30 of the Best Bookshelves
Books are such a wonderful way of personalizing your space. Who doesn't love to be surrounded with all this wonderful inspiration. I think rooms with bookshelves are some of my most memorable spaces. Everyone feels comfortable in these rooms and they are rooms where you want to linger. I have a girlfriend who has a monumental bookshelf in her dining room. I always love to sit at the table across from the bookshelf so I can peruse the shelves between the dinner conversation.
"Five years from now, you’re the same person except for the people you’ve met and the books you’ve read."
— John Wooden
I have categorized the following pictures of bookshelves into 7 sections:
1. Bookshelves in Living Rooms
Bookshelves in Living Rooms - Dominio
Bookshelves in Living Rooms - Poliform
Bookshelves in Living Rooms - Homes and Gardens
Bookshelves in Living Rooms - Domino Magazine 
Bookshelves in Living Rooms -BHG
2. Bookshelves with Library Ladders
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Interior Design Alberto Pinto
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Interior Design Tom Scheerer
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Diane von Furstenberg source unknown
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Ikea
Pierre Chareau's Bookcase from La Maison de Verre by Dominique Vellay
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - photo via Apartment Therapy 
Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Southern Accents
3. Bookshelves in Offices
Bookshelves in Offices - Interior Design Briger and Briger
Bookshelves in Offices / Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Interior Design Alberto Pinto
Bookshelves in Offices - Domino
Bookshelves in Offices - Interior Design Mary McGee
4. Bookshelves in Dining Rooms
Bookshelves in Dining Rooms / Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Charles Page
Bookshelves in Dining Rooms - Elle Decor, Photography William Waldron, Interior Design Glickman & Teng
Bookshelves in Dining Rooms - Interior Design Antonia Hutt
5. Bookshelves in Kitchens 
Bookshelves in Kitchens - Vitsoe
Bookshelves in Kitchens / Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Interior Design Cecconi Simone
Bookshelves in Kitchens - photo via Purple Area
6. Bookshelves in Bedrooms
Bookshelves in Bedrooms - Interior Design Source Unknown
Bookshelves in Bedrooms / Bookshelves with Library Ladders - Interior Design Source Unknown
Bookshelves in Bedrooms - photo via Girl Meets Glamour
7. Bookshelves in Stairs
Bookshelves in Stairs - source unknown
Bookshelves in Stairs - Design by Wilson and Associates Architects
Bookshelves in Stairs - Design by Levitate Architects via Home Interiors
These bookshelves line the stairs up the third floor of the Fallingwater house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Bookshelves in Stairs - picture via Flickr
What is your favourite room to display books in? Please let me know by leaving a comment.
PATRICIA GRAY INC is an award winning interior design firm writing about lifestyle and
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Thanks a lot ! It's been awhile... I've missed your interior design updates. This one is interesting...
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
Ronald
One of my favorite books is the Briger and Briger one. Love the image of the shelves along the walls with the ghost chair!
ReplyDeleteIt's good to see you back in blogging action! Love that Domino room. I could spend a weekend in there!
ReplyDeleteDeborah
welcome back!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the Great Post Patricia! I am always inspired by cozy little reading nooks and lavish home libraries. I recently stumbled upon a wonderful hotel called "The Library" in Koh Samui in the gulf of Siam. The Library at that resort could have you reading for hours to the sound of the waves... check out the website for some great pictures!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thelibrary.name/library-gallery.html
Great post, I am always always sourcing bookshelf ideas for projects! The one above the bed is something different, unique.
ReplyDeleteAmazing Book shelves interior design........
ReplyDeletei suggest here you find something similar to your taste InterioGuru
I totally agree! I just did a living room in my new home in Galvanized (Ralph Lauren) and then placed an IKEA Expedit black brown bookcase (5 x 5 squares) against the wall and my colorful books pop on the wall like they are art. Add a few strategically placed pieces of colored fenton glass and a great set of lighting on it...it's one of my (and guests too) favorite areas in the house. Yea for bookshelves. :)
ReplyDeletePatricia
ReplyDeletewelcome back. glad you are posting again. We have missed you.
