25 Most Creative and Unique Bookshelves

Bookshelves are one of the most common pieces of furniture that you can find in almost any home around the world for the simple reason that a lot of people like to read. Whether you own a collection of classic novels or volumes of work-related reference books, it makes perfect sense to get yourself a good bookcase or two for storing these books. While you may have already seen some of these bookshelves on the site, check out this article for 25 of the most creative and unique bookshelves ideas you’ll want in your home. 

Spruce Up Your Living Room With These Amazing Bookshelves

1. Convenient Reading Lounge Bookshelf

Read Letters Bookcase

One of the best parts about having a bookcase is the wide selection of books you can store. The only thing that could possibly make it better would be if the bookshelf came with a comfy lounge chair as this one does. Sit down and relax reading a book in this Console Reading Bookshelve Bench by Stanislav Katz, and when you finish a book, the next one is an arm’s reach away! 

2. Trendy Hanging Bookshelf

Read Letters Bookcase

Sometimes there just isn’t room for a bookcase on the floor of your room, this is when you should look for one that hangs from the ceiling instead. This Bookwave Hanging Storage would look awesome in your bedroom, living room, or even in a commercial space. The price tag for the Bookwave Hanging Storage is quite high ( £ 1,006 ), but if you can afford it, you surely won’t regret buying it! 

3. Sweet Circular Walking Bookshelf

Read Letters Bookcase

It can be difficult to fit all your reading and exercise into the day. Get both accomplished at once with this unique bookshelf designed by David Garcia for the Archive series. The only part that might be difficult is trying to watch where you are going while you are reading!

4. Cute Cow Shaped Bookcase

Read Letters Bookcase

Do you love animals? Why not challenge that into your bookshelf choice? Surprisingly, there are several bookshelves that come in the shape of various animals. Animal bookcases will be a new trend in any house soon. Not only are they funny, but they are also useful at the same time and an animal bookshelf is sure to be a conversation starter. So get in on this cow bookshelf by Behance before they are sold out! And if pink isn’t your color, they have many others to choose from!

5. Sleek Modern Glass Shelves

Read Letters Bookcase

Tonelli is an Italian furniture company that is specialized in glass and creates beautiful bookshelves with glass shelves. These shelves can really accent your modern living room with their clean lines and modern transparent design. The glass shelves are designed by Giovanni Tommaso Garattoni and he named his creation Mondovisione.

6. Super Cool Skateboards Shelf

Read Letters Bookcase

If you’re looking for a really cool bookshelf idea, then you can’t get much cooler than skateboards. For those who own many skateboards and don’t use them very often anymore, you should consider using them to create a unique and unusual shelf, like this one pictured on Etsy. This skateboard bookshelf provides substantial storage space for books and is perfect for students and kids that may want to have their knick-knacks or even skateboard paraphernalia on display, if you still have any left after making this shelf that is…

7. Geography Fun United States Bookshelf

Read Letters Bookcase

Looking for a truly unique bookshelf? Then look no further than this bookshelf by Ron Arad shaped like the United States of America. Now you can learn geography while reading all your favorite tales of far-off places. Not to mention that you can sort your books by the states they take place in if you so choose!

8. Built Into the Wall Bookcase

Read Letters Bookcase

Space can be a precious commodity in a small home, especially when your family is growing. This is why you should consider a bookcase that is built into your wall like this one pictured in the Huffington Post, as you can see in the pictures the bookcase is on the whole wall, granting the home owner plenty of storage space for books while also not taking up a ton of space!

9. Fancy FlexiTube Dual Purpose Bookcase

Read Letters Bookcase

Bookshelves can be more than a place to store books, and many people find that they like to use them as room dividers as well. Check out this unique bookshelf design which was created by Doris Kisskalt the FlexiTube is mobile and can be changed into a transparent room partitioner. FlexiTube is available in two different sizes and can be combined in any number either lying side by side or on top of each other.

10. Minimalist Tree Bookshelf

Read Letters Bookcase

Another way to creatively display your collection of books is this unique tree bookshelf. One of the hardest things about minimalistic décor is finding furniture that sticks with the theme but that also allows you to store everything that you need to! This minimalistic tree bookcase on The Green Head is perfect for that purpose. You can store several books while also sticking with your theme. Plus this bookcase is a decoration in and of itself!

11. Coffee Table Hanging Bookshelf

Read Letters Bookcase

Furniture that can perform more than one purpose in the home is always preferred.  So check out this modern coffee table which comes with cool compartments for your books. Now you won’t need to have a bookcase taking up space in your living room because this coffee table can pull double duty.

12. Wind Shelf That Moves With the Breeze

Read Letters Bookcase

Designed by Olivia Bradateanu, this unique bookcase, called Shelf in the Wind, is designed to look as if there is a cool breeze blowing through your house at all times. Although the shelf doesn’t actually move in the wind, it can definitely bring a much-needed light and natural feeling to a home that has dark walls. It is a bit small though, so not the shelf for the bibliophiles out there.

