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Here’s something that seems to be a universal bonding agent: Everyone struggles to style a bookshelf. Who says? Google’s annual Year in Search report. The data breaks down trending queries, defined as searches that saw a high spike in traffic throughout 2024 compared to 2023. When it came to “How to Style”–related questions for the home, bookshelves were at the very top of the list.
We get everyone’s curiosity. There are a million ways to present a bookshelf. Is color-coding titles still cool? When should you stack vertically versus horizontally? How much room should you leave for tchotchkes? Don’t panic, we have solutions.
Mix Up Your Stacking Style
To answer our previous question, the answer might be stacking vertically and horizontally. Architect Emily Farnham’s bookshelf is a master class in just this. Using both methods also helps balance out the presence of big and small books. Add some plants and your favorite souvenirs, and you’ve got a full scene.
Create an Entertainment Center
Most people have something other than their favorite reads on their bookshelf, but it’s rare that it appears as neat and inviting as the one in Jordan Ferney’s living room. The key to this look is leaning some of your books against a slanted shelf and making the space a destination by adding a TV (you guessed it, that’s a Samsung Frame).
Get Vertical
We aren’t all blessed with expansive bookshelves that can house our TBR (for the uninitiated: “to be read”) pile. The green bookcase in chef Sara Kramer’s L.A. bedroom shows how to make the most of a narrow setup by stacking books vertically. If you’re left with a few inches on either side, pepper in a tiny vase, paperweight, or picture frame.
Skimp on the Actual Books
Not a huge reader? No worries. The blue living room in this Washington, D.C., home, designed by Zoë Feldman, proves that bookshelves don’t have to be all about titles. Instead, turn large ceramics and those quirky sculptures you can’t stop picking up at antiques stores into the centerpieces. You can style objects on top of a handful of your favorite books, or group your small collection of reads in one corner.
Think of It as a Sculpture
Photographer and stylist Anita Calero turned the bookshelves in her Cali, Colombia, home into art pieces in their own right. The wood planks are a touch asymmetrical, which balances out the heavy load each surface carries. We love this method because it’s easy to switch up the scene whenever you’re craving something different.