Cool Bookshelves: 40 Unique Bookshelf Design Ideas

Cool bookshelves? How many unique bookshelf ideas do you want to see online until you get one for yourself? This article will help you choose the best design.

A bookshelf is a sophisticated and practical addition to any room. Modern bookshelf designs can serve as unconventional display cases. Wall mounted bookshelf designs are great substitutes for shelves.

They offer a whole one opportunity for homeowners to give their home a bit more personality. However, it can be hard to figure out how to style a bookcase. Figuring out how much to put on shelves and what to put on the shelves can be a major challenge. Here are some bookshelf styling tips to help you get started on your bookshelf décor.

Cool Bookshelves To Check Out

Try Built-In Bookcases

If you can get them, built-in bookshelves are great. They lend an air of sophistication to any room and can be easily used as shelves for both art displays and practical items. You can find built-in bookshelves in almost any material, though they do tend to run pretty high in price.

Make sure you get quality ones, as they are a permanent fixture in your home and you want them to hold up over time. If you already have built-ins and want to change their look, try staining or painting them so they fit witht her oom;s new décor.

Start Off With a Blank Slate

The first thing you need to do when you start to decorate your bookshelf is to clear it off. A bookshelf with books already on it can be hard to envision as something new.

Pair Your Shelves

If you don’t have built-in bookshelves, two identical shelves sitting next to each other can look much the same. It also give you a lot of space to work with decorating.

Decorate Shelves with What You Love

Cool bookshelves are not only for books! Use your bookshelf design as a display case and shelf for pictures from vacation or images of your family.

Display artwork, souvenirs, or family heirlooms. Think about using some of the space as storage for your barware. Bookshelf style is like the rest of your home: it’s determined by you, because this is your home and your space.

Choose a Color Scheme for your cool bookshelves

Like many other aspects of interior décor, bookshelf designs depend a lot on color. You can find bookcases in all sorts of colors, though many are monochromatic or neutral. A bookcase can look good in any color, however.

Your bookcase’s color works as the base color for anything you sit on it, so plan accordingly. A bright color can work very well with simple, less vibrant book spines. Carry your room’s color scheme toy our bookshelf. Match the bookcase and any accessories to items in your room.

Mix and Match Textures to create unique bookshelves

Mixing textures adds visual interest to any design. Art, photos, pottery, baskets, and of course books can all add in varying textures. These different elements come together to make a bookshelf look interesting and unique.

Decorate your bookshelf design in layers

Layering objects is very important when it comes to bookshelves design ideas. Artwork fits best in the back of shelves. Pottery and trinkets should be in the front. This layering adds in even more visual interest.

Cool bookshelf side stacking

Turn book on their sides and try stacking for a different, modern look.

These stacks can be spaced on the shelves as accent pieces in their own right. They can be topped with trinkets, artwork, or other interesting items.

This allows you to display your books as well as use them to highlight any interesting accent pieces you may have. Save a special space for beautiful coffee table books.

Show Off Those Book Covers

Some books have truly beautiful covers. Use them as decoration for your cool bookshelves instead of hiding hem away between other books. Display those special covers by sitting the book out on a plate stand in the row of the other books. These books are the prefect artwork for your bookshelves. They also help break up the monotony of a long line of book spines and titles.

Display Cases

Use your books to accent other items and vice-versa. Place collections of items with related books. Show off porcelain birds next to a bird-watcher’s field guide, or some nautical memorabilia next to a copy of Treasure Island. Use this combination of display pieces and literature to tell a story. With the right choices, it will make your books seem to come to life.

Organize Your Bookcase Designs

Make your bookcase into a sophisticated piece of furniture by organizing it. Class your books by subject and line them up vertically with their spines flush with the front of the shelf. Tag each genre with a strip of cardstock under the books and peeking out over the shelf’s front edge.

Mount metal holders on all these tags. This not only makes it easier to find specific books, but also reminds people of a library.

Create a Book Nook

Make a special niche within rows of books for a particular special piece of art. Stack a few similarly sized books up to build a platform. Place vertical books on either side to create a frame. You set a small sculpture or other item inside for a nice makes-shift display pedestal.

Add a fresh coat of paint on your cool bookshelves

For budget high-end style, bring together mismatched items with a coat of spray paint.

Even items that seem like a collection of junk can be turned into unified designer accessories with a nice, bold color. If you distribute these collections throughout the bookcase, it will tie the whole look together.

Hanging Art

If you have packed you bookcase so full you can’t add anything, you can still use them as a display case.

Hang art from the front of the shelves instead. Hanging art with a gilded frame from the shelves can make your collection of random books spines into a visually interesting wallpaper.

Hanging art from the shelves is a much more unexpected form of décor, making this one of the better bookshelf ideas for small rooms.

Paper Your Bookcase

You can easily change your bookshelves from boring to glamourous with a bit of glue and paper. Measure the inside backs, then cut wallpaper samples or gift wrap to fit. Paint Modge Podge glue onto the shelf backs and then press the paper into place.

