All book lovers dream of a home library designed with built-in bookshelves to house their book collection. But having a separate room just for book storage is often unattainable by the average person.

However, there are still plenty of home library ideas out there that can help you channel your inner interior designer and work within the square footage you have to create a space worthy of curling up with a good book.

An L-Shaped Home Library Packed With Books Leading into the Bedroom

First on the list of home library ideas is a classic floor-to-ceiling design. Bookshelves surround double doors leaning into a bedroom and continue across the connecting wall.

Every inch of the shelving is filled with a variety of books in all different sizes and colors, creating a stunning collection to have on display. You could also use frosted French doors in this space for additional elegance while maintaining privacy.

via Entrance Makleri

White Bookshelves With a Bottom Row of Cabinets and Other Decorative Items

Similar to the previous home library idea, these bookcases frame the bedroom door. However, these shelves include a set of cabinets at the bottom of each section for additional storage of other items.

Additionally, the books here are more spaced out, resulting in a more relaxed appearance, and they are joined by other items such as photographs, dinnerware, and candles. The overall thoughtful arrangement of objects creates a sophisticated atmosphere.

Styled by Greydeco and photographed by Janne Olander, for Stadshem

Grey Floor-to-Ceiling Bookcases With Vertical Paneling for Visual Interest

This room features grey and blue tones that create a peaceful environment which is strengthened by the decorative home library. As with our previous example, the shelves aren’t packed tight with books, allowing decor items to be placed throughout.

These gaps also leave the back panel of the shelving visible, which this design has used to its advantage. Vertical paneling covers the back of the shelves, creating a pop of visual interest in the open areas.

Styled by Bon Interior, photographed by Maria Sahlander, for sale via Bjurfors

A Section of White Square Shelves in the Dining Room

This home library uses sections of glass-fronted display cases to create a large area of even square shelves against the dining room wall. As with many of the other home library ideas, the shelves house more than just books, leaving space for accent pieces and knickknacks as well as a bottom section of cabinets to store items you may prefer to keep out of sight.

via Sjoman Frisk

A Dark, Forest Green Home Library With Additional Built-In Storage

One of the most vibrant and traditionally styled home library ideas on our list, this library creates a cozy reading spot complete with a chessboard side table. This bold green bookshelf pairs wonderfully with the green in the wallpaper as well as the rich brown tones of the other furniture.

The overall style of the furniture, including the antique chandelier, transports you back in time while you sit and enjoy books of all kinds.

Photographed by Therese Jahnson for Historiska Hem

A Home Library Covering a Full Wall of the Dining Room

In line with some of the home library ideas we’ve seen so far, these floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall bookshelves are an excellent addition to this dining room. All of the shelves are evenly spaced to create a sense of symmetry, though the books are thoughtfully arranged in a variety of groupings and positions so that no two areas are the same.

This keeps the eye moving across the space, something that is visually appealing. Additionally, a library ladder is kept off to the side to help reach the highest areas and ensure this home library stays fully functional.

via Innerstdtspecialisten

A Large Home Library in the Living Room With a TV and Other Decor

This home library takes on the role of entertainment center in this sitting room, housing a TV alongside books and other decor. By installing the shelving directly onto the wall using bracket supports, there’s additional space to fill with books and miscellaneous items.

Filling the space completely creates the illusion of floating shelves as seen in the top row here. Furthermore, the shelves themselves are painted in the same shade of paint as the walls, allowing them to blend in and better showcase the books they hold.

Styled by Thomas Lingsell, photographed by Therese Jahnson for Historiska Hem

A Cozy Home Library Reading Nook Under a Skylight in an Attic Space

This small home library also serves as a cozy reading nook with a comfy chair and side tables. The skylight bathes the space in natural light, enhancing the cozy atmosphere and inviting you to curl up with a good book and read the day away.

Additionally, the books are lightly arranged by color, which creates a pleasing appearance for the eyes. As an added bonus, this simplistic design is easy to achieve without much heavy lifting and without needing an interior designer on sight to ensure it goes as planned. If desired, there’s also room to add a floor lamp to create a source of light for nighttime reading.

Styled by Clindholm Design, photographed by Jocke Ono for Historiska Hem

A Home Library in a Gallery-Wall Layout in the Living Room

This home library echoes the appearance of a gallery wall framing the TV, but with the added advantage of storing more items in addition to art and photographs. The mix of shelf shapes and sizes creates a variety of spaces to display a range of objects with ease.

The bookcase’s coloring works well with the cool neutral palette without overshadowing the items it holds, something that creates a subtle focal point.

photographed by Adam Helbaoui, sold via Innerstadsspecialisten

A Vibrant Home Library in a Bold Foyer With a Small Table and a Single Chair

This striking foyer beautifully highlights the personality and theme of the home as you enter, welcoming guests with a mix of colors, patterns, and textures. The inclusion of bookshelves along the back wall and framing the door enhances the ambiance of this little room without taking up unnecessary floor space.

