Discover how to include book decor in your projects in less common ways, bringing an extra touch of personality to different corners of the house. Decorating with books is capable of giving a good dose of authenticity to living rooms, bedrooms, offices and kitchens, among other environments. And it doesn’t have to be restricted to the bookcase .
That’s because these items can occupy countless spaces, bringing a special charm to various corners of the house.
The books add a subtle touch to the decoration of different rooms in the house
One of the greatest writers in Latin America, Jorge Luis Borges, once said: “I always imagined that paradise was a kind of library”.
So why not take inspiration from his words and turn entire houses into private havens, where books are everywhere?
Read on to find out how to use them in your projects!
How to choose works for decoration with books?
There are no specific rules when choosing the best books to compose a decoration. However, it is important to consider some criteria.
Personal interests must come first. After all, in addition to fulfilling a decorative role, books exist to be read, right? While some people love to read detective novels, others prefer poetry, suspense, art, etc.
Other aspects also need to be taken into account, such as dimensions, colors and covers, which can be combined harmoniously. For example, special editions with exciting visuals are great to enhance the decor, because they bring more personality to the environments.
Decorating with books: Ideas for you to apply to your projects
Now, check out tips to get out of the traditional and insert books into the decor in an innovative way.
EXPLORE DIFFERENT HOME ENVIRONMENTS
The place for cookbooks and about food is in the kitchen
Everyone has always been used to seeing books placed on shelves, usually in the living room or office, organized as in a library. However, you can use your creativity to place them in less common places.
The kitchen is a good example. Many people, especially those who love cooking, tend to have cookbooks at home with recipes and tips from their favorite chefs. Instead of being tucked away in another corner, why not let them down?
By making their presence felt in the kitchen, they can even inspire residents to venture into new dishes and prepare delicious meals for the whole family. In addition, books bring an air of their own to the most affectionate environment in the home.
A decor with books, trays, pictures and plants also integrates very well into the kitchen
They can either be supported on the counter or placed on a shelf. Here, the important thing is that they are visible so that they are not forgotten on a daily basis.
USE THE AVAILABLE FURNITURE
Office niches serve both for books and for other objects
Even in rooms where books have always been present, such as offices, it is possible to vary the distribution.
As we’ve already mentioned, they don’t need to have an exclusive shelf. In fact, book decor becomes even more interesting when you mix elements.
You can apply the same logic to other environments in the house. In the living room, the possibilities are limitless, as most of the furniture is perfect for decorating with books.
The coffee table is usually the darling in this case. Despite having its own usefulness, it doesn’t need to be empty; precisely because it is a central piece of furniture, it deserves to be highlighted.
The marriage between books with flashy covers and coffee tables hardly goes wrong
Because they are visible, give preference to famous titles, with hardcover and sophisticated finishes. No wonder museum catalogs, art and photography books get along so well with coffee tables.
It is also possible to decorate other furniture with books, such as sideboards and end tables. Whichever piece you choose, just be careful not to pollute the look or interfere with the view of the environment. Instead of stacking many volumes in one place, try to distribute them in a harmonic way.
INCLUDE OTHER OBJECTS IN THE DECORATION WITH BOOKS
A single flower placed on the books can produce an elegant and, at the same time, delicate effect
Another valuable tip is not to leave books alone. The works can be placed among other decorative objects, as long as they do not leave the environment with an overloaded appearance.
Explore vertical and horizontal directions. Incidentally, over those that are horizontal, you can accommodate items such as vases and sculptures.
TAKE THE LOOK OF THE BOOKS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN ORGANIZING THEM
When arranging the books , different criteria can be used. There are people who like to organize the works by alphabetical order, author, genre or subject, for example. It works great for people who need to check them out frequently.
Grouping together the various volumes of a collection in the same place also facilitates consultations and creates visual harmony. However, these are not the only ways to order.
Thinking about aesthetics, the organization by colors and sizes is an interesting idea for decorating with books. The more options, the more compositions.
When using color as a criterion, you can take into account the tones of the work’s spines to make monochromatic combinations, between complementary and analogous colors, or even to create a gradient effect.
As color is the most emotional visual element of all, when explored in the right way, it can have a strong impact on environments.
Grouping books by size is also a possibility. This doesn’t mean that the bigger ones can’t side with the smaller ones; the important thing is to achieve a pleasant result.
Also remember to consider the size of the furniture where the volumes will be, so that they do not occupy the entire surface.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPACES IN THE HOUSE
The niche lined with the table serves as a shelter for both books and other objects used in the kitchen
Use your imagination to find unusual places to put the books. Projects that take advantage of previously useless spaces, such as under stairs, are already quite common. However, it is also possible to explore other ideas that are simple, but that give a different face to environments.
CREATE A READING CORNER
In addition to being cozy, this reading corner stands out for the elegance of the leather armchair, the upholstery and the vibrant color in the background. Including a reading corner in the architecture and decoration project usually enchants book lovers.
After all, there’s nothing better than having a cozy space specially made to strengthen the habit of reading. In addition to encouraging these breaks, it makes the environment even more beautiful.
And this is not something very complex. On the contrary: just choose a reserved place, such as a corner of the living room, a comfortable armchair and a lamp with a lamp suitable for reading.
Creating a reading space for children is also a great idea. In addition to composing the decoration of the rooms, this encourages the little ones to get a taste for the universe of books from an early age.
THINK ABOUT BOOK CONSERVATION
In addition to taking advantage of the colors on the spines of the books, an interesting idea is to position them leaving the aged core exposed. Unlike other decorative objects, books require certain care. That’s because both direct sunlight and moisture can damage them. It is important that you think about this when designing your decor projects.
For example, at first, putting a book on the nightstand might seem like an excellent idea. However, depending on the position, the sun may shine on the furniture for many hours of the day. If that happens, the chances of the cover fading in a short time are high.
With regard to dust, it is practically impossible to avoid it, unless the books are placed inside shelves with doors. But when it comes to decoration, the proposal is to leave them on display.
Anyway, dust is not a big problem or an impediment to decorating rooms with books, as a little tap with a cloth or a duster will do the job.
These tips for going beyond bookcases in decorating books show how you can innovate in relatively simple ways.
Undoubtedly, in addition to transporting people to other universes, books are able to fill spaces and collaborate with the look of environments in a unique way.
How about finding out more about decorative niches? Because they are versatile, they can be used both to organize books and to make better use of indoor and outdoor areas!
