decor

For people that love to read, collecting books is a no-brainer. 

But the more you read — the more books you end up with. And if you never part with them, you’ll reach a point where you just don’t know where to put them anymore.

Looking for a new way to display your book collection? 

Check out these seven stylish ways you can decorate with books in your apartment.

Arrange By Color

Instead of randomly putting books on your bookshelf, separate them by the color of their spine and display them in groups by color.

Stack all your books with blue covers together, all your books with yellow covers together, etc.

You can stack them horizontally or vertically on shelves or even arrange them in piles on the floor.

If you really want to make an impact with color, arrange your stacks or rows from light to dark to create a cool gradient effect.

This isn’t the best option for people who insist on arranging their books by author or by genre. But if you don’t mind mixing things up, this is one of the most powerful display techniques.

Go Horizontal and Vertical

There are lots of different ways you can arrange your books. 

You can create a library-like atmosphere and stack them vertically in neat, orderly rows on a bookshelf. Or, you can take the bookstore approach and stack them horizontally in piles.

Our favorite method? 

A mix of the two techniques.

Stack books in different directions on the same bookshelf. Display some vertically, like the classic library style, and then stack a few horizontally at the end of the row. 

If you have multiple shelves or a bookshelf with cubby holes, do a few shelves in the horizontal format and a few in the classic upright style.

The combination of the two adds just enough style to make it interesting!

Create a Pedestal

Do you have a favorite vase, a lamp, a laptop, or a frame that needs elevation? 

Create a pedestal out of books.

When choosing the books to stack, be mindful of what you intend to display on top. 

The heavier the item is, the sturdier you’ll want your book pedestal to be. (Large hardback books will give you much more stability than a stack of small paperbacks).

You can place a pedestal of books on your coffee table, on your desk, on your nightstand, or an accent table. It works in any space and any room.

Combine With Other Decor

Bookshelves aren’t just for books. If you want to make your shelves look more attractive, mix other decorative items in and amongst your book collection.

You can easily incorporate picture frames, vases, decorative objects, or candles onto bookshelves.

To make the most impact, randomly stagger items. Space things out in different ways, mix small objects with large objects, combine vertical books and stacks of books. 

The more differentiation you have, the better impression your display will make.

Stack Books on Your Coffee Table

Coffee table books are for use on coffee tables, so go ahead and go a bit overboard and cover an entire coffee table with them.

You can pull off this design idea in a few different ways.

Create stacks of two or three books each and place them side by side in rows and piles across your coffee table. 

Don’t have that many coffee table books

Put the ones you do have into one stack and place them in the center of your table or in one corner.

If you have a coffee table with open shelves underneath, turn that into a bookshelf as well! As with wall shelves, you can make this even more enjoyable by incorporating different decorative items.

Add Book Covers

Do you have dozens of paperbacks or books you don’t love that you don’t necessarily want to put on display?

You can turn books into some of your favorite decorative items just by giving them a cool fabric cover.

We love the look of books covered in burlap or linen fabric. Not only does it allow you to give a lot of random books a uniform look, but it’s perfect for decorating if you’re into the rustic trend or modern farmhouse style.

Covering books in fabric is easy. A few crafting supplies, a bit of cloth, and a few minutes are all you need.

Not into the rustic, natural look? 

You can cover books in any type of fabric or paper from bright neon hues to funky prints to fun, modern patterns. Get creative and have fun with it!

Display Forward-Facing on Shelves

You know how bookstores place books facing forward to get your attention? With the right books and the right shelf, you can recreate this display technique at home.

This looks best if you have narrow, floating wall shelves or small ledges to rest your books on. Just pick your favorites, lean them against the wall with the cover facing forward, and call it a day!

This is a fun way to display art, fashion, or music books with great covers. It’s also a cool way to show off a collection of novels from your favorite writer or a specific genre.

This decorating style does take up more space, but it’s one of the most unique ways you can display books in your home.

Conclusion

Books make exceptional decorative items (and having a lot of them also makes you look kind of smart). 

If you’re tired of the typical side-by-side stacking in rows, here’s how to mix it up:

  • Arrange books by color
  • Combine vertical rows with horizontal stacks
  • Stack books to create a pedestal for another object
  • Mix other items into your bookshelves
  • Stack books on your coffee table
  • Cover them with DIY book covers
  • Display them facing forward on a narrow shelf

If your book collection is getting out of hand, it’s time to start finding new ways to display them around your apartment. Except for the coffee table set-up, all these techniques work well in any space. 

And if your selection is so extensive that it’s overtaking your entire residence, there’s a solution for that too:

Display books in different rooms throughout your home. 

Aaron Hunt is the Property Manager of Prime Place UNL, a student apartment complex near UNL.

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