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    Eight interiors celebrating the curated clutter of “bookshelf wealth”

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    Dubbed the first major design trend of 2024, our latest lookbook collects cosy, lived-in interiors that embody the “bookshelf wealth” aesthetic movement taking over social media.

    While using books for interior decoration is not a new idea, it has been brought back into focus by a now-viral TikTok video posted in December by San Diego-based interior designer Kailee Blalock.
    In the video, Blalock explains that “bookshelf wealth” is not just about creating perfect book displays, but instead about capturing the warmth and homeliness of book collections to curate “a whole home vibe”.
    “Bookshelf wealth”, which the Financial Times called this year’s “first major design trend”, suggests pairing bookshelves with mismatched interior patterns, cosy seating areas and layered, loosely organised art pieces to create a tastefully eclectic space for reading.
    Despite their contemporary qualities, the projects in this list capture the intimate atmosphere of “bookshelf wealth”, from colourful bookshelves that span an entire room to subtle reading nooks for deeply personal collections.

    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration, see previous lookbooks featuring spaces punctuated by structural columns, rooms embracing the “unexpected red theory” and playful homes integrating indoor slides.
    Photo by Nicole FranzenEast Village Apartment, USA, by GRT Architects
    A wooden bookcase with sienna-coloured backing panels complements this warm New York apartment renovation by GRT Architects.
    The bookcase spans the length of the living room behind patterned, textural furniture pieces and is lined with multicoloured books stacked in different directions against small sculptural objects.
    Aiming to preserve the home’s “turn-of-the-century disposition”, GRT Architects concealed a TV behind a light pink panel at the centre of bookcase.
    Find out more about East Village Apartment ›
    Photo by Felix SpellerMayfair home, UK, by Child Studio
    London-based Child Studio designed this entertainer’s home in Mayfair with mid-century modern furniture and deep-toned material finishes, aiming to enhance the art deco atmosphere by carving bookshelves into dark mahogany walls.
    “We worked closely with the client to create a space that reflected his personality and interests, encompassing art, design, literature and travel,” Child Studio founders Che Huang and Alexy Kos told Dezeen.
    “This approach made us think of Saint Laurent’s salon – an eclectic interior where design objects and art pieces from different eras and parts of the world are assembled together, forming a highly personal environment.”
    Find out more about the Mayfair home ›
    Photo by The Ingalls and Matthieu SalvaingSanta Monica Proper Hotel, USA, by Kelly Wearstler
    The Santa Monica Proper Hotel by American designer Kelly Wearstler includes reading niches with artwork and furniture by local artists and artisans.
    A brimming bookcase flanks low-lying lounges and walls covered by misaligned artwork, with Wearstler explaining that the idea was to connect the original building’s Spanish colonial revival style with the new contemporary building.
    “Everything’s connected to somebody that is local in the city,” Wearstler explained. “We’re so lucky to be in Los Angeles, the talent pool here is extraordinary.”
    Find out more about Santa Monica Proper Hotel ›
    Photo by Victor StonemAdH House, Mexico, by Francesc Rifé Studio
    Spanish practice Francesc Rifé Studio conceived this moody house in Mexico City with a eucalyptus floor-to-ceiling bookcase to display antique atlases.
    The bespoke unit was finished with brass bookstands and embedded LED lighting to complement the tactile and neutral interior palette, capturing the luxurious undertones of “bookshelf wealth”.
    Find out more about AdH House ›
    Photo by Rafael SoldiWhidbey Dogtrot, USA, by SHED
    A dedicated reading nook punctures this bedroom suite for a compact home in the Pacific Northwest by US studio SHED.
    Wrapping the bright white walls, stacked books and mismatched objects line dark metal shelf extrusions that are interrupted by a square window looking out to the surrounding landscape.
    Find out more about Whidbey Dogtrot ›
    Photo by Trevor Mein and Sharyn CairnsKew Residence, Australia, by John Wardle Architects
    Remodelled by John Wardle Architects for the founder’s own Melbourne home, Kew Residence leans into the informal and cocooning atmosphere of “bookshelf wealth” in its wood-clad first-floor study.
    Built-in shelves made from Victorian Ash are the focal point of the room and have been densely filled with a collection of ceramic art and books. Next to the shelves, an inset window seat and a slim suspended desk were added, creating a practical and uniform interior.
    Find out more about Kew Residence ›
    Photo by Chris MottaliniSilver Lake home, USA, by Lovers Unite
    As part of renovation works for a 1950s Los Angeles home, California studio Lovers Unite converted an unused balcony into a long, teal-upholstered window seat below a floating bookshelf.
    Paired with contrasting embroidered cushions and vintage decor pieces, the book display adds colour, depth and a feeling of occupation to enliven the timber-clad interiors.
    Find out more about Silver Lake home ›
    Photo by Derek SwalwellSt Vincents Place, Australia, by BE Architecture
    Australian studio BE Architecture renovated this Victorian home to highlight the client’s vast art collection, while also rejecting “stark minimalism” and embracing the interior’s existing heritage features.
    Large-format books form a centrepiece in the home’s lounge area under transparent coffee table cubes, adding to the home’s eclectic, richly textured and academic character.
    Find out more about St Vincents Place ›
    This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring homes with indoor slides, colourful home renovations and built around ruins. 

