I will confess: For years, I had been a hardback snob. If a volume which I wanted came only in paperback form, I’d borrow it over and over from the library rather than purchase it for my bookshelves. Favorite paperbacks from my student days, which I could not quite discard, got pushed to an armoire in the guest bedroom — a thoughtful touch for visitors who might long to get a good read, I convinced myself.

And I got over it. Life’s too short to curtail a publication collection solely due to binding. Although I love the clean, crisp appearance of hardbacks — along with my regional library branch — I have started looking for opportunities to exhibit my growing assortment of paperbacks in a means that shows them at their humble finest. Here is a peek at the layout ideas that have motivated me.

A simple stack of books rounds out this whimsical vignette. There’s nothing accidental about these selections — notice how they’re roughly the same size and conform to a narrow colour. Attention to details such as that elevates the arrangement.

I am so stealing this idea. Grouping books by colour adds up to some stunning, graduated rainbow effect that showcases even the most unassuming of paperbacks in their best light. Professional!

Sullivan Building & Design Group

Another intriguing approach to using books as a layout component: Putting paperbacks to ensure their webpages face outward. To me, this feels like a novel (sorry) take on the classic designer’s trick of covering books in white paper to get a uniform appearance.

Aristea Rizakos

Hardbacks may read (double respectful) as too stiff for this rustic space. Rather, floating shelves hold a fall of paperbacks that look and feel exactly right against the brick wall.

Lisa Borgnes Giramonti

Stacks of paperbacks at the foot of the bed help to shake this room’s formality and symmetry. They also enliven the colour scheme in substantially the same way as a piece of art may do.

Kaylovesvintage

The thought of turning seats into bookshelves is not fresh, but this take on it feels remarkably enjoyable and new to me. Paperbacks are stacked on the little round stool such as sweets onto a cake plate, with a few more tucked into the glass case. It is a easy, unstudied approach to decorating which has its own low-key charm.

Jensen Architects

Old phone books, chic? Believe it. Massed closely along a wall, they produce graphic and textural interest. The soft covers bend slightly to produce a sense of motion — hardbacks would feel much more rigid.

Martha O’Hara Interiors

Fast, where are the books in this room? If you did not see them at first, you are probably not alone. Though they’re restricted to a couple of slender stacks amid decorative objects on the shelves, the white and orange covers really tie together the palette.

More:
24 Beautiful Walls of Books

Create a Position for Books

Exquisite Modern Home Libraries

DIY Project: Vintage Book Wallpaper

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