10 ideas for storing books in a small apartment: the best options for adults and children
Designers know how to organize the storage of books in an apartment - their ideas will be useful both for owners of small spaces and for those who prefer not to fill their rooms with unnecessary furniture. They will also be useful for parents, because the correct arrangement of books motivates even those children who cannot be distracted from computer games to read.
Ideas for storing books in a small apartment
When choosing the best option for your apartment, focus not only on the number of paper publications, but also on the layout of the home, as well as the furniture arrangement scheme.
- Library chair
The sides of chairs are often bulky and useless. To prevent them from just taking up space, replace them with bookshelves. Some designers offer ready-made solutions, but such furniture is expensive. It’s much cheaper to remake old chairs yourself or make new ones to order.
- Shelves under the ceiling
If the house has high ceilings, you can organize a library “on the second floor,” that is, under the ceiling. Such shelves look very beautiful, being located along the entire length of the wall. The only inconvenience is that you will need a stepladder to get to the books. But it can also be modified by turning it into a folding chair - so not a single centimeter of space will be wasted.
- Headboard with cabinet
A headboard with a shelf is a great way to get rid of bedside tables and save 2 m2 usable area. And so that the space inside the headboard itself is also not empty, you can build a pull-out cabinet for books there. This way, your home library won’t gather dust, and you won’t have to get out of bed to choose a book to read before bed.
- Space near the window
There is a lot of space left on both sides of the window, which is usually covered with curtains. But in a small apartment it is much more practical to place bookshelves there. They should also be placed under the windowsill if there is no radiator there. And the window sill itself, if covered with soft pillows, can replace an ottoman or a cozy chair.
- Shelves under the bed
This idea is suitable for people who are not planning to buy a new headboard. You can install shelves under any bed if its height reaches at least 30 cm.
You should not store books under the bed if the apartment is equipped with a “warm floor” system: high temperatures harm paper publications.
Ideas for storing children's books
When storing children's books, it is better to choose those ideas that may interest the child. Orderly rows of covers in a closet are the worst possible option.
Rotating stand
Similar racks can be seen in stores, but they have a number of advantages when used at home:
- Thanks to the wheels, they are easy to move from place to place.
- All books are placed cover first, so you can immediately see where each of them is located.
- Rotation of the stand is perceived by children as an element of the game.
The only drawback of this option is that it is impossible to place “thick” books on the rack.
Small shelf above the bed
Hanging large, wide shelves above a child's bed is dangerous. But a small shelf about 5-6 cm wide will definitely not cause harm to the child, because if it is securely fastened, the probability of falling tends to zero, and your son or daughter will always have several books in front of his eyes that can be read before bed. True, the bulk of the library will have to be stored elsewhere.
Rectangular basket
The cheapest and easiest way to organize books. For this purpose, you can use plastic baskets from a hardware store (but make sure that they do not have an unpleasant odor), paper boxes covered with colored film, and even fruit boxes, thoroughly washed and dried. A huge plus of this idea is that the baskets can be placed directly on the floor.
Library in the back of a car or in a dollhouse
There are always a lot of toys in the children's room. Surely among them there is a large truck or a dollhouse, which the child has become tired of and now stands idle - it can be adapted for storing books. If there are no such toys, they can be easily made from scrap materials. You can also order cabinets from a carpentry shop, the shape of which will resemble a carriage, tree house or other interesting object.
Fabric shelves
They look interesting, and their appearance is easy to update - just buy a piece of fabric from a different material and a different color. Books on such shelves are positioned “facing” the child and attract attention.
When organizing your home library, remember that it should be convenient for all family members. Books should also be located in a place inaccessible to pets, away from sources of moisture and heat - this will help keep the publications in good condition for many years.