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      Studio Vaaro reconfigures House M using built-in storage volumes

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      For the renovation of a house in Toronto’s West End, local firm Studio Vaaro added minimally detailed millwork to form kitchen cabinetry, the staircase and a feature bookcase in the living room.

      Studio Vaaro’s overhaul of House M, a three-storey detached property that had been renovated and extended multiple times over the years, involved reconfiguring the layout to remove the awkward subdivided spaces.
      The ground floor of House M is partitioned by storage volumes laid out in a diamond formation”Our clients were a professional couple with two young children, who were looking for flexible and resilient spaces that could accommodate their home offices, overnight guests, and the changing needs of their growing children,” said the studio.
      “We, therefore, developed a spatial concept based on ‘functional volumes’, in which well-proportioned spaces are partitioned by blocks of storage and service functions.”
      The pale blue-grey volumes provide additional storage space for the kitchenThese built-in storage blocks partially partition four rooms on the ground floor while keeping an open flow between them.

      Laid out in a diamond formation, all are coloured pale blue-grey to highlight their function against the otherwise white walls.
      In the kitchen, oak cabinetry contrasts with the marble countertops”The large amount of built-in storage ensures the rooms themselves are free of clutter and ready for use,” said Studio Vaaro. “In line with the family’s personalities, colour and playful details abound.”
      In the entryway is a coat closet that hides the view of the living room behind, where an oak bookcase sat atop a teal powder-coated fireplace covers almost an entire wall.
      Bleachers are built into the oak staircase, offering a display area or extra seatingA powder room is placed between this space and the kitchen, also forming additional cabinet and counter space within its volume.
      Further kitchen storage sits in front of the dining room, and another closet is tucked under the doglegging staircase.
      On the first floor, the bedrooms are accessed through deep portal doorways”A ‘mixing bowl’ at the centre of the plan, at the base of the stairs, visually and physically connects all four spaces,” the studio said.
      Both the entry and the dining room volumes are pulled away from the home’s exterior walls, allowing additional views between rooms.
      The portals are coloured dusty pink and the kids rooms are also colourfulThe remaining built-in furniture is oak to match the flooring that runs throughout, including kitchen millwork and the staircase, which incorporates oversized bleachers for displaying kids’ artwork or creating extra seating during a party.
      A white metal “picket” guardrail, softened with rounded details, allows light to pass down from the upper levels.

      Long wooden cabinet runs through slender Borden house by StudioAC

      On the first floor, two parallel volumes separate the children’s rooms at the front of the house and the primary suite at the back from the central corridor.
      These create both storage for the rooms, and deep doorway portals that are highlighted in dusty pink.
      Skylights in the stepped angled roofs bring extra light into rooms at the rear, including the primary bathroomCarefully considered details include recesses for the door handles, allowing the doors to open the full 90 degrees without banging into the wall.
      Work and study spaces in the attic are minimally furnished, though feature built-in desks that step up to form shelves behind.
      Study spaces in the attic also feature built-in furnitureSkylights in the stepped, angled roof planes on all three floors bring extra light into the dining room, primary bathroom, and the stairwell.
      Other Toronto homes that have undergone extensive renovations to make them better suited for their occupants include a 14-foot-wide house where pale woodwork forms storage to make more space, and another “disguised as a gallery” – both designed by StudioAC.
      The photography is by Scott Norsworthy.
      Project credits:
      Team: Aleris Rodgers, Francesco Valente-Gorjup, Shengjie Qiu.

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      Eight homes with beautiful and practical bookshelves

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      For our latest lookbook, we’ve collected eight homes where stylish wall-mounted and built-in bookshelves add storage and visual interest.

      For book lovers, storage can quickly become a problem. But well-designed shelves can solve this issue and simultaneously function as a decorative detail.
      This lookbook showcases practical bookshelves from across the globe, including custom-made steel shelving in Chicago and a floor-to-ceiling wooden bookcase in Shanghai.
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bathrooms with sunken baths, bedrooms with regal four-poster beds and interiors with natural materials and timeless accents.
      Photo by Tom Rossiter PhotographyResidence for Two Collectors, US, by Wheeler Kearns Architects

      Local studio Wheeler Kearns Architects designed this Chicago home for two art collectors to have enough space for their extensive collection.
      In the penthouse’s living room, a custom-made shelf in patinated steel with its own circular staircase takes up almost an entire wall. This is filled not just with books but also with various artworks in wood and clay.
      Find out more about Residence for Two Collectors ›
      Photo by Imagen SubliminalHouse 6, Spain, by Zooco Estudio
      Bookshelves span two levels of this flat in Mallorca, designed by Spanish studio Zooco Estudio. Colourful book covers contrast against the white shelving unit, which rises up from the ground floor.
      “As a unifying element, a shelf rises colonising both living and lobby spaces,” the studio said. “This way we integrate aesthetic and functionality in one single element.”
      Find out more about House 6 ›

