Small home libraries are some of my favorite spaces to see designed by any interior designer and home decorators. Book display design can add so much charm to your tiny home. Not to mention decorating an interior space with books has been a longstanding way to dress up shelves for a more sophisticated interior style. Today we’re exploring 10 small home library ideas as well as different library book display ideas and tips to organize your book collection in a small living space.

Taking into account the size and shape of the space you have to work with, you can maximize the utility and aesthetic of your library. Doing so requires a vision for how to display books and other accessories, as well as a practical plan for how to organize your books.

Taking into account lighting, colors, furniture, and other elements can help you make your library inviting and enjoyable. With a well-designed library, any small space can become a pleasant place to read and relax.

Organizing your collection of books can help transform and and add charm to your small living space. From making use of floor-to-ceiling wall space to creating a library wall shelving unit as a room divider, there are a multitude of design ideas you can use to display your book collection.

Styling and organizing an interior space in your home with books is a great way to make use of any extra space you may have on your walls. It’s also a great opportunity to get creative with bookshelf designs. Some of the most beautiful home libraries have been designed by an interior designer or two. However, there’s no reason why we can’t steal a few tips from them and apply them to your own home library.

A chic home library will add an element of sophistication and coziness to any living space big or small. So utilizing these different book storage ideas should be helpful in helping you creating a contemporary home library.

Whether you’re looking for reading room ideas or stylish reading nooks, there are plenty of book storage ideas to help you create a dedicated home library.

Keep reading to find out how to create a home library.

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Creating Small Home Libraries:

Creating a home library in a small room is totally possible if what you want is a cozy reading nook. No matter the size, there are ways to make the most of your small space. Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Utilize Vertical Space: Shelves, bookcases and other vertical storage solutions are great for maximizing a small space. When decorating your home library, opt for tall storage solutions that reach the ceiling to make the most out of your vertical space.

2. Utilize Wall Space: If you don’t have enough room for a full bookcase, don’t worry! You can still make use of wall space by purchasing floating shelves or attaching brackets to your walls and hang books from them.

3. Add a Window Seat: If you have an empty space beneath your window amplify such room features. This could be a great focal point in the room to have your books surround. It’ll make your small library feel much more open and inviting. You can even add a seating cushion on to make it a cozy study space. If you have a bay window, that’s the perfect place to create a lovely cozy reading nook.

4. Double Duty Furniture: Look for furniture that can serve two purposes. A side table could double as a book display or storage unit, while an ottoman could provide extra seating and also store books.

5. Stick to Themes: When it comes to decorating, your home library should be consistent with the design style of the rest of your home. From the dining room to the living room, stick to one cohesive look so that your library looks like an extension of the rest of the house.

Styling & Organizing Books:

Before we dive into the different ways you can organize your books in your small home library, first let’s start with some tips to help! Creating a cozy small home library is a dream to any book lover. But we still want to make sure that we’re styling and organizing books in a way that is harmonious to the rest of your home. Decluttering books in your small living space will not only be visually pleasing but it will also help to maximize your living space.

Styling Small Home Libraries

Arrange Books By Color

Your home library colors scheme will be the foundation to your library space design. If creating a beautiful gradual build of colors is your vibe then arranging your books by color should be easy enough. Organizing by color is a really cool and easy way to arrange your collection of books and definitely adds pops of color to your interior.

Display Book Pages Instead

Another tip to creating a harmonious library space design is to flip the books over with their spine closest to the wall. This creates a very aesthetic uniformity all throughout your books bringing a more calming atmosphere to the space. You’ll see this often times in homes that have a neutral colorway.

Add Some Home Decor Accessories

You don’t have to be exclusive when it comes to using books as a form of decor, you can also add some home library essentials. Shelf accessories and reading accessories are great decorative objects to include in your home library. Bookends, reading lamps, library display slogans are all great opportunities for decorating.

Try adding home decor accessories that you feel will be additive to the space. You can add some sleek storage baskets to contain cozy home library essentials like throw pillows and throw blankets or other knick knacks you want out of the way. Building a personal library should be a fun experience!

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10 Ways To Create A Small Home Library

BUILT IN BOOKCASE

If you’re small living space comes with any sort of recessed or built in shelving then lucky you! Built in bookcases or shelving are popular because they are both a functional storage solution and they look beautiful. They’re also a great way to organize and showcase your favorite books. They can be the perfect talking point in any room.

Place a few statement pieces such as sculptures or decorative objects to the top of the built in shelves to add dimension and texture. Use accessories to add a decorative element to your shelving. Read our shelf styling tips to take it to the next level!

FREE STANDING BOOKCASE

Free standing bookcases are your classic options for organizing books. There are a variety of styles and sizes to choose from to fit your particular needs. They remain one of the common library display ideas and still a great piece of furniture to add to your living space. We love the Gersby Bookcase from Ikea as it offers a very slim dimensions and doesn’t take up much space. Bookcases for smaller spaces can still be both functional and aesthetic in your library space design. The best part is it still has plenty of shelving and storage for books.

