28 Creative Ways to Upgrade Your Bookshelves
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Bookshelf wealth is about more than showing off a literary interest. It means putting your most meaningful items on display. The perfect place to do that, of course, is your very own cabinet of curiosities. A great bookshelf is beautiful and tailored to your home, and it has plenty of room for everything you treasure. Thankfully, as these DIY bookshelf ideas prove, you don't have to be wealthy to get one that looks custom. You can start with a new and inexpensive item of furniture—like the ubiquitous Ikea Billy bookcase, which stars more than a few of the ideas below—or a piece that you've thrifted, and customize it using simple woodworking ideas. You don't even have to be handy with power tools to do it.
As for bookshelf decor, the best displays are personal. "What creates the atmosphere of bookshelf wealth is a collection of things you love and are interested in, [all] displayed together," says Anna-Jaël Hotzel, founder and principal designer of Kollective Design in Portland, Oregon. "It looks especially interesting if the items are collected and found rather than bought as decor." Chicago-based designer Sanda Stojakovic agrees. "If you haven't started already, you need to begin collecting things that inspire you and fill your soul because that's really what makes bookshelves look authentic versus styled," she says.
Since the shelving is the foundation of any great collection, we've put together 28 DIY bookshelf ideas that are sure to inspire you. As you scroll through, you'll find projects that are beginner friendly (i.e., no power tools required) and more complex ones for ambitious DIYers. They're all waiting for you to bring them off the page—um, screen—and into reality.
Add a Reeded Texture
Drew Michael Scott of Lone Fox Home fashioned this luxe-looking DIY bookshelf out of an Ikea Billy bookcase and Pole-Wrap wood veneer. "I love using Ikea pieces as a base for a lot of furniture DIYs because their designs are more minimal, which allows a lot more creativity to update the piece to your liking," he says.
Get the full tutorial on YouTube at Lone Fox Home.
Go Shallow
The Ikea Billy bookcase is a super-popular base for a DIY bookshelf, but it's not your only option. Home decor expert Alexandra Gater cleverly mounted a pair of Ikea Laiva bookcases on a desk—they're perfect for this because they're so skinny. This project required cutting the shelves to size and attaching them to the ceiling rather than the desk—a great trick for easy future removal.
Wallpaper the Back
When it comes to bookshelves, wallpaper is the ace up Elizabeth Hay's sleeve. "We love to wallpaper the back of a bookcase," says Hay, who used the tactic for these built-ins. "It's a great thing to do if you don't have lots of books because the wallpaper adds visual interest and fills the space."
Create Contrast
Rather than covering the entire shelf in Pole-Wrap wood veneer, Francesca Stone (@fallfordiy) applied it to the back of the shelves. It contrasts with the white frames for a neutral but eye-catching result that lets her decor and books stand out.
Upcyle Thrifted Pieces
New bookshelves aren't cheap, and the quality doesn't always match the price tag. Photographer Anna Wallendahr got the look—and the craftsmanship—she wanted by transforming discarded office shelving and an old desk into built-ins. She added molding for antique flair and finished it all off with a matching coat of paint to complement the neutral tones in her living room.
Work With Your Wall
This bookshelf took expert DIYer Steffy Degreff about a week, start to finish. She built the skeleton of the shelving and slowly filled out the wall as she attached the shelves to the studs. Then, she added some two-inch trim to the front to give the unit a thicker, more finished look. When it comes to styling, Degreff doesn't just reach for books. "I love to think of bookshelves as more of an opportunity to display my favorite items," she says. She recommends mixing in artwork—and don't forget some cute book ends.
Mind the Gap
The possibilities are truly endless with Ikea shelving. Design DIYer Kate Voegele took them in her own direction by building a shelf to unite two Billy bookcase units.
Get the YouTube tutorial at We the Dreamers.
Drench It in Color
Never underestimate the power of paint to transform a space, especially a reading nook. This colorful corner by designer and home editor Heather Kane Kohler features Benjamin Moore Herb, a forest green with a drop of yellow. "I love showing off my collections, and a painted bookshelf really makes all my blue-and-white pottery pop," Kohler says.
Opt for a Power-Tool Free Tutorial
If drills and electric saws intimidate you, never fear. When content creator Hattie Kolp dressed up this Ikea Billy bookcase, there was nary a power tool in sight. And because bookcases (even Ikea ones) are heavy, we appreciate that she's thoughtfully laid out versions of the project you can do solo or with a helper.
Get the tutorial at Hattie Kolp.
Keep It Simple
Ornate DIY bookshelves are beautiful in their own right, but a complicated design can frustrate even the most seasoned DIYer. Your books, travel souvenirs, and art can make their own statement on simple wood planks supported by brackets. These shelves styled by Carley Page Summers prove you don't need anything more.
Think Outside the Box(es)
To turn this home's library into a grand display, Alexandra Gater created custom boxes that double as an art installation and painted them in the same hue as the walls for a custom, built-in look.
Soften the Edges
The simple addition of a scalloped edge is enough to take an Ikea Bill bookcase from simple to sweet. The accent looks right at home in this little girl's room by design-loving mom @oliviawirensjo.
