Designers know how to organize the storage of books in an apartment - their ideas will be useful both for owners of small spaces and for those who prefer not to fill their rooms with unnecessary furniture. They will also be useful for parents, because the correct arrangement of books motivates even those children who cannot be distracted from computer games to read.
Boxes, baskets, crates
Books in boxes are a banal option; it is better to use baskets or wooden boxes instead of boxes. You can build mobile shelves or racks from them. Baskets attached to the walls, placed on the table, floor, window sill, and open shelves will add originality to the interior of the room.
A small library will fit in painted old boxes. The idea will fit perfectly into loft and eclectic styles. Several boxes will make an unusual mobile shelving unit if you equip it with wheels. The rough texture of the materials will add coziness to modern interiors in a minimalist style and complement them well.
Billing solutions
Traditionally, wood is used to make such furniture items. The material fits perfectly into both classic furnishings and ultra-modern decors.
Modern bookshelves made of wood and metal
In the latter case, an alternative to wood can be metal, plastic and glass. The most popular of these three are glass bookshelves. They are frequent guests of modern interiors. And this is not surprising, since glass is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also easy to maintain.
The surface of such a shelf will be easy to remove dust. The structure is not afraid of moisture, so glass shelves will serve for a long time and faithfully.
Practical glass bookshelves
Plastic shelves are advantageous in terms of design, as they are often transformable. Sometimes it seems that their bizarre shapes are trying to defy the laws of gravity, but this does not prevent them from perfectly coping with their main functional task.
Textured plastic bookshelves
Shelves can have movable elements such as sliding or opening doors. In this case, you need to check the quality of the fasteners. Ideally, the hinges will be made of stainless steel.
Ergonomic pull-out bookshelves
The same applies to the rest of the fittings. Painted handles will not be aesthetically durable. Frequent touching will quickly damage the protective layer.
Books in furniture
An excellent example for storage is a coffee table with a removable tabletop or a leg with shelves, or an ottoman with a folding top. It’s easy to make a mini-stool with your own hands from a wooden stand with legs and a pillow, and place thick volumes between them and secure the structure with straps.
A bed with niches is suitable for the bedroom. It can be supplemented with a podium with storage areas. There is also a little space in the closet and dressing room. You can also look for sale or order furniture with ready-made solutions for placing literature. For example, a library chair is a whole book storage system. It's bright, catchy and everything you need is always at hand.
Design ideas
A rather original and at the same time practical solution is a shelving unit with glass doors. This design with hinged or sliding doors is perfect for storing valuable publications that need to be protected from dust, moisture and sunlight.
Sometimes a transparent glass facade is decorated with barely noticeable tinting.
The photo shows the design of a bookcase decorated with glass doors in an office interior.
Forged bookcases are particularly functional and highly decorative; despite their elegant appearance, they are very durable. A truly unique look and unusual design have antique products, which undoubtedly become an original element of the entire interior.
Insulated loggia or balcony
A great idea for storing books in a small apartment: narrow walls on the sides and the area under the windowsill are suitable for shelves, and the remaining space will be occupied by a comfortable soft reading corner. The balcony must be glazed and insulated, otherwise the books will quickly become unusable, and reading them there will be uncomfortable.
Partitions for zoning
In small apartments, one room needs to be made into a living room, bedroom and children's room. The easiest way to zone a room is with partitions, and they are a great way to organize a book collection. Children's literature will make a colorful display case, the most readable copies will be placed in the sleeping area, and classics will be placed in the living room.
Custom shelves
The original version - a grid of shelves located at an angle of 45 degrees - is unusual for the eye, but it does the job. A wall-sized tree of knowledge is also a good option. With it, beautiful book storage is a reality that you can create with your own hands. It is enough to attach textile pockets, nets, baskets or halves of boxes to a wooden or metal frame. Any available material will do.
If you don’t want to be creative, a small shelf in a narrow corridor is enough - a book display will attract attention without restricting the passage. If you fill the corners with small open shelves, the comfort in the room will increase, and there will be less scattered things. Painting to match the walls will help to dissolve the shelves in the interior, then only the books will catch your eye.
Optimal conditions for storing book literature
If stored incorrectly, the appearance of the book deteriorates: the pages turn yellow, the font is erased, the cover fades and deteriorates. To keep your home library in good condition, you need to pay attention to the conditions in the room:
- temperature;
- humidity;
- daylight.
When exposed to heat and direct sunlight, paper dries out and becomes brittle. The pages of a book that has been kept in the sun for ten years break and crumble into dust. Dampness is a favorable environment for the spread of fungus and mold. Therefore, garages and cellars are not suitable for long-term storage of literature. In a damp and unheated room, pages acquire a putrid odor, become covered with brown spots and become deformed. Favorable conditions for storing books:
- shadow;
- temperature +18-22 degrees;
- humidity 60-65 percent.
A dry room in the north, northeast or northwest side of the house is suitable for a home library. A separate bookcase is placed in the shaded part of the room, in which there is no central heating radiator.
Interesting shelving
Bulky, heavy cabinets are being replaced by light, open designs with narrow shelves that will fit in any room and will not take up much space, for example, in the hallway or corridor, freeing up the living room space. The versatility of the shelving makes it possible to place books, decor, personal items and interior items on them. Shelves of different heights for books of any size can add an unusual touch. If you don’t want to frequently wipe dust off your books, a shelving unit with open and closed sections is suitable.
An interesting option is to turn a load-bearing pillar located in the apartment into a bookcase. You can arrange the shelves in the form of a cabinet with a secret. The transformable design with sliding parts allows you to arrange the shelves in 2 or 3 rows, which will significantly save space and add an element of ancient mystery to the interior style. A similar cabinet with a hidden passage will successfully fence off part of the passage room, making it isolated.
Location
For a more rational use of free space in the room, install structures for books in the corner. Such products can be wall-mounted, placed on the floor, or have several sections. Window openings framed with books have a particularly original look.
An elegant wooden or plastic model by the window will help create a new interior image and add some zest to the room.
The photo shows slanting backlit bookshelves located near a window in the attic of a private house.
To give the atmosphere a special piquancy, you can place shelves for books above the fireplace, place them on both sides of the fireplace or TV. Products above the bed in combination with wall sconces will help create a stylish design and comfortable reading before bed.
It is easy to achieve significant space savings due to the design installed around the doorway, which involves storing a large number of publications.
Library wall
A large collection of literature cannot be placed in a basket or on a couple of shelves. An impressive collection requires a serious area. If possible, it is worth dedicating an entire wall under it, on which open shelves, especially those of a non-standard design, will look organic. A book wall will become an unusual interior art object and even replace wallpaper, with the caveat that the spines of the books are colorful and bright.
Bed
We all love something to read before bed, so why not keep your favorite novels at arm's length? Your bed can hold much more items than meets the eye.
When arranging books, use not only the space under the bed, but also the headboard area: you can equip it with functional secret drawers and store books there that you do not read too often. Well, or those whose covers you don’t want to put on public display...
Mini-cabinets in the walls
How to organize book storage in a small space on the wall? A non-standard approach is to decorate a miniature cabinet in the wall; you can even place it in unexpected places.
The mini-library can be hidden behind the door - you get a unique little world for an introvert. This idea will also be well received by children. And the open version will fit even in the toilet. The owners of the unusual reading room are guaranteed enthusiastic exclamations from visitors. These were the best ideas for storing books in an apartment: which one to implement is up to you.
