22 Interesting Ways to Add Bookshelves in the Living Room

Are you a bookworm? If you are, I am sure you would love to have bookshelves in the living room.

If you want to maximize your wall spaces – adding a bookshelf or shelving in there for that matter would be a practical and very functional way of making use of the space. Adding a bookshelf or shelving means that you have to be a bookworm or whatnot because for obvious reasons, you can always add your magazines in there along with some cute and beautiful trinkets you got from your local or international travels.

Bookshelves is a great way for you and me to actually display the books that we were able to read and plan on reading in the future, and this is definitely a great avenue for us to encourage more people to read; plus it also is a nice place to display trophies or picture frames that you want to see every day or for other people you want to show them off too. Of course, I don’t mean that in a negative way – but, if you want to see what I’m talking about, check this list one out!

bookshelves livingrooms

1. Ambassador Residence

living room bookshelf

Wheeler Kearns Architects

The bookshelf behind the grey sofa is quite a feast for the eyes. I personally would want to have one in our house; I want to make it like this one – a bookshelf and accent wall in one. What’s nice with this small living room space is that it has grey walls but the books are colorful and the chairs are different from one another.

2. Back Bay Townhouse

multi-purpose bookshelf

Boehm Architecture

Here is another multi-purpose bookshelf – it’s a bookshelf, part table, part chair, part television console. This is a nice thing to do (especially for furniture designers) because you somehow save on a lot of things and is able to really maximize the space where you’ll be putting the bookshelf.

3. Brooklyn Artist Loft

bookshelf lighting

BW Architects

Well, one look at this bookshelf, you know that there are more books than the bookshelves before this one; and obviously, the owner of the house or the owner of the books surely uses this bookshelf because they really added lighting and a movable stair to it. Pretty awesome, right?

4. Bucktown Residence

books and trinkets

Kim Scodro Interiors

I don’t know if it’s the color of the bookshelf or the cute way the books and trinkets in this shelf was arranged, but I really find this bookshelf cute and appealing. I also like the fact that they added the television in the middle to make it the center or attraction or conversation-starter.

5. Calistoga Residence

wall paintings

Strening Architects

This is one smart way to fully use the wall – instead of leaving it blank or plain or merely adding paintings or pictures on the wall. It looks like that this either an underground living room or a basement – but it still looks fascinating and really interesting. The furniture use in there is quite neat too.

6. Emperors Gate, South Kensington

large bookshelf

Dyer Grimes Architecture

In this photo, we see that the large bookshelf is a detached one; it’s nice because you can pretty much transfer it around the house and maybe modify it to fit the space where you’ll be transferring it to. The uneven shelves also make is interesting and fun, what do you think?

7. Fuhlam SW6

white living room

MDSX Contractors Ltd.

In this white living room, we see that the bookshelves were separated by a wall where the fireplace goes – adding a beautiful painting also added a charming feel to it. I’m not too convinced about the sofa facing the bookshelf because I think it would have been better or ideal if there was a television in there too, but I guess it’s the most practical location of the sofa, really.

8. Home Library Addition

steel balusters

Owings Brothers Contracting

A cool mini library that was recently added to the already-lovely and functional home in Baltimore. The white and wood combination in here is appealing and even the addition of the steel balusters made a lot of difference. The windows and the skylight in this area is quite useful in the morning to save light and energy – plus it’s a great mood enhancer too; comfortable and very homey – who doesn’t like that, right?

9. House in Hampstead

ground floor

Cullinan Studio

This is one awesome ground floor with an awesome number of bookshelves and shelving that completes the walls in here. They’re made of wood and it looks really inviting and interesting from this angle; plus they added a wonderful purple sectional that sure stands out in this brown and white living space.

10. House Union Street I

living room bookshelf

JPR Architects

This living room may be small and looks like it’s just a passage way to the other living spaces in this house – you can imagine how much the bookshelf and the television be enough reason for people to actually stay in this area than in the other spaces in this house.

11. Loft Upon Cork

blue wall

Reader & Swartz Architects, P.C.