Hang It High
With three little ones at home, photographer Katie Currid mounted DIY bookshelves way up high to safeguard her favorite tchotchkes. But her practical decision had a pretty bonus effect: "We also have 10-foot ceilings," Currid says. "Since I put these shelves up, they act as such a great design element, pulling your eye up and making the room seem even bigger." She built them using 1x8 boards set on top of 1x3s, added shoe molding to the upper one to make it a picture ledge, and used corbels to hide the seams where the boards join.
Raise Some Cane
Blogger Olivia Anderson put together this mini library for her little reader using floating shelves and cane webbing. She changes up the picture books on display seasonally to give it a fresh look.
Go Monochrome
Designers Sharon and Robert Reed of Walnut+Ash Interiors made two easy improvements to this built-in that produced a big impact. First, they chose to paint it Sherwin-Williams Greenblack to camouflage the television. Second, they removed some of the shelves and displayed a small, curated mix of vintage books and decor on each remaining one. "We think of bookshelf wealth not as it pertains to the monetary value of the items, but in the personal and sentimental value they hold for our clients," Robert Reed says. "This could include family heirlooms, collectibles, favorite books, or artwork that holds special meaning or memories."
Use Simple Pine
There's no arguing that solid wood is the superior bookshelf material choice. Some types of wood can add up in cost, but pine boards are an option that's easy on the wallet and the eyes. We love how the team at Kollective Design made matching brackets to give this wall unit a cohesive look. "Making them ourselves allowed us to use the maximum space available and customize the height while keeping the costs low,"
Hotzel says.
Create a Focal Point
Before she installed this DIY bookshelf, designer Sanda Stojakovic described her formal living room as "uninspiring." To solve the issue, she turned to books and drew up the plans for this series of floor-to-ceiling built-ins. "I've always admired the elegance and tranquility of library rooms, envisioning them as sanctuaries away from the digital noise of modern life," she says. "This aspiration guided me in transforming the room into a haven where the allure of a good book reigns supreme." Her husband, Uros, brought her ideas to life, including painting them in Benjamin Moore Blueberry.
Get the tutorial at Stojakovic Design.
Hang a Ladder
When installing your DIY bookshelf, think beyond arm's reach. Elle Hervin, better known as @elle_the_home_bird on Instagram, built her very own library to put the unused space in her dining room to work. The brass rail and library ladder lean into the old-world look already present in the room.
Add Arches
DIY, thrifting, and upcycling expert Jaharn Quinn transformed a basic set of bookshelves into this custom-looking library for just under $2,300. It's an great project if you feel comfortable rolling up your sleeves and picking up a miter saw.
Get the tutorial at Smor Home.
Leave Room for Art
The best thing about DIY bookshelves is you can customize them to fit your decor. Not only can you build the shelves at just the right height to house your favorite knick-knacks, but you can also leave a spot in the center to display meaningful large-scale art or a flat-screen TV. This DIY bookshelf wall by design blogger Jessica Starr of The Old Barn has an inset that's just the right size for a landscape and sconces that enhance the room's symmetry even more.
Size It Right
In case you're unfamiliar, Ikea Billy bookcases come in a variety of sizes. Ohio-based interior designer, muralist, and maker Mandi Johnson chose the 15 3/4–inch model for this project because four of them fit seamlessly into the corner by her window. She blended form and function by continuing the room's crown molding along the top and reserving the bottom shelves for storage baskets (painted the same color as the shelves for a neat appearance).
Get the tutorial at A Beautiful Mess.
Shine a Light on Your Collection
The avid reader and queen of bookshelf wealth behind Kate's Shelves needed ample space to house her ever-growing collection. She constructed this built-in with her husband and added picture lights to draw even more attention to the bookshelf wall.
Frame Your Fireplace
Enjoying a good book next to a warm fire is peak hygge. That's why the walls around a fireplace are an ideal place for bookshelves. Digital home creator Mo Hussen painted his DIY shelves the same neutral color as the walls to let his collections be the statement.
Stack Two Units
To add height to her home library, photographer and maker Jessica Lynn of @the_old_green_door simply stacked a tall bookshelf on top of a short console. She painted the top piece green and left the bottom one natural for a two-toned effect. We recommend securing the two units together and anchoring them to the wall to ensure they're stable and can handle the weight of your collection.
Trim It Out
The key to making a DIY bookshelf look original to your space is matching it up to the existing architectural details. This project by UK-based interior designer and home stager Liz of Pretty Prospect Cottage looks as if it's been there since day one thanks to the baseboards and crown molding.
Insert Dividers
Most bookcases feature long horizontal shelves stacked atop one another. However, UK-based creator and DIYer Geri Sammut-Alessi of @overatno18 chose to add wooden dividers to alternating shelves here. The dividers helpfully double as bookends.
Create a Facade
Rather than installing actual dividers on your shelves, you can achieve a similar look by adding a facade to the front. Basically a frame with vertical strips running down the center of the open shelves, it'll provide visual breaks to divide the empty spaces between your books and decor. These bookshelves by DIY and design content creator Kourtni Muñoz look like a series of four when they are actually just two units thanks to a facade.
Space Out the Shelves
Yet another reason the Ikea Billy bookcase is so popular for DIY projects is its adjustable shelves. Digital designer Julia Nilstål of @villaekoxen chose to position these shelves far apart so she could display tall, sculptural art and florals and just a couple of books.
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