Art books, fiction novels, and historical biographies blend across these bookshelves, telling the story of the interests and passions of the home’s residents.

Styled by Thomas Lingsell, photographed by Fredric Boukari for Historiska Hem

Half-Wall Shelves for a Small Home Library in a Sitting Room

Not all home libraries have to be grand and imposing. This understated collection behind the living room sofa allows you to showcase a smaller, more meaningful selection of books in your home.

The half-height also leaves space for displaying artwork and photos along the walls. Additionally, this size bookshelf is ideal for a kid’s room, ensuring that all of their books are safely within reach.

via Entrance Makleri

Large, Dramatic Bookcases Framing the Entry Way of the Home

These dark bookcases are painted in the same shade as other interior design elements in the room, such as the wainscoting, trim, and entertainment console, making the room feel cohesive.

This bold entryway is sure to wow guests as they enter the home, while also causing the living room to seem more relaxed and comfortable.

via Per Jansson

A Blend of Shelf Sizes With Built-In Cabinetry and Hanging Plants

This custom-built home library features a blend of shelf shapes and sizes, allowing endless decor possibilities. As with other home library ideas, this design can easily be customized to better suit your space and needs.

For instance, a reading nook with wicker chairs could be added to the corner, additional vining plants could be placed sporadically, or a rolling ladder could be installed directly on the bookshelves.

via Alvhem

Subtle Bracket Mounts to Give the Appearance of Wide Floating Shelves

This home library uses many of the same elements as some of the other home library ideas we’ve seen so far but adds unique touches to create something new.

The bracket-mounted shelving still produces the appearance of a floating shelf, but the contrast between the color of the shelving and the wall allows the shelving to stand out more, resulting in a slightly different visual effect.

Styled by Nouvel Interior, photographed by Alen Cordic for Bjurfors

Multipurpose Bookcases as a Room Divider and Display Area

This home library performs double duty as a book storage solution as well as a room divider. These bookshelves help create a clear separation of rooms in an open-plan space but do so purposefully. Additionally, both the books and the decorative items fit the color scheme for a cohesive look.

via Bjurfors

Floor-to-Ceiling Bookcases With a Library Ladder in a Room With a Vaulted Roof

A vaulted ceiling in the living room is the perfect excuse to grow your collection and create a stunning home library. The attached rolling ladder is every book lover’s dream, allowing you to reach every corner of the space with ease.

This is the classic style people around the world picture when thinking about home libraries.

Styled by Asa Copparstad, photographed by Therese Jahnson for Historiska Hem

Bookshelves Framing One End of a Window Seat for a Cozy Reading Nook

For the final example in our list of home library ideas, we have bookshelves framing a cozy reading spot positioned just under a window. This style of home library is sure to please all ages, serving as the perfect addition to a child’s bedroom or an adult’s office space. No matter where you create this in your house, a reading nook such as this is always a hit.

Styled by Anna van Keppel, photographed by Dana Ozollapa for Historiska Hem

House plants are a popular addition to home decor for a wide variety of reasons. An indoor plant in an office space can help promote mental well being while even faux plants on a dining table can create a focal point in the room.

No matter if you have a green thumb or simply find plants appealing for their health benefits, such as absorbing pollutants, indoor plants can create an environment that’s appealing to everyone.

An Abundance of House Plants for a Tropical Feel

A paradise for plant lovers, this room takes full advantage of the wealth of natural light to fill the area with a variety of plant species.

These plants work together to create visual interest with minimal effort. As a bonus, the terracotta pots pair well with the umber and wood tones in the room. This lush design is sure to thrive and impress guests during special occasions and casual gatherings alike.

via Historiska Hem

A Trio of Indoor Plants to Bring Life to a Space

Indoor plants can be used to add a little extra something to the existing home decor. This room features a simple trio of plants in different sizes and textures which provide subtle pops of color that don’t take away from the existing calm and cohesive design.

The plants are spaced in a way that creates a visual triangle, inviting you further into the room while pleasing the eye.

via Alvhem

Tropical Plants for an Aesthetic Appeal

If you’re renting or leasing your home, it’s possible that you aren’t allowed to hang any sort of decoration on the walls. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a space that’s your own.

Instead, use a handful of plants to decorate the room in a classic, natural aesthetic. Be sure to place the plants within the path of the window to ensure light requirements are met.

via Historiska Hem

A Collection of Houseplants in a Bright and Airy Space

In a color palette dominated by white and shades of grey, you can use houseplants to add texture and help tie in tan elements.

