5 Ways To Incorporate Bespoke Bookcases Into Your Home Design

A couple of years ago, the “bookshelf wealth” trend was everywhere. In case you missed it, this refers to not only owning a significant number of books, but also showcasing them in a stylish way. One of the best parts of this trend was that it wasn’t prescriptive about how you should show off your varied tomes. Instead, it suggested that making your books an integral part of your interior design was the key. Given that books can be beautiful and bring some wonderful texture to a room, showcasing them is a charming way to make your home your own, while also solving the practicalities of book storage. With the latest interior trends from 2027 moving away from looks that are overly curated and towards more personal and wellbeing-focused interiors, we think that creating custom shelving for your books ties in beautifully.  Bearing that in mind, we’ve picked out five ways in which you can incorporate bespoke bookcases into your design to show off your personality while creating a timeless interior look.

1. Create a reading nook

If you have a corner of a living room or a study that is often a little forgotten, consider how you could create a reading nook in this space. Could bespoke fitted furniture like a corner bookcase be the perfect anchor here? In front of this bookcase, you could then position a comfy chair and reading light, setting this area of your room up perfectly for cosy evenings curled up with one of your favourite books.  Don’t forget about an elegant side table, so you’ve got somewhere to pop your drink of choice. It can add an extra touch of class to a living room, or give you a small sanctuary in your home office.  Or perhaps the area under your stairs is simply a dead space that could be transformed with some bespoke shelving and a seat? The wonderful part of reading nooks is that they are designed to be small, so you don’t need to carve out a whole room to embrace this concept. When you are considering where to position a reading nook, think about a space that’s quiet and peaceful, with good lighting.

2. Introduce a book wall

A book wall is the perfect option if you have a lot of books that you want to have on display, not to mention that it gives you somewhere to store your library!  A recent article for Homes & Gardens highlighted Victoria Beckham’s book wall, which could be seen behind the former singer in a video she shared on social media. It is a great example of how to incorporate a bookcase into a room, and make it centre stage.  Unlike standard bookcases, a book wall is designed to cover an entire wall. Think floor to ceiling shelves, designed to fit precisely with your room’s dimensions. This approach is also more versatile than it might first appear.  You don’t have to use the biggest wall in your living room. Instead, a book wall could be a useful way to create storage space on a section of wall that is currently left unused - for instance, to one side of a window.  The key to getting this particular look right is ensuring that your bookcases are designed and made to fit your space. That way they will fit seamlessly with the rest of your decor.

3. Make use of alcoves

This is a classic approach to what can sometimes be awkward spaces on either side of a mantelpiece, but it can work exceptionally well. This is particularly the case when the shelving you install is designed for your home.  It can also be a nice way to offset the tech-heavy nature of modern living rooms, balancing out the TV you might have on the wall above the mantel with the tactile beauty of your book collection. You could also level-up your alcove bookshelves by adding downlights to highlight the spines of the titles on display, as well as to create ambience in the room.  Don’t be afraid of experimenting with other forms of lighting on the shelving too, like dedicated LED shelf lighting. There are various options available and your designer will be able to discuss what will work best with your interior design.

4. Combine a bookcase with an art display

There is no reason why your bespoke shelving solutions have to only be for books. In fact, one of the top trends in interior design as we move towards 2027 is blending bookcases with art displays.  You can do this in several ways. One is to showcase sculptures or small paintings on the shelves in front of your books. Another is to hang pictures from the shelves themselves. A third is to leave space on your shelves for artworks, alongside your books. There is no right or wrong choice. Instead, consider what art you’d like to display and how many books you have. Work out how best to showcase both - whether by putting them on the same shelf, or by having dedicated sections for pieces of art versus books. If you think about what you would like to display before you have your bookcase designed, you can ensure that the shelves fit your pieces of art and books. 

5. Build a bookcase around your workstation

If you have a home office, our final suggestion is to create a bookcase around your desk area. Think of this as more of a functional book nook.  Not only can this approach look very stylish, it can also allow you to keep useful books close at hand during your working day. Of course, there is no rule stating that a bookcase needs to hold books to read. It can also be the perfect place to store notebooks. This won’t appeal to everyone, but if your desk is already tucked into a corner or perhaps facing a wall, this can be a wonderful option to make the most of the space behind it and help bring some more points of interest and focus to your workspace.