Best of the Week: 30 Book Storage Spots From Around the World
From vast, engulfing two-storey bookshelves to tiny treasure troves of cherished titles, we bring you 30 home libraries
Julia Fairley
10 May 2018
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture that is thoughtful, sophisticated and champions an element of the unexpected. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts at UNSW and becoming a journalist, I studied interior architecture. For over a decade I have interviewed inspiring creative minds from around the world to write about design in its many different forms. Recently, I have also become an accidental gardener, to everyone's surprise.
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture... More
Regardless of whether you’re a book lover or not, chances are you have a few papery pals hanging around your home that you need to store or display. So whether it’s a handful of coffee table books and magazines or complete collections from the classic cannon, we’ve gathered 30 ideas from home libraries around the globe to bring you some inspiration. Happy reading!
1. Location: Los Angeles, USA
Why we love it: These black walls and stacked shelving systems redefine your traditional ‘library’. As Junichiro Tanizaki writes in his essay In Praise of Shadows on Japanese aesthetics, “In the mansion called literature, I would have the eves deep and the walls dark”.
Why we love it: These black walls and stacked shelving systems redefine your traditional ‘library’. As Junichiro Tanizaki writes in his essay In Praise of Shadows on Japanese aesthetics, “In the mansion called literature, I would have the eves deep and the walls dark”.
2. Location: Brazil
Why we love it: From the hanging chair that forms a dreamy reading nook to the circular bookshelf, you have to admire the creativity behind such an original home library.
Why we love it: From the hanging chair that forms a dreamy reading nook to the circular bookshelf, you have to admire the creativity behind such an original home library.
3. Location: Hungary
Why we love it: Because not every bookshelf needs to consist of straight lines at right angles. This snaking shelving system has curves in all the right places, which mimic the chaise and the rug flung on an angle, just to spice things up.
Why we love it: Because not every bookshelf needs to consist of straight lines at right angles. This snaking shelving system has curves in all the right places, which mimic the chaise and the rug flung on an angle, just to spice things up.
4. Location: New York, USA
Why we love it: A supersized take on your traditional magazine rack, this sculptural bookshelf is formed of two stackable pieces, meaning you can create almost any shape and size you desire.
Why we love it: A supersized take on your traditional magazine rack, this sculptural bookshelf is formed of two stackable pieces, meaning you can create almost any shape and size you desire.
papazian-ra.com
5. Location: Portland, USA
Why we love it: This futuristic bookshelf doubles as a staircase and throws a curve ball at the straight lines that have traditionally dominated our bookshelves.
Why we love it: This futuristic bookshelf doubles as a staircase and throws a curve ball at the straight lines that have traditionally dominated our bookshelves.
6. Location: Orange County, USA
Why we love it: The eclectic mix of framed photos, sculptures, found objects, empty space and books – both horizontally stacked and vertically arranged – proves your shelves don’t have to be exclusively reserved for the classics.
Why we love it: The eclectic mix of framed photos, sculptures, found objects, empty space and books – both horizontally stacked and vertically arranged – proves your shelves don’t have to be exclusively reserved for the classics.
7. Location: Philadelphia, USA
Why we love it: Can’t choose between straight lines or curves? The rounded corners of these stackable bookshelves prove you might be able to have both.
Tip: To make a design statement, display titles from a series or in a unifying colour.
Why we love it: Can’t choose between straight lines or curves? The rounded corners of these stackable bookshelves prove you might be able to have both.
Tip: To make a design statement, display titles from a series or in a unifying colour.
8. Location: Phoenix, USA
Why we love it: There’s no need to steer away from right angles entirely to create a point of difference. Instead, you could simply turn them on a 45-degree angle.
Why we love it: There’s no need to steer away from right angles entirely to create a point of difference. Instead, you could simply turn them on a 45-degree angle.
9. Location: Washington, USA
Why we love it: If you want to subtly introduce some acute or obtuse angles, take inspiration from this home library.
