Bookcase Ideas – How to Choose and Style a Bookshelf for Your Living Room

Do you remember the bookcase in your grandparents' front room? Rows of faded paperbacks, a set of encyclopaedias nobody ever finished, holiday souvenirs, a framed school photo and that one heavy atlas you pulled out on rainy afternoons. It was never styled for anyone – and yet it told the whole story of the family.

Fast forward to adulthood, and books often end up in piles on the floor, in boxes under the bed or squeezed onto a shelf that wobbles every time you take one out. Somewhere along the way, we lost that sense of a proper home for the things we love.

That is why good bookcase ideas matter. The right bookcase organises your living room, frames your favourite objects and adds warmth that no other piece of furniture quite manages, whether you own fifty books or five hundred.

At Pillovely, we believe your home should reflect who you are. You are valued, you are someone – and your stories deserve a place where they can be seen.

Here are the best bookshelf ideas and bookcase ideas to help you choose the right type, size and style, and arrange it so it looks curated rather than cluttered.

Bookcase or Bookshelf – What Types Are There (Open, Closed, Modular)?

In everyday British English, a bookshelf is usually a single shelf or a small unit, while a bookcase is a freestanding piece of furniture with several shelves. In practice, the words are used interchangeably, and good bookshelf ideas apply to both. What really matters is how the unit stores and displays your things.

Open Bookcase

An open bookcase has no doors, so everything is on show. It feels light and airy and is ideal for books you reach for often, plants and decorative objects. For a modern bookcase with a lighter look, a good example is the Cella bookcase 120 × 83 cm with a black marble effect: it measures 120 × 35 × 83 cm, has two fixed shelves on a black powder-coated steel frame and works well under a window or beside the sofa.

Closed and Mixed Bookcases

Doors hide everyday clutter – board games, files and chargers – while open sections keep the display element. A good example is the Asymo bookcase 90 × 180 cm in Japandi style, which combines three doors and three shelves with fourteen open compartments in oiled oak veneer. For more combinations, explore our cabinets and chests of drawers.

Modular and Wall Units

• Modular bookcase: pieces from one collection placed side by side, so the unit can grow with your library.
• Wall bookshelf: floating shelves that save floor space in a small flat – our Lato and Trava wall shelves are around 107 cm wide.
• Low open bookcase: a long, low unit that doubles as a surface for lamps and art.

Bookcase or Display Cabinet – Which Suits Your Living Room Better?

Both pieces store and display, but they do it differently. A bookcase is open and relaxed, and it suits paperbacks, magazines, baskets and plants. A display cabinet has glass doors, which protect china, glassware, vinyl or collectables from dust while keeping them visible.

• Choose a bookcase if you read a lot, change your display often and like an informal, lived-in look.
• Choose a display cabinet if you collect fragile objects, live with pets or small children, or want a more polished, elegant feel.
• Combine both in a larger room: a tall display cabinet beside an open unit creates a balanced wall without looking repetitive.

The FJORD collection is a good illustration: its open bookcase and glass-fronted display cabinets belong to the same Scandinavian-style collection, so they sit happily side by side. You will find more glazed designs among our display cabinets. If you are curious about finishes, our guide to painted MDF furniture explains why lacquered fronts are so practical on cabinets.

How to Choose the Right Size and Proportions for the Wall and Room Height?

A bookcase living room scheme works only when the unit is in proportion to the wall. Before you buy, measure the width, height and depth of the space, and note sockets, radiators and skirting boards.

• Width: leave at least 20–30 cm of wall on each side, so the bookcase does not look squeezed in.
• Height: in a standard room with a ceiling of around 240 cm, a unit of 180–200 cm feels generous without touching the ceiling.
• Depth: about 30–40 cm suits most books; deeper shelves invite double rows and clutter.
• Walkways: keep roughly 80–90 cm of clear space in front of the unit.

For a narrow alcove beside a chimney breast, a slim, tall design makes the most of the height. A good example is the Kiyro tall bookcase 50 × 201 cm, which measures 50 × 201 × 39 cm, has several shelves and comes in a warm caramel oak finish.

For a wider wall, a broader unit on legs looks lighter. The FJORD bookcase 110 × 197 cm with open shelves and three drawers stands on 18 cm oak legs and hides small items in push-to-open drawers. Always fix tall units to the wall with an anti-tip kit, especially in homes with children.

How to Style a Bookcase So It Looks Curated Rather Than Cluttered?

Knowing how to style a bookcase is what turns storage into a feature. The secret is balance: a mix of books, objects and empty space.

Simple Bookcase Styling Rules

• Mix directions: stand some books upright and stack others horizontally as bases for small objects.
• Work in threes: group objects in odd numbers and vary their height.
• Leave breathing room: aim for roughly a third of each shelf to stay empty.
• Repeat colours: echo two or three shades from your cushions or rug.
• Add life: one trailing plant on a top shelf softens straight lines.

Make It Feel Personal

The best bookcase styling tells your story – a postcard from a favourite trip, a record sleeve, a candle or a framed photo. Heavier items belong low down, and frequently used books at eye level. If your bookcase sits beside the TV, keep both pieces in the same tone; our TV unit ideas show how to plan a media wall, and our TV units include designs that match the bookcases above.

Finally, add light – the last step of good bookcase styling. A small lamp on a middle shelf or a picture light above makes any modern bookcase glow in the evening.

Furniture with Heart – The Pillovely Philosophy

A bookcase is a piece you live with for decades – and that is how we think about all our furniture.

• Real value, not corporate "prestige": thoughtful design at a fair price, without catalogue gimmicks.
• Made to last: furniture you can look after – clean it, don't throw it away.
• Care beyond the living room: fabric offcuts find a second life in animal shelters.
• A community, not just customers: people connected by music & nostalgia and a love of a warm home.

Create a Living Room Library You Love

The best bookcase ideas start with an honest look at what you own and the wall you have. Choose an open, closed or modular unit to suit your habits, decide whether a bookcase or a display cabinet fits better, keep the proportions right and style the shelves with books, meaningful objects and a little empty space. Explore our complete collection of bookcases, display cabinets and TV units at Pillovely. Build a living room that surrounds you with warmth, nostalgia, and genuine comfort every single night.

Pillovely – For the love of home warmth.