Just be careful choosing the plants and home decor to pair together as the humidity in the air that allows the plants to thrive can damage certain types of material, such as some wood species. This is especially important in summer when the temperature and humidity are typically at their highest.

Styled by Linnéa H. Manaberi, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Alvhem

Climbing Vines to Fill Empty Corners and Blank Walls

Walls made of exposed brick or other materials that are hard to mount decor on don’t have to remain bare. Vine plants typically like to climb and a few simple, subtle hooks can create the perfect support system.

In this example specifically, the contrast of the natural, persistent plant life against the rough, lasting brick creates a certain aesthetic appeal.

via Stadshem

Decorative Plants in a Matching Neutral Space

When placed in the right pots, indoor plants can seamlessly tie into your home decor. This neutral space with darker tones showcases a unique collection of houseplants in a range of colors and foliage types.

This design can be achieved with everything from little plants, such as succulents, to indoor trees, such as fiddle leaf figs, or even orchids.

via Alvhem

Just a Few Indoor Plants for a Calming Effect

If you have pets or are simply not confident in your ability to keep multiple indoor plants alive, purchase a few hardy, easy-to-care-for plants.

Typically, plants in this family are non-toxic to pets and can withstand the occasional chewing or tip-over without much fuss. Just make sure that before you pick up a plant, you research the animals that it is safe to be around as different animals can react to different species.

Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Fredrik j Karlsson for Alvhem

Tropical Foliage on a Shelf in a Bright Kitchen Area

Another solution to maintaining indoor plants in a house with pets is to place the plant or plants in an area that can’t be reached by your furry friend. This example uses smaller monsteras to decorate the kitchen while also keeping them out of reach.

Small or artificial plants can be used in lower spaces to create the feeling of a lush environment without worrying about messy soil or toxicity.

via Alvhem

A Variety of Plant Types and Sizes in a Small Space

Indoor plants can transform your cramped indoor space into a breath of fresh air. Blend plants with different foliage patterns, such as a spider plant, peace lily, or ferns, for a fun look.

Alternatively, you could even start a small, indoor garden by placing herbs and other vegetation that don’t require excessive equipment in planters along windowsills in the kitchen.

via Historiska Hem

Sporadic Greenery in a Breezy Kitchen

Long sprigs of greenery in decorative vases can be a simple, elegant addition to any room. This kitchen with light grey cabinets uses pops of green to lightly decorate open areas.

The abundance of light makes the room seem larger than it is, allowing the long branches to feel right at home. The potted plant in the window adds to the effect and the placement of these plants throughout the room pulls everything together.

via Alvhem

Narrow, Reaching Plants in a Darker Bedroom

These plants add a warm touch to this blue bedroom that’s full of shades in a cool color temperature. The lack of white walls means that the natural light isn’t reflected around the room as much as in the other examples we’ve looked at, so faux plants or plants that thrive in medium to low light might be a plus.

The unique shape of these plants also helps to bring together the clean lines and plush fabrics.

Styled by Emma Fisher and Annica Clarmell, photographed by Maria Sahlander for Bjurfors

Small Houseplants in Unique Spaces

Small, one-of-a-kind rooms can also enjoy the benefits of indoor plants. These small houseplants bring a sense of fresh air into the attic bedroom while the skylight promotes growth in the plants.

You can choose a range of individual plants in small pots or combine a collection of something like succulents in decorative planters.

via Fantastic Frank

Green Plants in a Monochromatic Room

This example features popular indoor plants, such as a fiddle leaf fig and a snake plant, as a source of warmth and color in this predominantly white room.

These plants, as well as the small cactus and other plants visible in the mirror, all share matching plain terracotta planters. This choice provides a sense of cohesiveness to the room while capitalizing on the benefits of terracotta.

via Historiska Hem

A Mix of Indoor Plants Spanning Multiple Rooms

Showcase your plant collection by placing them in every room. This is an easy way to keep a continuous theme and feeling throughout your home decor while experimenting with different materials and paints.

The natural light in your home likely varies from room to room, meaning that you can have different plant types with different requirements in the office, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and living room. Plus, each room can benefit from improved air quality.

via Stadshem

Create an Indoor Plant Haven in the Bathroom

The bathroom is a great place for indoor plants. They typically have higher humidity than other rooms of the home, something nearly every plant loves.

Tropical plants and other similar house plants can come together to become a stunning plant collection. You could also select flowering house plants for an added “wow” element in the spring.

via Historiska Hem

Some rugs are a true work of art. Rather than just using them on the floor they seem more appropriate to be used as wall hangings. Using a beautiful rug as wall art can do wonders for your home decor, as it will add texture and color variation to your space.