The blue wall behind the fireplace is neat – it seems like the center of attraction in here and at the same time a great break for the two crowded bookshelves! The black leather chairs match well with the large pendant light and the fireplace too.

12. Luxury Apartment

black bookshelf

Prestige Custom Building & Construction, Inc.

A black bookshelf that contrast with the white furniture – simple, even ordinary, but it sure is gorgeous! The way these colors blend well with each other, it makes me believe that something lasts forever. Don’t take that last phrase seriously, but I think the black and white combination will live forever.

13. Menlo Oaks Residence

recessed shelves

Ana Williamson Architect

I believe I have already featured or shared a room or two of this lovely home here in Home Design Lover; but I think that the recessed shelves in here needs to be shared too! The materials used and technique may have been simple or even ordinary but it sure is one good conversation starter for the visitors who would be coming over to visit.

14. Mid-Century Library

ottoman design

Form Interiors

The blue chair and ottoman combination in here is such a sight! The shade of blue is not too much or too dull to invite you to really look; the corner white bookshelf is a nice idea too – it allows the looker or user to break into the walls and the bookshelf and it just looks really beautiful even when it is simple and small.

15. New Jersey Townhouse

wooden and glass accents

Décor Aid

This is definitely one of the prettiest living rooms in this list – white furniture and decoration, wooden and glass accents here and there and one glorious bookshelf that covers an entire wall! I like how they added the books on the upper most part for people to somehow exert effort in getting to them – but of course, this is not too safe if there are kids in the house; adult supervision is needed when using the movable stairs.

16. NoHo Duplex

floor-to-ceiling bookshelf

Raad Studio

This beautiful floor-to-ceiling bookshelf is such a pretty sight. It’s obviously simple, with a regular white color and identical sizes of cubby holes and is just placed in a very simple and no-nonsense location. I always like it when colors in spaces contrast because it breaks the dullness that sometimes colors have – especially when they are alone (if you get me).

17. Queen’s Park

window accent

Jones Associates Architects

Here is a beautiful example of how you can maximize the spaces below a window – you add a bookshelf! Either recessed or attached, adding a bookshelf is never a bad idea since you can display the books you and your family members read and even add bits of vases and decorations to fill in the missing spaces.

18. Superior St. Residence

living room furnitures

Turn Collaborative

Look at how matchy the color of the sofa, seating (or chairs), the ottoman and the shelves on the wall. I mean, even in the picture on the wall has bits of yellow in it that totally match with the entire space – pretty neat idea, right?

19. Venice Family Cottage

cute shelving design

Tess Bethune Interiors

The cute shelving done in this area is actually very pretty. I maximized the use of the small wall plus I love how this home is very cute and pretty all at the same time – I mean the colors of the walls, the ceiling and the flooring is easy on the eyes and it seems pretty much comforting.

20. Villa Nuevo

mood lighting

Webber + Studio, Architects

This space is quite an interesting place – it somehow feels like a coffee shop because of the mood lighting and honestly, I don’t think I’d like to read a serious book in here because the lights will surely make me feel sleepy; but that’s just me.

21. Warehouse Conversion

small bookshelf

Rasmussen / Su Architects

The small bookshelf in this cute converted house is something that resembles the bookshelves seen in pre-schools or nursery schools where the kids leave their bags, books and other school stuff. This bookshelf is nice because they made the wall below the window useful and pretty.

22. Willow Glen Residence

living room bookshelf

Lizette Marie Interior Design

The frames above the bookshelf is quite a great idea to begin with and the uneven shelves is a treat too. The color of the shelf and the main theme of this living room is a bit masculine but when they added the orange leather sofa, it made a bit more difference.

Please tell me that you loved this list of 22 Interesting Ways to Add Bookshelves in the Living Room the way I did. I personally love reading, but I have not bought books recently, which obviously makes me sad as I’m remembering this, but this list sure is one good reminder of what I’m supposed to do. Also, if you did like this list, check out the other bookshelves ideas that you can make for your home. It’s great and really fascinating too. More to come, here in Home Design Lover!