Smooth it out to remove any bubbles. Even if you can’t settle on a single pattern, this is still a great idea. Just use doublestick tape instead of glue so you can change the shelves with the seasons or your moods.

Make a Rainbow of Books

To organize your books in an interesting way, remove the dust jackets and organize the book by color. Red and black books will add a dramatic look. A rainbow arrangement makes for a cheerful bookcase, prompting a smile from viewers.

You can also cluster books by color in cubbies; blue in one place, green in another. This should not make it any harder to find the books you are looking for, unless you have a collection of over 2,500. For some people, this can even be a much easier way to organize your books, since some remember the color better than the title.

Add Some Life into your cool bookshelves

With the basics in place, don’t be scared of merchandising. Gather an eclectic collection of your favorite things in similar hues and materials. Create vignettes in niches or hang ornaments from book spines.

You don’t need to worry about blocking the books. This way of decorating your bookshelves means more is more.

However, try to avoid clutter. You want to show off your favorite items, not drown them out in everything else! Arrange everything so items are highlighted and don’t just become another part of a junk pile.

Experiment with Book Placement

Mix both horizontal and vertical arrangements of books. You can separate the arrangements by shelf, or you can try them both on the same shelf. This makes your book shelf more interesting and offers a lot of daily opportunities.

What should you decorate your unique bookshelves with?

You should try to look for sculptural objects to add a bit of dimension to the display. Boxes and beautiful bowls work well too. Keep things streamlined. Metallic items, combined with more sparse décor, make for a modern look. Pops of colors add in life.

Bring in a Touch of Nature

Organic materials can bring a lot to your décor. Try including an air plant, seashells, or even a bowl of pretty stones on your bookshelves. These natural elements can help your rooms seem more homey and restful.

Try something different with your bookshelf design

Try organizing you books in a totally different way. Turn them around so the pages face out. This is a very monochromatic and unusually modern look that creates an unexpected display piece.

Try minimalist bookshelves design

Remember, you do not need to fill in every last inch of your bookshelves. Too many items on display create a cluttered look that drive people away. Use the space to highlight a few choice pieces.

This is a far more stylish look that still adds a lot of personality. Don’t crowd the spacer with letters, magazines, or receipts, either, as just turns into a trash heap. Keep everything unified, with similar colors and textures.

Try to keep accessories within a one-color or tone-on-tone palette. Take steps back to evaluate how everything looks together.

Place some items off-center. Try larger or smaller accessories to see how they work. Use décor as bookends as you vary your arrangements of books. Bold colored items and picture frames are great for this.

Symmetric Offices

Office bookshelves tend to be a bit more professional and less eclectic. There is more symmetry to the way the accessories are arranged.

Everything mirrors. Scatter different sizes and colors of books to break up monotony. Stick with ‘smarter’ accessories, like globes or topical sculptures, even awards.

Practical Prettiness

Bookends are the perfect décor for your bookcase. There are a lot of very nice options for bookends to be found. Sturdier, heavy décor can also be used as bookends. Bookends are really good for light paperbacks and slimmer books, which have issue staying upright.

Try Different Kinds of Shelving

Staggered shelving is perfect for the homeowner who wants to display books differently. This is a visually interesting arrangement hat can be used to highlight special artwork or accessories.

Practical and cool bookshelves

You can also use cool bookshelves to keep workrooms organized. Add magazine holder in to keep paper organized. Storage boxes conceal clutter inside bright colored containers. Small bookcases can be pulled together by arranging the bottom and top shelves differently.

Avoid Over Packed Bookcases

Don’t be afraid to store your books elsewhere. An overstuffed bookcase looks old and cluttered.

Pick your favorites out of your collection to display, and keep the rest in easily accessible storage. For your coffee table books, magazines, or collector’s pieces, don’t be afraid to display them on coffee and side tables. They look very nice when stacked up, so don’t think it’s a tacky gimmick.

Fun with Storage Boxes

Most people think storage boxes have to be ugly items you store in a closet or elsewhere out of sight. A quick trip to a décor store shows that not to be true. There are a lot of nice looking storage boxes you can keep in plain sight.

Cool bookshelves are a good storage spot for this sorts of boxes. You can find them in a number of materials, colors, and styles. You could even paint them yourself, if that will work for your room.

If you are a person who reads a lot you know you need to have a way to organize your books and put them into shelves.

Most of the bookshelves that you find in stores are simple and really dull, but there are certain designers who create unique bookshelves to be placed in offices or at home, to blend in the interior design that you have.

If you want to have a cool library at home, you have to use one of these cool bookcases.

If you want to see even more cool bookshelf designs examples, go to ImpressiveInteriorDesign.com where I helped with a really neat article.

Ending thoughts on cool bookshelves

A bookcase provides you with a great chance to display not only your books, but also many other items.

Use it as a chance to show off your own passions, adventures, and personality.

Use your favorite books to add a bit of panache to a room, as well as provide a unifying theme for your accessories. Keep reference items easily accessible and nicely on display.

