How To Make Your Bookshelves Beautiful
Whether you have few, or many books in your possession, the real trick is to arrange them in a way that is visually appealing as their contents. Most of us can only aspire to that Ikea neatness, but House & Garden's Emily Senior plenty of other ideas in mind. Here, she takes us on a tour of the most beautiful and beguiling bookcases to inspire your library-in-the-making.
- Andreas von Einsiedel1/12
Firstly you don’t necessarily need shelves - some books, especially coffee table variety - are meant to be displayed flat. Stack them on ottomans, mantelpieces and (obviously) coffee tables, like the owner of this flat in Pimlico.
- Michael Sinclair2/12
The Georgian’s knew a thing or two about bookshelf design, and there’s some elements from this library in an Eighteenth-century house in Bath that can be copied. The panelling here is a really good bespoke reproduction, but plain Ikea ‘Billy’ bookshelves fitted with new reeded uprights (the vertical woodwork) and Georgian style architraves can look as good. The other thing to note in this space: piles of floor-stacked books look great if you run out of room on shelves.
- Simon Brown3/12
Beata Heuman is one of the top interior designers to watch this year. Just see these built-in bookshelves in the kitchen of her London flat. Note the built-in wine-rack - genius.
- Simon Brown4/12
Have you ever seen stepped shelves like this? It’s the perfect contemporary library.
- Michael Sinclair5/12
Google ‘antique library trolley’ or ‘antique whatnot’ (‘whatnot’ definition: a stand with shelves for small objects) and you’ll be met with all manner of great bookshelves perfect for small spaces. Dark wood Victorian and Edwardian shelves haven’t become mass-market fashionable (yet) the way mid-century has. They’re still cheap as chips on Ebay, great with more contemporary pieces, and generally beautifully made. Maddux Creative have instantly made a corner of this converted Queens Park factory cozy by pairing one of the aforementioned library trolleys with a fantastic collection of vintage medicine bottles and an antique chaise longue covered in hessian.
- Sharyn Cairnes6/12
If you’re a fan of mid-century you need to know about the work of Charlotte Perriand. A protege of Le Corbusier, she was a trailblazing designer, and her famous bookshelves haven’t aged a minute. Buy original from 1stDibs, reproductions at Cassina, or do as designer Suzy Hoodless has here and create bespoke shelves inspired by her designs. Perfect with these chic 'Platner Easy Chairs' - a Sixties design by Warren Platner.
- Simon Bevan7/12
If you’ve got a fireplace with recesses it’s madness not to put bookshelves in them. Paint them in contrasting colours like designer Ben Pentreath, who has painted this Georgian flat on Great Ormond Street a soft pink, 'Calamine' from Farrow & Ball (aka. the best pink paint in the world), with a softer dove gray on the woodwork.
- 8/12
These shelves from a project by Maddux Creative would be easy to replicate using old wine crates (yes, really). If you’re not big on DIY simply commission a local joiner to put together something similar for you using reclaimed wood from you local salvage yard (which tend to need more work, but have a better patina) or new planks varnished a dark colour.
