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How To Make Books Look Natural On Shelves – Solving The Challenge

By Simona Ganea
Simona Ganea on Homedit
Simona Ganea Interior Design & Content Contributor
Simona is an interior design and décor writer for Homedit. Since 2011, she has been writing about interior design, DIY solutions, and the latest trends in home architecture.
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When you’re a book lover with a large collection of reading material, it makes sense to want to give it the attention it deserves and to make it a part of your home decor. Even so, figuring out a way to do so is often a challenge. A lot of times we can’t find the right spot for the books so they just end up in the living room media unit looking awkward and out of place. Even when all you have is a few books it’s still hard to make them look natural in the decor and actually make them make sense in the spot you’ve chosen for them. Book storage is not easy by any means.

The first step is overcoming this challenge is to asses your collection and to decide where it belongs. You don’t have to keep all your books in one place. Some can stay in the living room, others can be kept in the bedroom and you can also have the specialized books stored in the office. As far as the storage options go, there’s a lot to choose from. Bookshelves are obviously the main choice.

If you're the type that likes to read in bed, you can keep a few books in the bedroom on the nightstand or on the dresser
If you’re the type that likes to read in bed, you can keep a few books in the bedroom on the nightstand or on the dresser
Most living room units usually include a few open shelves or cubbies and you can keep your books there
Most living room units usually include a few open shelves or cubbies and you can keep your books there

With so many different bookshelf ideas out there, there’s definitely one for you too. Have your pick at any of the options presented here or come up with your own design, specifically created for the space and style that you have in mind. A corner bookshelf could work for the office or the bedroom while a tree bookshelf would make a beautiful statement in the living room.

There's a way to keep books in every room of the house, including the kitchen and even the bathroom
There’s a way to keep books in every room of the house, including the kitchen and even the bathroom
In the kitchen you could keep cooking books or anything else you like to read in your spare time
In the kitchen you could keep cooking books or anything else you like to read in your spare time

If you don’t have a lot of books and you don’t want the focus to necessarily be on them, we suggest mixing them up with other items like planters, vases, framed photos, board games and whatever else you’d like to keep on your shelves. This way you’ll have an eclectic collection of objects without any of them looking out of place in there. This strategy usually works for living rooms.

In the living room, you can balance out books with electronics by displaying them in the same unit
In the living room, you can balance out books with electronics by displaying them in the same unit
You can set up a reading area and furnish it with a comfortable chair and a few bookshelves
You can set up a reading area and furnish it with a comfortable chair and a few bookshelves
Embrace diversity and mix and match books and other items on a shelving unit
Embrace diversity and mix and match books and other items on a shelving unit
An option is to designate a single shelf or a particular area in a wall unit just for books
An option is to designate a single shelf or a particular area in a wall unit just for books
Reading corners should be cozy and should have good lighting and minimal furniture
Reading corners should be cozy and should have good lighting and minimal furniture
For extensive book collections, it's best to opt for a large bookcase that can keep them all in one place
For extensive book collections, it’s best to opt for a large bookcase that can keep them all in one place
Most often, books are kept in one of the social areas where everyone can have access to them
Most often, books are kept in one of the social areas where everyone can have access to them
Inspire kids to be organized by giving them their own bookcase and shelving units
Inspire kids to be organized by giving them their own bookcase and shelving units
A practical idea is to store books on a shelving unit which doubles as a space divider
A practical idea is to store books on a shelving unit which doubles as a space divider
You don't have to fill all the shelves or cubbies with books or decorations. Your collection can grow with time
You don’t have to fill all the shelves or cubbies with books or decorations. Your collection can grow in time
Open shelves are practical in pretty much any type of space. In offices, they help to keep everything neatly organized and close at hand
Open shelves are practical in pretty much any type of space. In offices, they help to keep everything neatly organized and close at hand

Of course, books don’t have to necessarily stay on shelves. You can casually stack some on your coffee table or nightstand or you could just keep some on the floor, next to a comfy pouf that you like to sit on while reading. Some chairs come with built-in storage for books which can be useful in some cases. Also, you could keep some books in your desk or keep them out of sight inside a closed cabinet or a drawer.