Why we love it: If you want to subtly introduce some acute or obtuse angles, take inspiration from this home library.
10. Location: Kent, UK
Why we love it: Love it or loathe it, you can’t help but respect the confidence of this recessed reading nook with its dark, brooding walls and flourishes of fluorescent furniture.
Why we love it: Love it or loathe it, you can’t help but respect the confidence of this recessed reading nook with its dark, brooding walls and flourishes of fluorescent furniture.
11. Location: New York, USA
Why we love it: This book nook takes the concept one step further, using the home library’s shelves to frame each side of this upholstered window seat.
Why we love it: This book nook takes the concept one step further, using the home library’s shelves to frame each side of this upholstered window seat.
12. Location: Tokyo, Japan
Why we love it: For book lover and high school teacher Makio Kuzumaki, only a two-storey-high bookshelf would do to store the family’s 3,000 tomes, which are loosely sorted according to who in the family owns them. “With these huge bookcases, we can tell where a book is very easily,” says Kuzumaki. “When I look at the title on a spine, I remember what the story was like and what I thought and felt when I read it.”
Why we love it: For book lover and high school teacher Makio Kuzumaki, only a two-storey-high bookshelf would do to store the family’s 3,000 tomes, which are loosely sorted according to who in the family owns them. “With these huge bookcases, we can tell where a book is very easily,” says Kuzumaki. “When I look at the title on a spine, I remember what the story was like and what I thought and felt when I read it.”
13. Location: New York, USA
Why we love it: It seems there is no end to the creative ways you can use a staircase to store your books.
Tip: Larger books in particular can make an impact when stacked horizontally.
Why we love it: It seems there is no end to the creative ways you can use a staircase to store your books.
Tip: Larger books in particular can make an impact when stacked horizontally.
14. Location: Frankfurt, Germany
Why we love it: The differing heights of the boxes in this floating bookcase let its owners store and display small paperbacks as well as large coffee table books.
Why we love it: The differing heights of the boxes in this floating bookcase let its owners store and display small paperbacks as well as large coffee table books.
15. Location: Le Havre, France
Why we love it: Think you don’t have enough space for a bookcase in your room? This tiny French bedroom proves there’s always room for a few shelves to store your favourite volumes.
Why we love it: Think you don’t have enough space for a bookcase in your room? This tiny French bedroom proves there’s always room for a few shelves to store your favourite volumes.
16. Location: Leipzig, Germany
Why we love it: They say a love of reading develops at a young age, and what better way to foster a passion for literature than to create a fun, cosy book nook?
Why we love it: They say a love of reading develops at a young age, and what better way to foster a passion for literature than to create a fun, cosy book nook?
17. Location: San Francisco, USA
Why we love it: The ladder throws a spirit of adventure into this little library – a design feature that’s sure to inspire a love of books from an early age.
Why we love it: The ladder throws a spirit of adventure into this little library – a design feature that’s sure to inspire a love of books from an early age.
18. Location: Nashville, USA
Why we love it: Every colour of the spectrum shines in these cheerily arranged shelves.
Why we love it: Every colour of the spectrum shines in these cheerily arranged shelves.
19. Location: Los Angeles, USA
Why we love it: Love your books to bits? Take inspiration from this home and literally put them on a pedestal to elevate your library and delineate this sacred space.
Why we love it: Love your books to bits? Take inspiration from this home and literally put them on a pedestal to elevate your library and delineate this sacred space.
20. Location: Madrid, Spain
Why we love it: When Houzz caught up with Spanish journalist Andrés Rubio he had about 300 books arranged in towering stacks in his home library. “The Kindle has helped me manage the uncontrolled growth of my library quite a lot,” says Rubio. “Now I try to find the right balance between digital and paper. In this sense, the paper books I purchase now are of much more significance to me.”
Why we love it: When Houzz caught up with Spanish journalist Andrés Rubio he had about 300 books arranged in towering stacks in his home library. “The Kindle has helped me manage the uncontrolled growth of my library quite a lot,” says Rubio. “Now I try to find the right balance between digital and paper. In this sense, the paper books I purchase now are of much more significance to me.”