FAQ on unique bookshelves like these

What materials work best for unique bookshelf designs?

Well, that’s a great question! There’s a range of materials you could use, really. Traditional ones like wood or metal are always reliable. But don’t limit yourself! You can use glass for a sleek, modern vibe.

Reclaimed materials, like old pipes or wooden pallets, are perfect for an industrial or rustic look. And for a truly unique design, why not mix and match? Wood and metal, glass and wood – the possibilities are endless!

How can I incorporate a bookshelf into a small space?

Ah, small spaces. The bane of many a book lover! But fear not, there are solutions. Consider using the vertical space. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves can hold a surprising amount of books.

Corner bookshelves are another good option. If you’re really squeezed for space, you could even replace a door with a bookshelf door. It’s all about being creative and making the most of what you’ve got!

What are some unique bookshelf shapes?

Shapes, eh? You’ve got your standard rectangles and squares, of course. But if you’re looking for something out of the box, how about a circular or a hexagonal bookshelf?

You could even get really creative and go for a tree-shaped one – great for a kid’s room. Or a bookshelf shaped like a letter or a word. There’s no limit to what you can do with a bit of imagination!

How can I use color to enhance my bookshelf design?

Color is a fantastic tool for enhancing your design. You could paint your bookshelf in a bold, vibrant color to make it a focal point.

Or you could opt for a more subtle shade that complements the rest of your decor. Another cool idea is to paint the inside of the bookshelf in a contrasting color. It’s a subtle touch that can really make your design pop!

How can I make my bookshelf more functional?

More functional, you say? There’s a lot you can do! You could incorporate drawers or cupboards into your design for extra storage.

Or add a fold-out desk for a handy workspace. If you’re a plant lover, you could build in spaces for your green friends. You could even design it with built-in lights, perfect for late-night reading. Remember, a bookshelf isn’t just for books!

Can I make a unique bookshelf design myself?

Absolutely! You’ll need a bit of DIY know-how, but it’s definitely doable. There are plenty of tutorials online to guide you.

You can start with a basic design and then add your own unique touches. Just remember to plan carefully and take safety precautions. And don’t forget to have fun with it!

How can I style my bookshelf to make it unique?

Styling is key to creating a unique look. You could arrange your books by color for a rainbow effect. Or mix in decorative objects and artwork for a curated feel. Don’t forget to leave some space – a cluttered bookshelf can look messy rather than stylish. And experiment! The beauty of a bookshelf is that you can easily change up the look whenever you want.

How much does a unique bookshelf design cost?

The cost can vary hugely depending on what you’re after. You can find unique designs at a range of price points. If you’re on a budget, DIY or upcycling an old bookshelf could be a good option.

If you’re looking to splurge, consider hiring a carpenter to create a custom design. It’s all about finding the right balance between cost and the look you’re after.

Is a unique bookshelf design worth it?

Oh, I would say definitely! A unique bookshelf isn’t just practical, it’s a statement piece. It can totally transform a room and show off your personality. Plus, there’s the satisfaction of having a one-of-a-kind piece.

Of course, you have to consider your budget and your needs. But if you’re a book lover looking to elevate your space, a unique bookshelf can be a fantastic investment.

How to maintain a bookshelf in good condition?

Maintaining a bookshelf in good condition isn’t too tricky. Regular dusting is a must – dust can damage books over time. If it’s made of wood, consider polishing it occasionally to keep the wood in good shape.

Be mindful of not overloading the shelves, as this can cause them to sag. And if you notice any damage, try to repair it as soon as possible to prevent it from getting worse. With a bit of care, your bookshelf can last a lifetime!

Ending thoughts on these unique bookshelves

So, we’ve ventured through the world of unique bookshelf designs, right? We’ve seen how they can turn a blank wall into a focal point, and how they’re more than just storage — they’re art!

And, hey, remember that crazy ‘illusion’ shelf we looked at? You know, the one that seemed to defy gravity? Or what about that design that was like a maze? Totally wild, right?

But remember, folks…

It’s about more than just aesthetics. Yep, we want these pieces to look good, but they’ve gotta be functional, too. These designs need to house our beloved book collections, after all.
Match it to your space. Whether you’re into that minimalist vibe or more of a rustic, cozy feel, make sure the design complements your room. It’s like a puzzle piece, you know?
Don’t be afraid to get creative. These shelves are a way to express yourself, so let your personality shine through!

In the end, choosing a unique bookshelf design is like picking out a new pair of shoes. It needs to be practical, suit your style, and make a statement. And remember — there’s no such thing as too many books, just too few bookshelves!

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Bogdan Sandu

Bogdan Sandu, a seasoned designer with 15 years of diverse experience, has been designing websites since 2008.

Renowned for his expertise in logo design and visual branding, Bogdan has developed a multitude of logos for various clients.

His skills extend to creating posters, vector illustrations, business cards, and brochures. Additionally, Bogdan's UI kits were featured on marketplaces like Visual Hierarchy and UI8.