9 Creative Book Storage Hacks for Small Apartments

by Pooja Dara | March 5, 2024 | 6 mins read

Creative book storage ideas for your home

Organise your books in your compact home by implementing one or more of these book storage ideas. 

A resourceful book storage hack is an excellent way to add a sense of creativity and sophistication to your home. It is tailored to fit the owner’s needs and preferences and helps you keep all your books in one designated area for their safety and organisation. A cosy reading nook can also be set up with the perfect bright lighting, minimal but themed decor, green plants, a comfy chair and your book collection. 

But before you go about creating your own home library space, you need to keep certain things in mind:

  • Take an inventory of your current collection.
  • Find the perfect location for your library and avoid situating it against outside walls.
  • Finalise your project budget.
  • Add colour to the home library through wallpaper, decor or paint to show off your style. 
  • Create a balance between natural light and artificial lighting.
  • Choose from adjustable, corner, floating, or hanging shelves. 
  • Ensure that the organisational style of your library complements the home. 

Now, let’s dive into some exciting book storage hacks to adorn your small apartment. Make your best pick. 

An Arm Chair With Built-In Book Storage

This armchair with built-in book storage on one or both sides is a perfect choice as a space-saving and multifunctional furniture solution. Enjoy your evening leisure time by sitting comfortably on this chair, sipping your coffee, reading your favourite novels and admiring the scene outside. 

Wooden armchair with built-in book storage on both sides
This wooden armchair stands out against the blue curtains

Book Storage Cabinets With Boxes

These book storage cabinets with boxes look as visually appealing as the open shelves. The cabinets help you store and display your books, souvenirs and art decor pieces in an organised manner. The light patterned wallpaper behind the book storage cabinet gives the space a pleasant and soft vibe.   

Book storage cabinet with boxes against patterned wallpaper wall
Label the book storage boxes by genre for easy access
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A Book Storage Cupboard

This book storage cupboard lends a contemporary and modern feel to this home office. The translucent doors give you a partial view of the books stacked inside while maintaining some privacy, too. Think of different ways to style your shelves for more bang for your buck.  

Book storage cupboard with translucent doors gives a partial view of the books stacked inside
The brick accent wall provides a pop of colour

Children’s Book Storage

This children’s book storage hack looks interesting since it is placed smartly between the two beds and under the connected window seat. The green sliding doors of this storage space provide easy access to the books underneath while hiding them from regular view, and the windows let in ample sunlight. 

Children's book storage is cleverly placed between beds and under a window seat
The football-themed room decor looks cute

A Bed With Book Storage

We all have heard of beds with storage drawers underneath, but this bed with book storage in the form of open sectional slots is absolutely amazing. These serve multiple purposes, helping you make use of the otherwise unadorned space and making the entire furniture piece look like a single and cohesive unit. 

Bed with book storage underneath in the form of open sectional slots
Use decorative boxes for a sleeker look

A Study Table With Book Storage

A study room is considered incomplete if ample book storage ideas don’t accompany the study table. This study table with a compact wall-mounted cabinet allows you to organise volumes conveniently so that you can quickly grab them during study time.  

Study table with wall-mounted book storage: open sectional slots for easy access and organisation
Use the top shelf for photo frames and trophies
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A Modern Book Storage

This modern book storage is a game-changer since it looks like a ‘room within a room’. PVC cupboards accompany the low-lying sleeping space on one side and a wide shelf on the other side, while the entrance is framed by drawers underneath and open shelves on the remaining three sides, which also looks stylish. 

Modern book storage consists of drawers and open shelves on three sides
A perfect leisure spot for rainy evenings

A Hidden Book Storage

This hidden book storage hack features a fixed and regular-sized wall cabinet with shelves with another duplicate wall cabinet behind it but with a slide-out mechanism. It looks dynamic, versatile and luxurious since it provides extra storage space and helps you utilise the otherwise unused corner space. 

Wall cabinet with shelves concealing a hidden book storage unit features a slide-out mechanism
This book storage cabinet comes with a sliding door

Dual Book Storage Furniture With a Bay Window Bench

This dual book storage furniture with a bay window bench looks mesmerising and gorgeous. The customised shelves are built around the bright window, which creates a feeling of a private reading nook. The window also offers sufficient natural light to scan the book titles and read with ease.  

Dual book storage furniture with a bay window bench is perfect for organizing books and provides a cosy seating area
Add a few pendant lights to create visual drama

We hope you are inspired to implement any of these creative book storage hacks in your small apartment. Book a free consultation with the interior designers at DesignCafe for further guidance. Good Luck! 

FAQs on Book Storage Ideas

1. Can you use vertical space effectively for book storage in a small apartment?

Yes, absolutely. You can use a partition with shelves, bookcases or only floating shelves of different shapes, materials and sizes to maximise the vertical space effectively. You can also use boxes, containers, or entire cabinets.

2. What are the best practices for storing books in a small bedroom?

If you are storing books in a small bedroom, then follow some best practices to preserve their quality like:

  • Dust and wipe the books with a dry cloth twice a week to prevent bugs from eating them.
  • Do not place the books in direct sunlight.
  • Keep the books in a room with moderate temperature and low humidity to prevent dampness. 
  • The shelves should be made from wood or rust-proof metal to avoid harming your books.

3. Can you use wall-mounted shelves for efficient book storage in a tiny apartment?

You can use wall-mounted or floating shelves for efficient book storage in a tiny apartment. Use a minimum of 2 shelves or a maximum of 4 shelves to give the space a balanced look and feel.  

4. How do you maintain easy access to your books in a compact living apartment?

You could use either of these methods to maintain easy access to your books: 

  • Place books for children on lower shelves in your home library.
  • Organise by alphabetical order (author/title).
  • Organise by specific genres or themes.
  • Organise by specific colour schemes.
Pooja Dara is a content writer at Design Cafe home interiors blog.

Pooja Dara

Pooja Dara is a freelance writer and editor with over seven years of experience and has worked for several reputed companies in multiple niches. Having made a switch from quantitative research (of leading FMCG and durable brands) to secondary research, she is now an independent content specialist who believes in creating value for her clients through her work. She is also passionate about photography, spirituality, dogs, and traveling.

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