8 Creative Ways to Store Books in Small Spaces
Figuring out ways to store books in a small space can be challenging. But it’s not impossible. No bibliophile wants to stop reading and collecting new titles, so what do you do if you live in a studio apartment or other small living space?
You get creative.
Keep reading to learn more about some of our favorite creative ways to store books in a small space.
Along the way you will find several methods to: flaunt your favorite Faulkner, store your Shakespeare, present your Plath, arrange your Austen, hype your Hemingway….
And so on. Anyway, you get the picture. Keep reading now—creative and stylish book storing awaits.
1. Take Advantage of Your Windowsills
Storing your favorite books on a windowsill is a great way to utilize space. Since windowsills are hardly used for storage of any kind, it is likely yours are just gathering dust. To give this storage method added flair, consider color-coding your books or placing editions with a unique spine design near one another. If your apartment is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, you can also place books below the windowsill to capitalize on the window’s prime lighting.
2. Store Books on Your Fireplace Mantel
Fireplace mantels are a great place to display some of your favorite novels, collections of poetry, or nonfiction titles. You can also include other decorative items like vases, plants and candles to accompany your books. This idea may not seem that out of the box, but you would be surprised how little some mantels are utilized. Adding string lights to your mantel may also allow your books to give off a lived-in feel rather than having been seeming like they’ve been relegated to temporary storage.
3. Sprinkle Stacks of Books Around Your Living Space
Stacks of books can either look completely messy or fantastically stylish. There doesn’t seem to be much of a middle ground. We tend to like stacks of books that seem naturally placed instead of purposefully arranged. Look to sprinkle stacks of books around your living space to decorate nightstands, coffee tables, television stands and other pieces of furniture. You can also marry this stacking method with the previously mentioned window-sill method to achieve the result seen above.
4. Utilize Those High-to-reach Spots
If your small bedroom, home office, or studio apartment has high ceilings, you can take advantage of this trait for optimal book storing. Hanging shelves or installing high-reaching bookshelves is a great way to store books in a space in your small apartment that otherwise wouldn’t be utilized.
5. Store Books in your Fireplace
Okay, so this one only really works if you don’t plan on using your fireplace (see Fahrenheit 451). But if you live in an area where you don’t use this feature of your home, or you’re in a house where the fireplace is simply decorative, this might be a great idea. If your mantel is already overrun with other decorations, then arranging your books inside the fireplace could be an effective solution to your book storage problem.
6. Fill Baskets and Containers with Books
Placing a basket full of books onto a kitchen counter or small empty ledge is a creative way to carry your love for books throughout your entire living space. Smaller apartments and bedrooms can even benefit from this idea. Think about storing like-colored books or books of similar hues to create a gradient.
7. Stylize your Favorite Outdoor Reading Spot
Have a favorite outside reading spot? Why not store your books there? Sure, you don’t want your prized collection to get damaged, but with a little ingenuity, you can create an outdoor book house that is sure to keep each title safe and secure. Consider blending this outdoor home into nearby trees and foliage.
8. Construct a Free Library
On a similar wavelength as stylizing your outdoor reading spot, constructing a free library is a great way to store books outside to free up space indoors. Most of these trendy libraries operate on a take one, give one policy. Therefore, we don’t recommend placing any books in the library that you are not interested in giving away.
Closing the Cover: Book Storage
While these eight creative ways will get you started, there are also an endless array of other ways to store books in a small space. Get creative and tap into your inner interior designer and you will be on your way in no time.
If you do decide to clear out your book collection before arranging them in your home, don’t worry we always have you covered with professional and affordable storage.
Use our storage location finder to find the facility nearest to you. If you are a book worm and want to keep your favorite books from falling apart over time, check out our essential techniques for storing books.
