8 Ideas for Children’s Bookshelves
Browse these stylish rooms for bookshelf or book storage ideas for your kid’s bedroom
Hoping to encourage your child to enjoy books (and tidy them away afterwards)? Check out these stylish storage solutions.
2. Stack up small book ledges
These slim ledges are actually Bekvam spice racks from Ikea, but they make cute shelves for kids’ books. The small bar across the front allows books to be stacked three or four deep.
By hanging them in double rows either side of the window, they create a pleasingly symmetrical and organised display, while still allowing the cover art of the books to be seen and enjoyed.
More Ikea hacks to inspire you
These slim ledges are actually Bekvam spice racks from Ikea, but they make cute shelves for kids’ books. The small bar across the front allows books to be stacked three or four deep.
By hanging them in double rows either side of the window, they create a pleasingly symmetrical and organised display, while still allowing the cover art of the books to be seen and enjoyed.
More Ikea hacks to inspire you
3. Get creative
This bookshelf ‘tree’ is quite a simple idea at heart, but it makes such a fun and creative statement in this kids’ room.
By running three slim shelves along the branches of the wall mural, forming a perch for small books and toys, it creates a really fun optical illusion.
If you can’t stretch to a wall mural, you could create a similar effect with a large wall sticker and some slim floating shelves painted to blend in with the colour of the design behind.
7 ways to have a ‘tree’ indoors
This bookshelf ‘tree’ is quite a simple idea at heart, but it makes such a fun and creative statement in this kids’ room.
By running three slim shelves along the branches of the wall mural, forming a perch for small books and toys, it creates a really fun optical illusion.
If you can’t stretch to a wall mural, you could create a similar effect with a large wall sticker and some slim floating shelves painted to blend in with the colour of the design behind.
7 ways to have a ‘tree’ indoors
4. Strike out at an angle
The cube shelves hung at an angle in this room create a real sense of fun and help to turn the books into a piece of wall art in their own right.
Children’s rooms are a good place to experiment with design ideas and to be creative, so be brave with colour and layout, and get your kids involved in the design process to make them feel a sense of ownership of the finished design.
How colours affect behaviour in children
The cube shelves hung at an angle in this room create a real sense of fun and help to turn the books into a piece of wall art in their own right.
Children’s rooms are a good place to experiment with design ideas and to be creative, so be brave with colour and layout, and get your kids involved in the design process to make them feel a sense of ownership of the finished design.
How colours affect behaviour in children
5. Build over a bed
The cabin bed is a bespoke option in this bedroom, but the high level bookshelves are a design feature that can be replicated in most schemes. Whether it’s an area above a door or bed, high bookshelves can make the most of wasted vertical space in a small room.
If the room is for older children, then make sure the shelves can be accessed, either by a ladder, as here, or a small set of fold-up steps.
If you don’t want children to have access to a ladder, then ensure these high shelves are just for storing non-daily items – classics to be treasured or books to read at a later date – and keep a small selection of current favourite books available at child height elsewhere in the room.
The cabin bed is a bespoke option in this bedroom, but the high level bookshelves are a design feature that can be replicated in most schemes. Whether it’s an area above a door or bed, high bookshelves can make the most of wasted vertical space in a small room.
If the room is for older children, then make sure the shelves can be accessed, either by a ladder, as here, or a small set of fold-up steps.
If you don’t want children to have access to a ladder, then ensure these high shelves are just for storing non-daily items – classics to be treasured or books to read at a later date – and keep a small selection of current favourite books available at child height elsewhere in the room.
6. Go all out
If you have the space, this library-style set-up would create a wonderful reading corner in a playroom or bedroom. The easy-access lower shelves are great for displaying large-format books, while the traditional shelves above offer plenty of extra storage.
This design would still work on a smaller scale, with a combination of slim picture ledges underneath raised shelves. The key is plenty of comfy cushions or beanbags at ground level where small people can comfortably lounge and read.
If you have the space, this library-style set-up would create a wonderful reading corner in a playroom or bedroom. The easy-access lower shelves are great for displaying large-format books, while the traditional shelves above offer plenty of extra storage.
This design would still work on a smaller scale, with a combination of slim picture ledges underneath raised shelves. The key is plenty of comfy cushions or beanbags at ground level where small people can comfortably lounge and read.
7. Fill an alcove
The pleasing shape of this gable end has really been highlighted, and celebrated, by the bookcase with window seat that’s been built to fill the space and painted to stand out.
While this type of shelving is a bespoke option, a similar design might not be as expensive as you think. So if you have an underused corner or awkward-shaped wall in your home, it might be worth talking to a carpenter or builder to see if it could be turned into something similar.
The pleasing shape of this gable end has really been highlighted, and celebrated, by the bookcase with window seat that’s been built to fill the space and painted to stand out.
While this type of shelving is a bespoke option, a similar design might not be as expensive as you think. So if you have an underused corner or awkward-shaped wall in your home, it might be worth talking to a carpenter or builder to see if it could be turned into something similar.
8. Highlight a collection
Simple, traditional-style bookshelves can be livened up for a children’s room with a coat of paint on the back wall. Here, a deep navy blue adds depth to the white cabinetry and allows the colours of the toys and books in front to really shine.
Choose a soothing paint colour for a bedroom, or a bolder, more enlivening hue for a playroom.
TELL US
How do you store your books at home? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
Read more stories on storage
Simple, traditional-style bookshelves can be livened up for a children’s room with a coat of paint on the back wall. Here, a deep navy blue adds depth to the white cabinetry and allows the colours of the toys and books in front to really shine.
Choose a soothing paint colour for a bedroom, or a bolder, more enlivening hue for a playroom.
TELL US
How do you store your books at home? Let us know in the Comments section.
MORE
Read more stories on storage
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Slim ledges like these are a classic way to save space in a small room while also allowing you to display the full cover of a book.
This is a set-up that works really well with large-format, brightly coloured children’s books. If the shelves are placed at a low level, it’s also then easy for children to pick out their own books when they want to.