How to Style & Display Books to Suit Your Home Aesthetic

Nothing beats the look, feel and smell of a newly bought or secondhand book. Even in the digital era, a good hardback (or paperback, we're not here to judge) book will never go out of style. So if you've found yourself struggling to maintain your growing collection, or if you'd just like to know how to style your pile of books to suit your home's aesthetic, our guide showcases 9 ways to organise your stack of must-reads.

1. The Rainbow Effect

Out of all the ways to organise your books, colour-coordinating has to be the most aesthetically pleasing. Start by removing all your books from your bookshelf and then group and reorganise each by colour, think green non-fiction novels, blue cookbooks, pink style bibles, purple hard-to-put-down fiction books. Next, place them back into your bookcase by order of the rainbow (you know how the song goes). Add extra non-book items like decorative trays, vases and bowls in similar colours to compliment your collection's vibrant flow.

2. Piled High

Run out of space on your shelves? Not to worry. Fill an empty corner or lonely alcove with an artfully stacked pile of books. More chic than shabby, stacking books on the floor is a great way to add a rustic, French-country vibe to your home. That said, if you are worried that your pile of books will look too of out place, add some potted plants, a full length mirror and other decorative accents to complete the theme.

3. By Height

If something more uniformed and orderly is your go-to, try organising your books by height. Starting with the tallest to the shortest, line your books in descending height order, making no preference for author, title or colour. You can even go one step further by adding taller books on both ends of your shelf, arranging them to meet in the middle with the shortest in your collection.

Tip: Shopping for a bookcase that's unique to everyone else? Considered These? The Best Alternative Bookcases for Your Home Set Up.

4. Wedged Between Bookends

While you can always use makeshift items to hold your books together, you might want try going old school and investing a pair of sturdy bookends. With so many designs, colours, shapes and styles, it's no wonder that bookends are making something of a comeback. An easy but effective way to not only keep your book collection organised, but to also show off a little of your interior style.

5. New Vs. Old

Whether you're regularly taking trips to your local bookstore, rummaging through dog-eared novels at charity shops or ordering the latest publications online, we can bet that your book collection will contain a mix of old and new editions. Arrange your books by order of maturity, starting with your oldest (and dearest) books at one end, with newer novels making their way to the other. That way you'll know exactly what you have read and what's up next.

6. By the Bedside

Is your bedside table is looking a little bare? Or maybe you have no bedside table at all? Whichever, an easy remedy to tackle either problem is to stack a dozen or so books to create your own impromptu version of a bedside table or add a few to-read titles along with a small reading lamp on your existing model. We can all agree that there's nothing like a good book to help you catch a few Zzz's after a long day.

7. Inside an Old Fireplace

Make use of an faulty or impractical fireplace by storing your excess of books inside and along the mantel. With many fireplaces sitting in pride of place in either the living room or dining room, this is the perfect opportunity to show off any statement books you might own. Stack them on the hearth, inside the firebox or create a neat row above on the mantelpiece. Add decorative elements like dried flowers and ornaments to finish the look.

8. Use Modern Shelving

If stacking books from floor-to-ceiling isn't to your taste, or you just don't haver the available floor space for a bookcase, then wall shelves are a great alternative to organising and displaying your books. Install wall shelving in any room, from the bathroom to the bedroom, hallway and home office, and make use of your newly found storage space by displaying your most-loved reads in order by height, title, colour, the choice is really up to you.

9. Curated on a Coffee Table

They don't call them 'coffee table books' for nothing. Generally larger books that are displayed more for their aesthetics than for actual reading (think books on architecture, photography, design and art) are classed as coffee table reads. Ideal for guests or taking an Insta-worthy snap of your home, this trend typically works well with a smaller collection of books rather than a library's worth.

Tip: There's more than one way to style a coffee table, in fact there's 7 Ways to Style a Coffee Table.