If you’re obsessed with books or can’t stop collecting them, you definitely might be wondering about the best ways to organize your bookshelf. Before I started a Bookstagram, I never put any thought into organizing my bookshelf. However, my life was dramatically improved when I rearranged my bookshelf by color.
While I organize my bookshelves by color, there are so many creative ways to organize your bookshelf. Here’s what I do to organize my bookshelf, and suggestions for other bookshelf decor inspiration.
1. Arrange by color
2. Arrange by author
Another idea is to organize your bookshelf by author. This makes it super easy to find series and other books by the same author, and definitely makes your personal library feel more like a professional one. Laura (@elitereading) says she arranges her shelves in alphabetical order by author last name.
3. Arrange by height
Although I love how my bookshelf is organized by color, I read a lot of different genres & styles, so my books come in all different heights. YA books are typically smaller than adult books, which makes for an uneven decoration (which isn’t bad! that’s how I organize my main shelf). For my book cart, I organized it by color and height and love the results.
P.S.: I got my book cart from Michael’s, and you can find it here!
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4. Add some decorations
Your shelves may be mostly filled with books, but adding fun decorations and props can take your aesthetic to a new level. If you have bookish items like Funko Pops, try adding them to your shelves for a cute, themed look. I adore Jill (@booknerd_reads)’s shelf with all her mugs & toys.
If you have a larger shelf, you can also experiment with plants and other props on your bookshelves. Ashley (@ashleyyreads_) played around with some fun book decor and stacking positions and I love the way her shelf turned out.
5. Arrange by genre
If you read everything from fantasy to historical fiction, consider organizing your bookshelf by genre. You can easily find your books, and because books of the same genre often have similar aesthetics, it creates a stylish yet practical look. I love how Becky (@booknerdbecky) organized her shelf—she has so many books but it still looks really clean.
6. Arrange by read vs. unread
I realized that my TBR (to be read) list is never going to end. If you have stacks on stacks of unread books, you can try organizing your bookshelves by read vs. unread so you can easily find your next book. This is where book carts are super handy—check out how Emma (@nverjudgeabook) organizes her TBR cart.
7. Face your spines in
If you jumped on the Marie Kondo train and want a minimalist look, try facing your spines in. It might not be the best method for finding your books, but it’s gorgeous and definitely creates a bookish setting. Ellen (@stackedshelves) has it all figured out.
Honestly, bookshelf decor is a form of self-care. To feel your best, you want the space you’re in to look clean and inviting. I love coming up with different ways to organize your bookshelf, and I’m constantly switching mine up!
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How do you organize your bookshelf? Let me know!
4 Comments
Amazing post! I organize by read vs unread and then sort by genre. I also decorate with dozens of different things. One of by favourite things to do is reorganize and clean up my bookshelf. – Amber
Ahh awesome! You have a combo of a lot of the ideas 🙂 I really like the read vs unread because then it’s clear what you still have left to read.
Yeah switching to that system actually helped so much cause now I can see everything at once. It stressed me out not knowing how many books I still needed to read so this helps 🙂