Transform your reading space into a cosy book nook with these simple tips for creating an aesthetic and organised home library. Plus, discover creative ways to display your favourite books and keep track of what you’ve read.
Reading the latest edition from a favourite author is a wonderful way to escape into another world, and the experience is even better when you can retreat to your very own book nook. Having a dedicated reading space centred around a personal library is every book-lover’s dream.
Here are a few ways to make it a reality.
Find your ideal reading spot
Find a peaceful, soothing place where it’s practical to keep a few of your favourite books and turn it into a mini reading sanctuary. This might be an armchair in a corner, a Harry Potter-style cupboard under the stairs, a bookshelf next to your bed or a quiet alcove elsewhere in the house. If it’s a shared space, consider whether it’s possible to build a canopy or small pop-up tent for extra peace and privacy.
Add comfort & personality to your book nook
Once you’ve found the ideal space, embellish the nook with some comfy cushions, soft throws, or a plush rug. Make it homey and unique by choosing soothing or stimulating colours and textures that suit your style. If there’s space, include a few decorative objects to add to the atmosphere. Pot plants, crystals, and mirrors work well.
Decorations that reflect your favourite genre or interests are a great addition, too. You might choose some artwork, a paperweight, a snow globe, or something sentimental. Think about creating a space that’s warm, comfortable, and has the kind of ambience that makes it easier to feel immersed in the pages of a story.
Set the perfect lighting
Romantic as it might seem to read by the low glimmer of a soft light, it’s important to be able to see clearly without straining the eyes. Having access to natural light by a window is ideal, but this might not be an option, and it won’t provide light for evening reading. Choose a well-positioned floor light or desk lamp, angled so that the pages are adequately illuminated.
Show off your book collection
The most common way of housing books is on wall-mounted, freestanding, or built-in shelves, but there are other ways to show off your collection.
A row of books can be displayed on a desk or tabletop simply by propping it up with bookends. If space is tight, books can be piled on top of each other to create vertical stacks. Choose a favourite novel or one with a particularly striking cover to position upright on top as a standout book.
Refresh & declutter your bookshelf
Some readers hold on to books that they’re unlikely to ever open again. Having a clear-out every now and then will keep your reading corner feeling fresh and inspiring.
At least once or twice a year, sort your collection into three piles. One of fi rm favourites and useful reference books that you want to keep, a second for books that have still to be read, and a third pile for those that require new homes. These can be gifted to friends or a good cause (see below), which might mean that your old tomes eventually take pride of place in someone else’s book nook.
No matter where you are in the world, there’ll be a charity that will be grateful for book donations. You can also look into donating your preloved books to libraries, schools, op-shops, street libraries, and hospitals.
Teen Breathe’s tips to create your own little library
If you’re lucky enough to own lots of books, there are various ways to organise and display them. Here are four easy ideas:
1 Category
If you have a variety of paperbacks and hardbacks that include different genres of fiction and non-fiction, arrange them by type. You might sort your stacks or shelves into sections such as sci-fi, fantasy, history, romance, art, poetry, and reference, for example.
2 Alphabetical order
This is how books are arranged in libraries and bookshops. Order from A-Z using the first letter of the author’s surname or by title. The display might not look artistic or uniform, but this approach makes finding a book easier.
3 Size
For a neat and orderly appearance, this is a simple option. Place tall books at one end of the shelf and scale down to the shortest titles. Or have the tallest books at either end so that the smallest are in the middle.
Alternatively, group books by thickness, separating hardbacks from paperbacks. Experiment to see what works best.
4 Colour
Some readers like to display books according to spine colour. This involves grouping books with the same or similar colour tones together and either putting them on separate shelves or lining them up in rainbow order.
Never judge a book by its cover is a popular saying, but there are readers who choose books based purely on how lovely the cover will look in their colour-coded collection!
Keep track of your favourite reads with Teen Breathe’s DIY book tracker bookmark, included on page 66 of Issue 40. Get your copy here and start building your personal library!
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This article was originally published under the title Create a Book Nook and Little Library in Teen Breathe Issue 40 – About Time. You can get this issue here to enjoy more mindful inspiration.
