Full disclosure here: I have a lot of books, but I wouldn’t say I decorate with them outside of the norm… that is, I have them on bookshelves and I think they’re styled quite cutely, if I do say so myself. I also try to display the books that I’m currently reading in a decorative way, stacked on a table or in a tray on my couch. But to say I decorate extensively with books would be a lie. That doesn’t mean I don’t have some ideas about what you (and I) could do to use books as decor!
Books are a great, personality-infused way to decorate your home. You can add them to vignettes, create curated stacks in unexpected places, or just style beautiful bookshelves. Or a combination of all three. The possibilities are almost endless!
Use As A Pedestal
Books are perfect for adding different elevations to a vignette. You can stack two or three books (I’d choose three), and use them as a pedestal for a lamp, a vase of flowers/potted plant or an objet d’art.
Use As Artwork
Coffee table books are works of art, so why hide their covers by relegating them to a bookshelf?
You can put them on your coffee table, as the name suggests. Or stacked in a tray on your ottoman or couch. Or display them on a shelf with the cover art facing out.
Use Unexpected Surfaces as Shelves
Anything deep enough to house a typical book size can be used as a shelf.
Picture Ledges
In the vein of using books as artwork, if you have picture ledges, you can prop books up there instead. This is a great idea for coffee table books with striking cover art, or with picture books for decoration in a kid’s room!
Deep Window Sills
I wish I had deeper window sills because I would totally do this! I am manifesting this for my forever home.
I’m also imagining how cute it would be if you have a greenhouse window in your kitchen. You can stack or lean your cookbooks next to pots of herbs and other kitchen knicknacks.
On The Mantle/Hearth
I love the idea of stacking or standing a handful of books on one side of a mantle or hearth. Combined with a piece of art, a candle, a plant, etc, it makes for a cozy vista. Place a comfy reading chair nearby and you have a perfect nook for digging into your favorite story or read of the month.
On Bookshelves
Just because books are “supposed to” live on bookshelves doesn’t mean that they can’t look pretty while they’re doing it, so I’m grouping a couple of tips together here, for different ways to decorate your bookshelves with… books!
- Color Grouping – this is probably an obvious one, but grouping your books by color (particularly the rainbow) is/was all the rage and is still something I love the look of. And I have it on my bookcases (on a few shelves).
- Go Neutral – you’ve probably seen this if you watch any of the home decorating shows that HGTV has to offer, but you can flip your books around so that instead of the spines showing you see the edges of the pages. They do it for copyright purposes, you can do it for aesthetics. This makes for a neutral decoration on your shelves.
- Stack Horizontally – there’s no rule that all books must be standing upright on your shelves. Creating stacks of books among the standing tomes is a great way to add interest to your shelves. Mix in some knickknacks and mementos and you have a personalized vignette worthy of a shelfie.
- OR just stack your books on any surface! A table, a chair, the floor. Create a curated stack of old books, or choose a color scheme. The sky’s the limit!
Holiday Bonus
In sourcing images for this post I came across this example that I love: decorate a haphazard stack of books with string lights and ribbon and use it as a holiday tree! So cute! I love it. I would probably want to be a little extra and have all winter/holiday themed books, but I think what matters most is a tight color palette though this example is still cute even with a small mix of colors.
Books aren’t just for reading, they can be functional design elements in your home decor too. And they are a great way to show personality! They don’t have to be restricted to a home library or solitary bookshelf (though they can be, and beautifully). Style them in different ways throughout your home, using one or more of the tips shared here. And this list certainly isn’t exhaustive. Have fun!
Do you decorate with books?
