The 15 Best Small-Space Bookcases for Big-Time Readers
The 15 Best Small-Space Bookcases for Big-Time Readers
Organizing books is one of the great struggles of our time, especially for those inhabiting homes on the smaller side. Small spaces can be hard to both keep organized and decorate. If you live in a little apartment, your organization might have to double as your decor. If you are outfitting specific small rooms for certain purposes, it takes effort to find things that work within the space without feeling bulky or out of place.
There is a certain style of organizing books to look undone, like stacked delicately on a mantle or lined along the perimeter of some messy-on-purpose homes. But this is the kind of thing that takes an eye of expertise to do. For those with too many books and no energy to put into decorating them, a good collection of bookcases do the job for you. Of course, we'd love to just have a dedicated library room in the house with library bookshelves and call it a day. Maybe one day.
For now, we rounded up some of the best bookshelves that are made with space-saving details in mind. There are book trees that optimize vertical space and disappear behind the books you store on them. There are some meant specifically for unused corners of the house that are a bit too awkward to fit anything else comfortably. Still, there are others that are both book shelf and regular shelf, for people whose stylistic choices in a small-sized home can't waste any functionality.
Find your space's ideal bookcase here.
White Floating Bookshelf
Container Store
containerstore.com
$199.99
This white floating bookshelf looks virtually invisible once you stack all of your books on it. Its minimal construction will blend right into your home.
Leaning Bookshelf
Urban Outfitters
urbanoutfitters.com
$224.00
A leaning bookshelf is a great option for something a little less traditional and a little more open in its ability to be creative. You can store books on here, of course, but it also makes for a good house plant and tchotchke holder, too.
Billy Bookcase
Ikea
ikea.com
$79.99
If you don't already love Ikea's Billy bookcase, or know of people who obsess over Ikea's Billy bookcase, allow us to introduce it to you. This is a no-frills option that takes up as little amount of room as possible at an unbeatable price.
Carlson II White Tower
CB2
cb2.com
$179.97
For something a little more modern in style, pretty much anything from CB2 will do. We like this narrow tower for a bit of vertical storage that still feels elegant.
Stackable Folding Bookshelf
Container Store
containerstore.com
$79.99
For small rooms that just need something, and in ones you're maybe less concerned about the whole aesthetic vibe of, the Container Store's folding bookshelf is as simple as can be.
Shelf
Bludot
bludot.com
$550.00
Tall and narrow is one of the best options for storage in small spaces. This shelf maximizes the space up the wall that might ordinarily go unused but keeps the floor from feeling crowded.
4-Tier Rotating Bookshelf
Arcwares
amazon.com
$179.99
A rotating bookshelf helps you get the best out of every angle a shelf can have. Especially good for children's rooms.
9-Tier Tree Bookshelf
Berry Ave
amazon.com
$49.97
Tree bookshelves come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and every last one of them can store more books than you'll know what to do with. This one is a little more complicated to put together, but the storage space it gives is worth it.
Theo 5-Shelf Bookcase
Nathan James
amazon.com
$205.99
Old-school bookshelves tend to feel opaque and dense, which crowds small spaces. Opt for something that minimizes that feeling of intensity with an open back and high shelves.
Cube Bookcase
Ebern Designs
wayfair.com
$37.99
If you really don't have a lot of space to work with, or if you're trying to organize books that live, say, scattered on top of a shelf, a tiny cube will help clean that mess right up.
Lack Wall Shelf
Ikea
ikea.com
$79.99
Small spaces do well with using the height of a room to stay organized, and you can go even harder in that vein by getting a bookshelf that mounts right onto the wall. So satisfying.
Standard Bookcase
Latitude Run
wayfair.com
$115.99
Sometimes a small space needs its items to pull double duty, and this small bookshelf does that with its literary storage, small drawer, and table top.
Two-Level Corner Bookshelf
Target
target.com
$129.99
Another great addition to a barren corner: a short bookshelf. This is for a room that just needs a little something, but you don't want the whole thing to scream "book storage."
Zane Bookshelf
West Elm
westelm.com
$399.00
West Elm's Zane bookshelf is a favorite among home decor fiends on the Internet, and they are certainly onto something. It has an easy square shelving with open space, made much cooler looking with white and gold detailing. Use it for the books you want to keep on display.
The best bookshelves made with space-saving details in mind. There are book trees that optimize vertical space and some meant for unused corners of the house.