Reader or not, here they come: Why we're loving styled bookshelves

When it comes to interiors, it’s pretty hard not to judge a book by its cover. Whether you’re an avid follower of the latest trends or prefer classic pieces that never go out of style, how you style your home speaks volumes about who you are.

No piece of furniture or styling speaks louder than a bookshelf.

“Books reveal the personality of the owner and can be a fascination for guests and visitors too,” says Suzanne Gorman, director of Sydney-based interior design studio, Studio Gorman.

Gorman’s own home is filled with “books about architecture, interior design, landscaping, travel and colour which reveal [her] passions and subject matter that provides endless fascination and inspiration”.

Emma Read and Sarah Hall, the sisters behind the South Australian interior brand Read & Hall, agree, saying “books add warmth and tell a lot about the person”.

“I love books; I collect books. I wanted somewhere for them to go that was easily accessible so that you can think of a line from a book and go up and pick it off the shelf,” says Hall.

This collection is seen atop enviable open shelving in the sisters’ church conversion home. Made from Bunnings brackets and recycled wood planks from the salvage yard, the shelves house a balanced mix of books, artworks, ceramics, plants, and lamps.

The renewed interest in bookshelves may be credited to a reading renaissance sweeping through social media in communities dubbed “bookstagram”, “booktube” and “booktok”. The #booktok hashtag on TikTok – home to countless videos sharing bookshelves, book hauls, and reviews – has just shy of 60 billion views.

It’s no surprise that this social media-led resurgence has made its way into the home, and inspired a certain nosy curiosity.

“When we put up pictures of our bookshelves on our Instagram, people must zoom in and look because they always comment on the little things that are on there … it’s so interesting,” mused Hall.

The bookshelf craze has even dipped into the world of celebrity. Earlier this year, the internet erupted over actress and singer Ashley Tisdale’s home tour as part of Architectural Digest’s Open Door series.

“These bookshelves, I have to be honest, did not have books in them like a couple of days ago. I had my husband go to a bookstore. I was like, ‘You need to get 400 books’,” she said in the video.

Here’s good news: adding 400 books to your cart definitely isn’t the only way to jazz up your bookshelf. Take a leaf out of Read & Hall and Studio Gorman’s styling books:

Start with the bookshelf and work outwards

Read and Hall take a holistic approach, suggesting that the styling doesn’t stop at the shelves.

“Putting something that’s round in the foreground like a lamp or a big pot gives depth with the bookshelf at the back,” Hall says. “A round shape in the foreground gives visual warmth and relationship to the squareness of the shelf and books. If you add more organic shapes to items on the bookshelf and in front of the bookshelf, it just visually looks better,” says Hall.

“You don’t want to order everything from a catalogue or shop online, get it all delivered and put it in your house – it’s not going to all work. I think bookshelves really are one way to inject yourself, your personality, and your individuality into a space,” she adds.

Bring the softness and calm

Studio Gorman includes “bookshelves in almost every room of the house”. Gorman says that “in the kitchen, bookshelves really soften a room that is otherwise all hard surfaces.”

“My favourite way to style a bookshelf is to group by colour, particularly for expansive bookshelves in a living room, where they will appear as a calmer backdrop when arranged in colour groups.”

Double down on the practicality

Not much of a reader? Studio Gorman has some tricks up their sleeve to bring an extra touch of fun and practicality to a bookshelf.

“Studio Gorman has had some fun designing bookshelves that are actually hinged doors, revealing secret rooms. [It’s] particularly fun to hide a private wine cellar and home bar,” says Gorman.

As Gorman puts it, “bookshelves transform a house into a home”. Social media trends or otherwise, it’s safe to say their shelf life isn’t running out any time soon.