If you live in a home, chances are you have some sort of bookcase or bookshelf. These household staples have been around just as long as books have and haven’t changed a whole lot over the years. Most are made of some sort of wood, are rectangular in shape, and have square or rectangular shelves.
However, if you’re looking to put a unique spin on a classic piece of furniture, there are a number of ways you can do it. Here a few creative ideas for home bookshelves that can really stand out as a functional piece, as well as a conversation piece.
Image by khiem tran
Stair Bookshelf
Some bookshelves don’t even have to be bookshelves at all. Refitting stairs as bookshelves don’t just offer a distinctive look, it can also help you save space in your home. Each step serves as another shelf, allowing you to store your entire collection and then some. Just make sure to watch your step – you don’t want to ruin a good book. For added aesthetic value, try color-coding your books on each shelf.
Invisible Bookshelf
A growing trend that gained traction online, invisible bookshelves create the appearance of no bookshelf at all. Invisible bookshelves are floating shelves affixed to the wall that uses a hinge to make a book into a shelf. When books are placed on top of this shelf, it creates the illusion of a floating pile of books next to your wall. Floating bookshelves are stylish, mysterious, and can spark great conversations amongst your guests about how exactly it works.
Bookshelf Chair
Have you ever nestled comfortably into a chair to start reading, only to realize that your book was on a shelf all the way across the room? This has happened to all of us at one point or another. Solution: the chair bookshelf. This creative hybrid of a chair and a bookshelf fuses the comfort of a good place to sit with the storage capability of a bookshelf. You may not be able to fit all of your books here, but you can at least have the ones you’re reading nearby.
Skateboard Bookshelf
If you’re passionate about skateboarding, or just have a collection of old skateboards sitting around, try putting them to use as a bookshelf. Their mostly straight and flat design makes them perfect places to store your things, including your book collection. Snowboards could also do the trick but will likely take up more space.
Hanging Bookshelf
Bookshelves don’t necessarily need to have four legs or a solid base to be a bookshelf. Using materials like ropes or chains, some bookshelves are suspended from the ceiling rather than supported by the ground. While intriguing to look at, hanging bookshelves aren’t always the most practical option. Make sure they aren’t positioned near a vent or open window to avoid having it swinging around and dropping its contents.
Gerd Altmann from Pixabay” width=”600″ height=”450″>
Image by Gerd Altmann
Conclusion
You don’t have to go to a big box store and get a traditional rectangular bookshelf. Try any of these creative bookshelves to make more space, reuse materials, and express your individuality.
Alex Capozzolo is the owner of the Brotherly Love Real Estate blog and a content writer for the real estate industry. We buy houses in Philadelphia, PA. Our focus is on helping people through one of the most important investment decisions of their lifetime by seamlessly providing fast, honest, and professional real estate services.