Since most rugs are made of natural materials, they tend to add a warm effect and provide the room with a cozy appearance. Just like ticker curtains and other fabrics, they tend to absorb sound and get rid of any echo in your space.

Since rugs are not often picked as wall decor, they tend to add a more unique character to your walls. They are an easy pick to make a statement. Whether you choose to go bold or subtle, hanging rugs will surely create a wow effect in your space. In the list below, you can find my favorite rug wall art ideas for you to get inspired by.

Hanging rugs to complement the interior color in your living room

The light grey wall color in this turn-of-the-century living room is paired with a modest color in the furnishings while an eye-catching wall rug hangs proudly on display. The olive green tone in the rug comes back in the fresh green plants spread throughout the room.

Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Fredrik J Karlsson for sale via Alvhem

In the light grey living room below, a heavy-weight wool rug fills the wall space above the sofa and adds a cozy atmosphere to the room. The black lines in the rug pattern add a wonderful contrast to the setting.

Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Jonas Berg for Stadshem

The warm red tones in the wall hanging in this warm beige living room catch the eye once you step into this living room. Putting a long rug will accentuate the ceiling height and make the room height even more impressive.

via Ferm Living

Olive, grey, and beige tones in the wall rug stand out against a sage green living room wall color in a gorgeous historic living room. The rug fits within the boundaries of the wainscoting for an elegant effect.

via Ferm Living

The textured wool rug in this living room has loops so the rug is hanging on a wood stick as an easy wall-hanging system.

via Ferm Living

DIY your wall hanging with a small rug wrapped around a wood bar paired with string for a custom and budget-friendly solution that looks custom.

Styled by Emma Fisher and Annica Clarmell, photographed by Jens Eliasson for Bjurfors

Fill free space next to a doorway with a smaller rug to make it more special. Even though there is no need to fill every single wall space, adding a few art pieces will make your home look more finished and personal.

via Ferm Living

The small studio living room in the example below has simple white walls with the rug above the sofa as the only wall decor. This makes the rug art even more special and it becomes a true focal point in the space.

via Kvarteret Makleri

A striking balance has been achieved in the example below with a hanging rug on one side of the window and a cupboard with a table lamp on the other.

via Ferm Living

Rug wall hangings add an original touch to a dining room

The warm wood tones of the dining table and chairs in this kitchen dining area are complemented by the gorgeous rug art with brown, yellow, and orange tones.

styled by Anna van Keppel, photographed by Elin Sylwan for Historiska Hem

Hang a graphic black and white rug to accentuate the contrasting materials in your interior. The cotton rug in the dining room below fills the empty wall space next to the black wall shelf and matches the black elements in the decor.

via Ferm Living

The assymetric rug art matches this gorgeous interior with off-white walls perfectly. The doorway and fireplace frame the art perfectly and the subtle black elements in the rug add a bit of contrast to the natural color palette.

Photographed by Ozolappa, styled by Lingsell for Historiska Hem

Match your rugs to the color palette of the space to achieve a comforting and balanced look. Both the floor rug and the wall hanging in this dining room are selected in a natural brown tone, matching the building materials of this beautiful arched room.

via Ferm Living

Adding a textural touch with rug wall hangings in a bedroom interior

The layering of the different fabrics on the bed, paired with the tick fabric headboard, the rug, and the patchwork curtains creates such a beautiful layering in this bedroom. The wall hanging adds warmth to the beige wall color and finishes the bedroom look off perfectly.

via Ferm Living and Design Hotel Villa Copenhagen

The unique Beni Ourain rug stands out against a darker sage green wall color, which makes the beige wool texture pop out powerfully in this bedroom.

via Stadshem

A unique and contemporary wall hanging adds a beautiful texture to a modern bedroom with concrete flooring and a natural color palette enhanced with rustic wood tones.

Design by Studiotoff for Danish design brand Vipp

A polka dot rug on a wood bar decorates the space above a beige fabric headboard. The beige tones also come back in the textiles on the bed, the curtains, and the fabric pendant light.

styled by Emma Fisher and Annica Clarmell, photographed by Henrik Linden, for Alvhem

A home office with a textural rug on the wall

Wall hangings are a great way to add a bit of personality to your home office spot. Other than adding a gorgeous pattern and texture, the rug will also absorb unwanted sounds from online meetings when you are working in a shared space.

via Ferm Living

Rug wall art to add a playful touch to a kid’s bedroom

In the example below, a kid’s bedroom is decorated with a heavy rug in the shape of a polar bear, adding a playful touch to a gorgeous bedroom setting.

via Ferm Living

A quilted blanket is hung up above the bed in a kid’s room. The pear print adds a graphic touch to the space, complementing the apple rattan basket next to the bed.

via Ferm Living