This is a great post and I share your passion for books, bookcases and people who read.
Glad to see you back! I've always wanted a bookshelves in my dining room. My husband has never been too keen on the idea. Sister Parish's red lacquer library with gold accents has always been my favorite.
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see your post again!!
ReplyDeleteLike you, I love bookshelves and have them in almost every room in my house except bedrooms which I try to keep more Zen....
it must be very dreary to live in a home without bookshelves...or color. One of the nicest things my husband did was to make two of them for me in a small bedroom in our former home. Wall to wall on both sides, painted stark white, and then one day my daughter, on hearing me say "I'd like to have red walls" took me up on it and we rushed to Sherwin-Williams and had it done by the end of the day...it was a lovely room with Mexican tiled floors, and sitting at the little desk he built in, could look out the big doors to lush tropical planting around the patio and pool and lovely palm trees...This was in the southern most tip of Texas....
ReplyDeleteHere on the coast of Texas close to Houston and Galveston, we remodeled an older home...shut up misplaced windows and doors, and built a fireplace with bookshelves on either side...we took some space off the large living area to make a nice walk in closet for the bedroom. As the carpenter was framing it in, I could see there was room for another book shelf in that space opening onto the hall wall...and had him change course and frame that in also... In this small bedroom where I write and paint, I am planning another wall to wall bookshelf..but stumbled across a lovely white wicker desk and hutch at a garage sale..It looks great and is already jammed full of books...it will do until I can get the carpenter back.
I enjoy your blog and missed it when you had a lull for a while. I hope it was business and not illness that kept you away from the computer..
Sincerely
Lanell
You can tell allot about a person by their bookshelf! I love ALL of these!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Michelle
I like bookshelves the most in libraries, however, I do keep small assortments of books in the guest rooms of my home. I remember the one from Domino magazine, a nook type space off of the bedroom, cozy.
ReplyDeleteGlad you are back!
xx
Hurrah, you are back, actually I missed your Coco Chanel post and commented, since I have seen the movie two weeks ago. ~Fantastique!
ReplyDeleteThis new post is wonderful, I love books, bookshelves, shelves of all sorts and the life and atmoshaere the exude. Certainly books , shelves and what's in there tell about the owner more the a thousand words...
I have a 12' bookcase in the family room, with glass doors and tos of books, mementos, photos, artwork, an antique clock, china mixed in as well! Books are my lifeline!
XX
Victoria
Hey Patrica, great post! I love the bookshelf images, so imspirational :) And welcome back!
ReplyDeleteJenn
P
ReplyDeleteyour'e back. YEAH!!!
i don't know what it is about book shelves. i love the way they look and make a room feel.
cozy, yes.
and maybe it gives the feeling of 'tradition', which speaks 'security and safety.'
whatever it is i love it.
xx
Love bookcases in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and design studio's. I think built in's are the greatest for grounding the space with words of wisdom. Open to all, appreciated by many who seek the knowledge, peace and higher level of imagination...creatives of the future!
ReplyDeleteYou have been missed...welcome back!
Bette
most of my book collection is displayed on shelves in the living room but i do have book shelves in the bedroom.
ReplyDeleteBooks always everywhere...dining rooms, bedrooms, living areas, kitchens. I always had many books in bathrooms also. Unfortunately now many of my books are in boxes, due to lack of space! but it is like meeting old friends when I open a box.
ReplyDeleteMy favourites are the bookshelves with library ladders. I can just imagine myself climbing to the top of the ladder to reach the treasure on the top shelf.
ReplyDeleteI love the concept of bookshelves in dining rooms as they are such seldom used rooms and what a way of spending more time in them - other than eating.
ReplyDeleteI could live in any of the pictures....the warmth of the books is hard to describe.....great post!
ReplyDeleteLovely bookcase examples - I was particularly taken with the stairs that were also bookshelves. Living in a small home I'm always taken with techniques that maximize space!