21. Location: Los Angeles, USA
Why we love it: Money may not grow on trees, but in this nursery books do.
Why we love it: Money may not grow on trees, but in this nursery books do.
22. Location: Los Angeles, USA
Why we love it: By staggering the alignment of these small floating shelves and varying their widths, this book collection complements the framed art and acts as a creative installation.
Why we love it: By staggering the alignment of these small floating shelves and varying their widths, this book collection complements the framed art and acts as a creative installation.
23. Location: Manchester, UK
Why we love it: If you’ve done enough thinking outside the box, maybe it’s time to embrace that box instead, as with these classic rectangular floating shelves.
Why we love it: If you’ve done enough thinking outside the box, maybe it’s time to embrace that box instead, as with these classic rectangular floating shelves.
24. Location: San Francisco, USA
Why we love it: Many minimalists have a love-hate relationship with books because they can easily clutter the aesthetics of a room. But this space proves it’s possible to have your minimal slice of literary pie and eat it too.
Tip: To further enhance a sense of order in your shelves, arrange books of similar heights side by side.
Why we love it: Many minimalists have a love-hate relationship with books because they can easily clutter the aesthetics of a room. But this space proves it’s possible to have your minimal slice of literary pie and eat it too.
Tip: To further enhance a sense of order in your shelves, arrange books of similar heights side by side.
25. Location: London, UK
Why we love it: If you’re one of the many people who finds the look of shelves full of books too crowded, take inspiration from this library hidden within the joinery.
Why we love it: If you’re one of the many people who finds the look of shelves full of books too crowded, take inspiration from this library hidden within the joinery.
26. Location: Rome, Italy
Why we love it: The entrance to the library in this Italian home makes a bold, grand gesture as it leads to a private readers’ retreat.
Why we love it: The entrance to the library in this Italian home makes a bold, grand gesture as it leads to a private readers’ retreat.
27. Location: San Francisco, USA
Why we love it: Those white panels hide bookshelves and a TV and can be opened or closed to reveal or conceal the joinery and its literary contents.
Why we love it: Those white panels hide bookshelves and a TV and can be opened or closed to reveal or conceal the joinery and its literary contents.
28. Location: Jacksonville, USA
Why we love it: If you’ve ever longed to escape with a book through a secret door and curl up away from all noise and chaos until you’ve read the last page, you might envy these homeowners.
Why we love it: If you’ve ever longed to escape with a book through a secret door and curl up away from all noise and chaos until you’ve read the last page, you might envy these homeowners.
29. Location: Sandbanks, UK
Why we love it: Here’s one for the non-readers – this coat closet is cleverly concealed by book-look wallpaper. Because even if you’re not inclined to pick up a book, it doesn’t mean you can’t admire the look of a well coordinated home library, albeit in a slightly different way.
Why we love it: Here’s one for the non-readers – this coat closet is cleverly concealed by book-look wallpaper. Because even if you’re not inclined to pick up a book, it doesn’t mean you can’t admire the look of a well coordinated home library, albeit in a slightly different way.
30. Location: Seattle, USA
Why we love it: No room for a library inside your home? Consider joining the masses of households who have set up free community libraries outside instead.
Tell us
How do you store your books and what does your dream library look like? Tell us in the Comments below, post your pics and if you enjoyed this story like it and save the photos. Join the conversation.
More
Want more? Check out last week’s Best of the Week: 41 Beaut Bedrooms for Tots, Tweens and Teens
Why we love it: No room for a library inside your home? Consider joining the masses of households who have set up free community libraries outside instead.
Tell us
How do you store your books and what does your dream library look like? Tell us in the Comments below, post your pics and if you enjoyed this story like it and save the photos. Join the conversation.
More
Want more? Check out last week’s Best of the Week: 41 Beaut Bedrooms for Tots, Tweens and Teens
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