13. Fantastic Flybrary Bookshelf

Read Letters Bookcase

Some people may not like the look of a bookcase at all, and this is when you should look into an invisible bookcase that makes it look like your books are floating on the wall instead. The Flybrary Bookshelf uses discreet metal bars to create the levitation effect, allowing you to store your books without a cumbersome bookcase! 

14. Distorted Built-In Bookcase

Read Letters Bookcase

When the space you have available for a bookshelf is strange, this may leave you looking for an equally strange looking bookshelf. If that is the case, then check out this next bookcase, crafted by interesting area for displaying your book collection.

15. Heartbeat Pulse Line Book Shelf

Read Letters Bookcase

Bookshelves really do come in every style imaginable, just look at this next shelf, called The Pulseline Shelf. It is inspired by a line that illustrates human heartbeat on a heart monitoring machine. This shelf is made from 3mm metal sheet, so it is sure to be able to hold even your heaviest reads.

16. Upcycled Portable Bookshelf

Read Letters Bookcase

Recycling and reading aren’t two things that you would normally think go hand in hand, but in this next unique bookshelf they most certainly are! This bookshelf was constructed from recycled fruit boxes and placed on wheels so the owner could easily move it when she needed to! There’s even a handle attached, making moving with a large book collection easier than ever before.

17. Superb Spiral Wall Bookcase

Superb Spiral Wall Bookcase

This next unique bookcase is definitely not for those who get dizzy easily or are opposed to keeping their books in a slightly crooked manner. This bookcase can be found on Etsy, and it is made out of metal in a swirl pattern. Books are held into place by strategically placed bookends, but for book-lovers, you can probably fill the entire swirl if you so choose!

18. Extra Comfy Bookshelf Chair

Extra Comfy Bookshelf Chair

Previously on this list, you were introduced to a bookshelf that had a lounge built in. But sometimes it can be difficult to lounge on something without a supportive back to read for hours on end. This is why you might want to look into getting a cushy bookshelf chair instead. This project is from Awesome Stuff 365, and the best part is, you can change the upholstery of the chair to suit your specific tastes.

19. Love of Reading Heart Shelf

Love of Reading Heart Shelf

When you absolutely adore reading, you need a unique bookshelf that tells everyone in your house just how you feel! This piece is quite expensive and can be found on Italy Dream Designs. Although it could be outside of your preciously planned budget, at least you can decide what color you want it in! If red just isn’t for you, this shelf also comes in more neutral black or white.

20. Steampunk Water Pipe Bookshelf

Steampunk Water Pipe Bookshelf

Steampunk is a lovely décor theme that has come recently come back into style. But the hard thing with steampunk is getting all the furniture to match. This unique style calls for an equally unique bookshelf like this floating pipe shelf that can be found on Amazon. And don’t be afraid to make this shelf look even more steampunk with the addition of a few well-placed steampunk trinkets that are already in your collection.  

21. Optical Illusion Bookshelves

Optical Illusion Bookshelves

Optical illusions are very unique works of art that can be seen in many ways depending on how you look at them. So when you want a truly unique bookshelf to find its place in your home, why not use an optical illusion bookshelf? You can find them on Yanko Design and once you install them, you will love how deceptively small they look, but all the space they offer you to store books!

22. Adjustable Interactive Shelf

Adjustable Interactive Shelf

Maybe the items you keep on your bookshelf come and go with the seasons, especially if you have a lovely collection of novels that you only like to read around Christmas! This bookshelf from Awesome Stuff 365 is made of a bunch of wooden shelf pieces attached to the wall. You can fold down more pieces depending on how long of a shelf you need, or fold them up to create a cool pattern. It’s hard to explain so you will just have to check it out!

23. Dreams of Flying Bookshelf

Dreams of Flying Bookshelf

Do you wish that you could fly in the sky with the birds of your neighborhood? While this still isn’t possible for humans, now your books can take to the sky with this flying bookshelf pictured on Etsy. Although it won’t really enable your books to fly, it is cute and such a unique bookshelf that you won’t have to worry about someone else having the same one! If there are a lot of books lying around your home, then you better order two of these because they are quite small.

24. DIY Tetris Themed Bookshelves

DIY Tetris Themed Bookshelves

The problem with unique bookshelves is that they can get expensive, and fast. This may leave you wondering if there are DIY ideas out there for sweet bookshelves—and there most certainly are! Check out these instructions from The Owner Builder Network that you can use to create your very own Tetris-themed bookshelves. They’re colorful, fun to rearrange, and won’t cost you an arm and a leg!

25. Read Letters Bookcase

Read Letters Bookcase

This list has it all, from bookcases you can sit on, to those that are convenient to move, but one bookshelf you haven’t seen yet is a bookcase shaped like letters! Yes, they do exist, and you can find this one on Goods Home Design. Now this bookcase will take up an entire wall, so it is probably not the best idea for a small home or one that is hurting for space—but other than that it looks great and offers plenty of room to store books.

There are so many awesome and unique bookshelves on this list that you will probably find it impossible to choose just one! If that is the case, then it is time to choose a sweet bookshelf for every room in your house. After all, no room deserves to be stuck with a boring everyday bookcase when you could install something truly unique.