Remember when it seemed like everyone was arranging their bookshelves in rainbow order? While this technique is still popular, some professional organizers say it’s actually not the best approach for a number of reasons. Below, some experts explain why you should stop color-coding your bookshelves and share alternative ways to keep your collection in order.
Lisa Zaslow, founder of Gotham Organizers, feels that the color-coded book display method is no longer in style. “A generation ago, when arranging books by color first became a thing, it was a fresh, fun look,” Zaslow says. “These days, the visual aspect of color-blocked books seems as dated as avocado Formica kitchen countertops and it doesn’t have visual appeal going for it.”
Even back when rainbow bookshelves were initially all the rage, though, Zaslow still didn’t understand the hype from a practical perspective. “As an organizer, I thought it made no sense, since, unlike sweaters or LEGO pieces, no one retrieves books based on their color,” she reflects. “The point of organizing is to make things easy to find.”
Kendra Littlejohn of Organized by Kendra, shares this view. “Color-coding looks stunning in photos, but in real life, it can become overwhelming,” she says. “When you arrange by color, finding a book can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Color-coding books prioritizes aesthetics over function, and for many, that defeats the purpose of organizing.”
Alternative Styling Approaches
What are the best ways to arrange books to easily find what you need and make sure your shelves look their best? Organizers share their go-to methods below.
Sort by Author or Category
Nancy Meck, founder of Meck Organizing, is a proponent of this method. “Why would you want to take the extra step of trying to remember what color the edge is to hunt it down on a shelf? Sorting them instead by author or category favors using them for their content, not their look,” she says.
Sort by Subcategory
If most of your books fall within one particular category, it never hurts to get a bit more granular. “I learned a lot when I helped a reverend organize her office in the church,” Zaslow says. “To me, all the books fell into the category of religion, but with her specialized knowledge, she divided them into groupings including liturgy, theology, scripture, biblical history, and more.”
Sort by Size
Another idea is to simply organize your books by size. “Arrange larger or taller books together so you can adjust shelving and maximize space,” suggests Lisa Malone, founder of InHome Boutique Spaces. As a general rule, larger, heavier books should go on the bottom shelves.
Sort by Format
Malone is also a proponent of separating paperbacks from hardcovers. This approach yields “a cleaner, more balanced look,” she says. You don’t have to worry about your paperbacks being crammed between bulky hardcovers, and you’ll even maximize shelf space.
A Few Things to Consider
At the end of the day, if you’re debating between styling books in color order or not displaying them at all, then by all means, go with a rainbow look. “The worst way to arrange them is piled up and forgotten in the bottom of a box in the attic or other storage space,” Meck says. “Use them or lose them!”
Additionally, Littlejohn adds, you can still bring some color-coded organizing into the mix if you so choose. “If you love the visual satisfaction of color, you can still incorporate it within categories or as an accent on one shelf rather than the entire collection,” she says.
Sarah Lyon is a New York City-based freelancer who produces interior design, travel and lifestyle content. Her work is featured in outlets including Apartment Therapy, Architectural Digest, MyDomaine, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Plus, her personal spaces have appeared on Apartment Therapy, The Everygirl, Houzz and more.
