How to Arrange Bookshelves

August 19, 2014

You don’t have to buy a new bookcase to totally change the way it looks in your home. By simply arranging your literature a little differently, you can create remarkably beautiful bookshelves by working with what you already have. Whether it’s a rustic, minimalist look or a quirky, vibrant one you’re after, we have a few suggestions on how to arrange bookshelves:

Rainbow Shelf

Keep things vibrant yet very much in order by arranging a shelf or two according to color.

Covered Books

Whether it’s brown craft paper, plain white paper, or fun gift wrap, covering books is a cool, uniform way to display your reads.

Backward Books

Try placing the spine of your books toward the back of the shelf, exposing the pages. This top trick makes for a gorgeous and minimalist way to bring a bit of charm to the room.

This below example of the backward books look is from the home of MDI’s own Delta Amhrein.

Painted back walls

Even a coat or two of paint on the back wall of your bookshelf can add a world of wonder to the room.

Quirky Shelves

We also found some really quirky shelving that will change the way you look at bookcases. Hopefully, these images will get your creative juices flowing and keep you thinking outside the box.

This nook shelf is from an MDI past project. Isn’t it a nifty use of an awkward space?

How dreamy is this? Mystery novel nerds will love the secret door bookcase the best.

We love the configuration of these shelves:

Here’s a couple of wildly different ways to arrange both shelves as well as books!

A wagon book holder? Why not?

This kitschy shelf is like a modern work of art.

Floating shelves

Floating shelves are super inspiring, too. You can even DIY these using painted-and-cut planks, drawers, and even actual books as shelves.