5 Creative Ways to Decorate your Home with Books

plant and books on wooden shelf against dark green wall

I enjoy decorating my home with books. After all, I’m a keen reader who’s also passionate about creating a cosy home. 

My preferred interior decor style is fairly minimalist – not completely bare, but I do like everything to have its place. I don’t enjoy clutter or having ornaments for their own sake. They need to mean something to me. 

The same goes for my books. I've read quite a few I’d happily get rid of, and if my husband doesn’t want to read them after me, they often go to the charity shop for someone else to enjoy. Then there are the books I love so much I refuse to part with them. These are the ones that have become part of our home décor.  

5 Creative Ways to Decorate Your Home with Books 

rainbow coloured books stacked on minimalist metal shelf

1. Create the Perfect Shelfie    

For more visual interest, vary the way you display your books. Place some side-by-side and create small stacks with others here and there. You could also order your books by colour. A rainbow bookcase makes even the dullest area look awesome. 

Mix books and other items like potted plants (especially trailing ones), frames, and other little items and ornaments. Use decorative bookends to add personality. They’re handy, but why choose something just for its usefulness? Find bookends that reflect your interests or add something wonderful to the room.

bedside table with alarm clock, books and mug of tea with floating shelf of books above

2. Add Some Magic 

I think floating shelves create a very special look. We have some above our bedside tables. I use mine to store my current read, some of my most pressing TBR, and my reading journal which I love filling in before bed with a cup of tea.

For a more maximalist take, you could make a headboard from open books, like Dom and Dom once shared on their Instagram account, @allthatisshe. 

children's bedroom with colourful open bookcase and toys nearby

3. Go Beyond Bookshelves 

In my opinion, a stack of books looks good in every space. A curated pile placed on your coffee table is an obvious choice, but you can also add colour and joy by displaying your cookbooks in your kitchen. 

If you have little ones at home, I’d encourage you to let your children’s books become part of the décor too. They’re much more likely to reach for them than if they’re just on a shelf with a thin spine showing. The colour and delight of a children’s book cover is much more enticing and adds joy and whimsy to any room your children inhabit.

book shelves on pink wall above cosy reading nook

4. Create a Cosy Book Nook 

If you have a space, you could design a dedicated book nook for reading. You’ll need a comfy chair, a good lamp, blankets and cushions for extra cosiness, and somewhere to rest your favourite hot drink and snacks. Finish the space with your TBR pile and some bookish décor. 

dusky pink bible on desk decorated with beautiful art

5. Give Your Bible a Dedicated Spot 

As a Christian, I try to read my bible every day. Having it within view really helps me with that. I have two Bibles I decorate with. One I painted the cover myself, and it adds sunflower joy to our living room, where I keep it. My other is slightly more muted, but it looks perfect on my office desk alongside my dusty pink journal. 

As I mentioned, I personally love decorating with books that mean something to me rather than books I have no emotional connection to. This could not be truer for me than with the Bible. Both my Bibles are heavily annotated ESV journaling Bibles, and they live in different places. While their covers add to the look of our home, the inside is the most important part to me.

If you want to read your bible in one year, here’s a helpful challenge sticker to keep you on track and accountable. It features a gorgeous bookshelf you can colour in. 

child reading next to bookcase filled with books

Thanks For Stopping By

If you’ve been inspired by this post, you might find the following links useful too…

7 of the Best Christian Books for Women
9 Ways to Get Out of a Reading Slump 
How to Use a Reading Journal  

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This article is written by a real-life person, just like all other posts on the And Hope Designs blog.

Expect my honest thoughts, lived experience, insight into my messy life as a creative and Christian mum, as well as the (not so) occasional typo.