      Pedro Reyes House, Mexico, by Pedro Reyes
      The Mexico City home of sculptor Pedro Reyes and fashion designer Carla Fernandez is filled with sculptural details including a double-height staircase and a library made from coarse concrete.
      The concrete is left exposed both here and throughout the rest of the house, which takes cues from the city’s modernist and brutalist buildings, including examples by Luis Barragán.
      Find out more about Pedro Reyes House ›
      Photo by Santiago Barrio and Shen Zhong HaiLibrary Home, China, by Atelier Tao+C
      This Shanghai apartment, located in the ISS Normandy Apartments designed by Hungarian-Slovak architect László Hudec in 1924, is almost completely lined with bookshelves.
      The wooden storage matches the flat’s parquet flooring and contrasts with the white marble staircase in the living area, where a wine fridge adds to the relaxed feel of the room.
      Find out more about Library Home ›
      Photo by Adam ScottA Cloistered House, UK, by Turner Architects
      When Turner Architects renovated this Georgian terraced house in south London, the British studio was careful to restore the building’s original features while still keeping it modern.
      Built-in shelves filled with books add a splash of sage green to the living room, where a cosy mustard-yellow sofa creates an inviting reading spot.
      Find out more about A Cloistered House ›
      Photo by Lorenzo ZandriFarleigh Road House, UK, by Paolo Cossu Architects
      A smooth wooden bookshelf lines the wall and connects to a chunky wooden staircase inside Farleigh Road House in east London, designed by local studio Paolo Cossu Architects.
      Its deep shelves provide space for books as well as magazines, plants, vases and lamps.
      Find out more about Farleigh Road House ›
      Photo by Rafael GamoCuernavaca House, Mexico, by Tapia McMahon
      Inside this family home in Mexico City, a huge timber bookcase adds a warm feel to the concrete walls.
      “Large timber bookshelves and a kitchen assembly mimic furniture installations and help to break up the use of fair-faced concrete walls and slabs throughout,” architecture studio Tapia McMahon said.
      Find out more about Cuernavaca House ›

      Charlotte Road warehouse, UK, by Emil Eve Architects
      The living room inside this apartment in a former warehouse in Shoreditch, east London, features a built-in wooden bookcase that complements the exposed wooden beams in the ceiling.
      Reaching all the way up to the ceiling, the oak shelving was designed to add to the warm material palette of the brick-and-timber building.
      Find out more about Charlotte Road warehouse ›
      This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring bathrooms with sunken baths, bedrooms with regal four-poster beds and interiors with natural materials and timeless accents.

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      Atelier Tao+C creates serene timber and travertine reading room

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      Two vacant ground-floor rooms and an adjoining greenhouse were knocked together and lined with bookshelves to form this private library, designed by Atelier Tao+C for a venture capital firm in Shanghai.

      Set in a converted 1980s house, which is home to the offices of VC fund Whales Capital, the reading room can accommodate up to 12 people and is shared between the company’s employees and the owner’s friends.
      Atelier Tao+C has created a reading room for Whales CapitalAll of the rooms are enclosed by immovable, load-bearing walls, which local practice Atelier Tao+C had to integrate into the design while creating the impression of being in one continuous 76-square-metre space.
      To this effect, the original doors and windows were removed and three openings – measuring between two and three metres wide – were created to connect the rooms.
      The space is lined with wooden bookshelvesThe remaining wall sections are hidden from view by new architectural elements including a set of semi-circular wooden bookshelves, which run through the two ground-floor rooms to form a pair of small, quiet reading nooks.

      The structural walls connecting these rooms to the old glasshouse were wrapped in creamy white travertine to create a kind of “sculptural volume”, Atelier Tao+C explained.
      Skylights funnel natural light into the interiorAs a result, the studio says the walls and structural columns are “dissolved” into the space to create the feeling of a more open-plan interior.
      In the old greenhouse, a timber structure was inserted into the building’s glass shell, with bookshelves integrated into its wooden beams and columns to create a seamless design.

      Ten social kitchen interiors with built-in seating nooks

      This structure also forms a wooden ceiling inside the glasshouse, with strategically placed round and square skylights to temper the bright daylight from outside and create a more pleasant reading environment.
      Spread across the interior are four different seating areas: a small study table for solo work, a shared meeting table, a reading booth for one person and a sofa seat where multiple people can talk and relax.
      White travertine was used to obscure the building’s original brick wallsA Private Reading Room has been shortlisted in the small interiors category of the 2022 Dezeen Awards.
      Atelier Tao+C, which is run by designers Chunyan Cai and Tao Liu, is also shortlisted for emerging interior design studio this year, alongside Sydney firm Alexander & Co, Barcelona-based Raúl Sánchez Architects and London practice House of Grey.
      The photography is by Wen Studio.

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