ReplyDeleteVictoria @ DesignTies
I love the idea of having a dining room / library all in one. What a perfect place to eat dinner alone...with a book at hand and such atmosphere. I also love the bookshelves in the stairs. A very clever, useful place to store books. Great post!
ReplyDeleteNice design
ReplyDeletejust love that you are back posting your amazing brilliance once again.... have surely missed you... x pam
ReplyDeleteI have books everywhere and bookshelves everywhere ...in my kitchen, in bedrooms, in my office....
ReplyDeleteHi Patricia, I'm not sure that I could pick a favorite place to display my books - I have a bookshelf in just about every room. I do love the bookshelves pictured with the ladders....really a classy and obviously useful touch for the avid reader.
ReplyDeleteNick
oh i love a good full bookcase.. the under the staircase was a great use of space. Mine are currently in my living room on either side of my tv
ReplyDeleteoh i love a good full bookcase.. the under the staircase was a great use of space. Mine are currently in my living room on either side of my tv
ReplyDeleteIt was rather interesting for me to read the article. Thank you for it. I like such topics and everything that is connected to them. I definitely want to read more soon.
ReplyDeleteLove them all
ReplyDeleteMy favourite bookcase is the one in your home - Stunning!
ReplyDeleteI love bookcases they are the perfect srorage solution that can show off treasure items and books and beccome as much a feature in your home as a resource for work and fun! really good article
ReplyDeleteI also Love all these bookshelves, but I think that my dream is to have bookshelves in my kitchen to display all my cooking books.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is bookshelves with library ladders.
ReplyDeleteHow does this topic just never get old? Every single pic looks fresh and modern. Books are the best!
ReplyDeleteMy favourite bookshelves that you have shown are the wall to wall bookshelves.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful bookshelf inspiration! thanks so much for sharing. :-)
ReplyDeleteShannon
Aside from photographs, books adorn the walls of my home and I love the selections you chose to highlight! I'm normally a wall to wall bookshelf person but I REALLY loved the one on the stairs!
ReplyDeleteBookshelves, bookshelves, bookshelves....I never have seen so many wonderful and beautiful designs for bookcases all together in one place. This post is truly inspirational.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post and very timely too! Love them all! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post! I have books everywhere, I and I love to design and build bookcases. I have a pair of stand-alone cases in the dining room, unfinished built-ins in the unfinished library, and nearly finished built=ins (which you can see on my blogger profile) in my nearly finished study. I will post pictures of progress over time at Garvinweasel.
ReplyDeleteI just discovered your blog and will be back often. Thanks for this post!
James
These are some of the Best bookshelves I have seen. I am running out of room on my bookshelves and like the idea of bookshelves in dining rooms.
ReplyDeleteGreat Post, Great Pictures, Great Bookcases, x
ReplyDeletei want a flat like the photos!!!
ReplyDeleteWOOWW . I Adore books so this was a REALLY awesome post. Thank you Patricia!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Karen O.
i was looking up "staircases" and by some happy accident found you...the amazing Patricia Gray ! Every picture so informative and so FRESH ! My resolution for 2010 was to embrace my passion for design and treat myself to opportunities to take risks and learn. 3 days into the new year , I find you ! I have begun a renovation on my home and will visit your blog daily for education, inspiration and pure joy !
ReplyDeleteThanks ,
Desiree
All of your concept is great.I love books.I like the bookshelves in bedroom very much.
ReplyDeleteIf you had some way of rating posts I would for sure give you a high rating my friend!
ReplyDeleteI could cover each and every wall of our home with bookshelves! It's been fun trying to figure out how many cookbooks we can squeeze in during our kitchen renovation...with a library ladder of course!
ReplyDeleteYou really have some awesome ideas. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThese bookshelf designs are really good. I like that one which is under stairs.
ReplyDeleteMe gusta este post!!!
ReplyDeletewww.eco-its.blogspot.com
Awesome post as always, happy new year!
ReplyDelete