GEOMETRIC BOOKSHELF

If you want to add an element of interest to your interior decor then adding a geometric bookshelf. It might just be the innovative library furniture that you need! Geometric bookshelves have a structure and silhouette that is both cool and modern. It definitely one of our favorite small space friendly library display ideas. You might want to check out this Tree Bookshelf from Amazon.

FLOATING BOOKCASE

Another great home library idea is organizing your books on floating shelves. They are a great way to not only hold your library of books, but they also look minimalist in design. Floating bookshelves are often wall mounted, but there are also ones that are free standing. Here’s a 5 Tier Wall Shelf Unit from Amazon that is just great!

BOOK SHELF NOOK

Using a corner space in your small home or your living room is a great way to display your book collection. Adding shelving to a wall or corner can be a great way to utilize empty space and create that cozy corner. Cozy reading nooks are perfect for small spaces and are also a great way to define a space.

Adding a nice comfy chair or couch will be great for naps and cozy nights with your favorite reads. And don’t forget about good lighting! If you don’t get a lot of natural light in this space, invest in some a great floor lamp or a reading lamp! If you don’t want to take up any floor space then go for a pendant lamp or some wall sconces.

Wall sconces are always a great way to add a warm light that can be used for both reading and relaxing. Add a coffee table, a compact chair and a throw blanket for the ultimate cozy corner. I love beautiful wall sconces, hanging lamp or floor lamp for corner spaces like this. With the right lighting, you can transform any living space into a cozy space.

BOOK SHELF STORAGE CUBES

You can use a variety of storage cubes or wood shelving boxes and use them as home library wall units to display your book collection as well. A cube bookshelf is great for keeping things up and elevated and to also do make use of a bare white wall.. You can keep them low to the ground or mount them to the high up on the wall. They’re a great option for organizing a small amount of books in a stylish way. It’s also a clever way to create a home library on a budget. Target has some individual Storage Cubes that you can easily mount and add to.

STACK OF BOOKS

You may have noticed, but stacking books has had many an Instagrammable moment. There’s something so Parisian and effortless about it that makes it so perfectly acceptable. Organizing your stack of books low to the floor with some added decor accessories can look truly romantic. This style method definitely takes decluttering your bookshelves to a whole other level. So if you’re wondering how to organize your books without a bookshelf, then voila! It’s by far the easiest way to display your home library collection. And best of all, it costs you nothing!

WALLED BOOKSHELVES

If you’re curious how to shelf books in a way that is visually pleasing, then wall shelves for books or rather walled shelves used as storage for books can be a great way to create an accent wall. You can arrange the shelves around the perimeter of a door or a window too. This way you take advantage of wall space and make the most out of your small living space. Maintaining symmetry and balance is key and will be important in maintaining and organized and decluttered look.

I think floor to ceiling bookshelves particularly in a dining room, living room or home office can create that cozy space you want. If you have a formal dining room and don’t want to clutter it with too many knick-knacks, then adding bookshelves can be an ideal solution. A custom built-in wall of shelves is always a great way to display your books in an elegant way and will still provide much needed storage space.

Now if you have a little nook that you can convert into a home office library then this is a great spot for those floor to ceiling shelving units. And if you have very high ceilings in your room, then adding a library ladder to your home office library can be a great way to get access to your hard-to-reach books.

BOOKCASE DIVIDER

If you live in a studio apartment then you may be wondering how to create a home library in a compact living situation. Adding a bookcase as a room divider is a great option if you’re living space is small and you want to create separation between rooms. You may have a studio apartment or a one room layout and want to define different living spaces.

With this bookcase room divider hack you can totally do that. Creating that floor to ceiling distance is a great tip we talk about in 8 Hacks To Fake High Ceilings And Elevate Your Space as well. It’s a great way to also give the illusion of higher ceilings. Make sure that when choosing a bookcase for this purpose you choose furniture that is slim in terms of depth. We want to avoid bulky furniture as much as possible.

ABOVE THE BED BOOK SHELVING

If you’re really looking to create the ultimate cozy reading room then there’s no better place to do it then right above your bed. You may not have as many books as in the image down below, however shelving books above your bed is another great way to store your books.

A bedroom library or rather a library bedroom sounds like a total dream! If you love your cozy time reading books then be prepared to never leave. You can add shelves to the highpoints above your bed or even convert your closet into a library. You can add floating shelves all along empty wall space and even to the vertical spaces nearest the ceiling.

There’s something about bedroom libraries that instantly gives warm and cozy vibes. Who needs a reading corner when you have a reading room! For this library space design you might need to go with some custom shelving to really get it the way you like.

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If you liked some of these home library designs and ideas and are ready to create your own small cozy home library then be sure to subscribe and share! Transform any room in your home into a cozy sitting room to enjoy all the books you love! We look forward to bringing your more interior tips and tricks to elevate your small living space!

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