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In this post: Decorating with books in creative ways in your home. Display them, stack them, organize them, love them!
Decorating with books is an easy way to add personality to your home. Their colors, typography and images can add so much life and texture to a space.
Finally decorate your own home – with confidence!
You’re so much closer to a beautifully-decorated home than you think. You just need a little help to get there!
Why decorate with books?
I love technology. It allows us to do so much.
But there’s just something so real and relaxing about being surrounded by and immersed in a good book (or two).
Books can display your interests and give guests something to flip through.
And they can be great conversation starters.
Imagine the conversations that could begin from a stack of coffee table books about art, animals of the arctic, political figures, or world churches!
Plus, there’s the visual aspect of books as well, which is why they’re so fun to decorate with – the colors, the textures and the typography!
Staging Books – where to decorate with them?
Books can be stacked, displayed and styled on just about any surface you can imagine in your home! Here are a few ideas to get you going:
- on bookshelves
- standing on picture ledges
- stacked on the coffee table
- in groupings on a fireplace mantel
- piled on nightstands
Keep reading for more ideas…
What is a coffee table book?
Dictionary.com defines a coffee table book as: a large, expensive, lavishly illustrated book, especially one intended only for casual reading.
Where to find great books to decorate with
There are so many places to find great books! Here are a few of my favorites.
Amazon
Amazon has just about every book you could ever want. Their prices for coffee table books are really quite reasonable most of the time. And of course, if you have prime, shipping is free.
Homesense/Winners/Marshalls/HomeGoods
I find that Homesense and other TJ Maxx stores are a little hit and miss with their selection of good books.
Much like everything else they sell, if you see something you want, buy it right away, since it may not be there later.
But if you’re looking for a newish release, check here because they tend to have books for better pricing shortly after they’re available. (That’s where I got my copy of Joanna Gaines’ Homebody for way less!)
Your local bookstore
Of course, don’t forget about your local bookstore, especially if you want to see and hold coffee table books before you buy them.
My two favorites places to look for books that I want to use specifically in my decor are the thrift store and the antique shops nearby. There I’ve found some real steals and deals.
Antique shops
I find that books from the Antique mall nearby have the most gorgeous patina!
Thrift stores
And the thrift store has a plethora of books on different topics. Plus they have loads of books in different sizes and colors too. You really can’t beat the pricing of the thrift store when you’re decorating with books either!
How do you choose books to decorate with?
How you choose books to decorate with depends on what type of decor you’re using them for.
- Are you creating DIY projects from them? If so, you need only look for great interior pages.
- Do you want a gorgeous coffee table or other display books? Then you want new or gently used books that are in great shape overall.
Basically, there are three things to consider when looking for books to use in your decor:
- Interest – Does the book fit into one of your categories of interests? Would you want to display the topic in your home?
- Colors – If your books will be highly visible, do the colors make you happy? Do they “go with” your decor?
- Collections – Do the books fit into a collection of volumes you already have? Will they start a new collection?
Beautiful Coffee Table Books & Decor Books for the Coffee Table
There are just some books that make such gorgeous additions to the coffee table, that they are worth every penny. Here are a few beautiful volumes.
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Decorating with Books – 11 Fun Ideas from My Blog Friends
When I was writing this article, I asked my blog friends for ideas for how they decorated with books in their homes. Here are 11 fun ideas…
Handmade Glitter Letters Sheet Music Garland
DIY Book Bundles tied with string
Easy-peasy book decor to make use of books with less than lovely covers!
Stamped Book Stack with Dollar Store Supplies
Stamped book spines are such a fun way to add a little diy book love to your decor.
Framed Book Page Art
Print your own book page art, or frame a page torn out of a well-loved, but beyond useful book, and frame it!
DIY Knife Holder: Flea Market Inspired
Jennifer made a perfectly vintage looking knife holder for her kitchen using books.
With Spines Turned in on a Shelf
Kristen made this oh so cozy display in the gable of her she shed.
As a Planter
Allison made over an old book and created a fun planter!
Sorted by Color on Bookshelves
Kristi has a thing for vintage books and sorting them by color on her shelves.
Pages Made Into Wreaths
Jaclyn created a lovely wreath using book pages cut into leaf shapes.
As a dining table centerpiece
Rebecca created a whole tablescape inspired by books - vintage books in the centerpiece, decoupaged book page easter eggs, flowers made from book pages.
8 More Ideas for Decorating with Books
- Faux mantel filler – stack books inside a faux mantel, with their spines facing in for a cozy look.
- As a headboard – open old books and nail them to a piece of plywood and then use as a headboard.
- Standing on picture ledges – display books with lovely covers – or for easy reach in a child’s room – on picture ledges.
- Mini library on bedside table – stack several of your favorite volumes on your nightstand for a mini library feel in your bedroom.
- Under a cloche – display a single classic novel or other special book under a glass cloche to give it extra attention.
- Made into a DIY lamp – glue a stack of old books together, drill a hole down the center of the stack and make into a lamp with a DIY lamp kit!
- Framed covers – frame the covers of your favorite books once the book itself has been loved beyond repair.
- Pages used as placemats or table runners – lay book pages out under dinner plates, or down the center of the table for a fun table setting.
Ways We’ve Used Books in Our House
Of course we’ve decorated with books in our house a lot too. Here are a few photos of instances we’ve incorporated books in our decor:
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Do you have any spaces in your home that could benefit from a few books? Did you see any decorating with books ideas that you loved?
