This Christmas, I travelled home to find my parents had boxed up my books while they were having the windows done. They know I like my bookshelf styled how I like it, so they left me to do the organisation. But it got me thinking about how many different ways there are to display books. I’ve always wanted to experiment with bookshelf styling and organisation ideas, so here was my chance.
Here are some creative and functional ideas to get your bookshelf organised in a way that suits your style and needs, as demonstrated by my childhood bedroom:
1. By Genre or Category
One of the most traditional, yet effective, ways to organize your bookshelf is by genre or category. This method allows you to quickly locate the type of book you’re in the mood for, whether it’s fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, biography, or self-help.
I started with two top shelves for fiction(ish), a third for non-fiction and the bottom shelf for notebooks:
2. Alphabetical Order
The secondary school librarian in me knows it’s most functional to list your books alphabetically by author’s last name or book title (is using the Dewey Decimal System on one bookshelf too much?).
In theory, this method is helps you find a book quickly. However, I don’t know about you, but I’m not great at remembering author names or book titles; I’m much more likely to remember what type of book it was or the cover, so this didn’t work for me:
Tip: If you have a lot of books, you can divide your bookshelf into sections (A-F, G-L, etc.) for easier browsing. I did top shelf A-L and bottom shelf M-Z. It’s was very enlightening that my collection leans more towards the top half of the alphabet!
3. By Color
A popular way to organise your bookshelf these days is by colour. This actually took longer than I thought: sorting books by the spine colour, trying to figure out sizes, as well as which way the colours would flow. As with the alphabet, I was surprised to see just how many blue books I own!
This arguably works better for me, as I remember covers better, but I still can’t stand to see books so different next to each other just because of the color.
Once, when I was living in Bangkok, my cleaner cleaned my bookshelves and put them all back on the shelf with the pages facing out. This was madness to me at the time, but has become a very popular trend in interior design. Not for me though, especially with all these dog-eared pages:
4. By Size
If you’re looking to create a minimalist or symmetrical aesthetic, organising your books by size can be the answer. This method works especially well if you have a mix of large hardcover books and smaller paperbacks. I found this was the easiest way to organise my notebooks and journals:
Read next: why you should keep a book journal
5. Vertical vs. Horizontal Stacking
Another creative way to organise your books is by choosing horizontal stacks. Personally, I hated the look of this, even though it gave me a whole extra shelf to play with:
Instead, I think it looks better using alternating vertical and horizontal stacks, which keeps things organised by category, too. Stack books by theme, creating mini “collections” within your shelf that can also double as decorative groupings (see below, Themed Shelves).
6. By Read vs. Unread
For avid readers, it can be helpful to keep track of which books you’ve read and which ones you still plan to read. Separating these two categories allows you to focus on your to-read pile without accidentally mixing them up. This was how my bookshelf was organised previously (sorry, no Before picture), but actually, having unread books at eye level didn’t remind me to get to them!
7. Themed Shelves
If you’re passionate about a particular topic, theme, or series, why not dedicate a shelf or section to it? By alternating vertical and horizontal stacks, I had a few dedicated to writing, mental health and, of course, travel.
Tip: My Lonely Planet collection is well past its sell-by date, but I used to stick post-its on the pages of places where I had been with notes on who I met and travel tips, so they have sentimental value now.
8. By Format (Hardcover, Paperback, Other)
For those with a mix of formats, organising your books by type can keep your collection neat and functional. Grouping hardcover, paperback, and e-books separately helps prevent your bookshelf from becoming cluttered.
Tip: If you have digital books or audiobooks, use a small shelf for your e-reader, tablet, or audiobook collections.
9. Use Decorative Bookends and Shelving Units
Sometimes, it’s not just about how you organise your books, but how you display them. Bookends can serve as both functional and decorative elements, keeping books upright while adding style to your shelves.
10. Personal Touches
While organising your bookshelf, don’t forget to add personal touches that reflect your personality. You can include small plants, family photos, or decorative trinkets to make the space feel cosy and uniquely yours. Here are a few of mine:
How Do You Organize Your Bookshelf?
Organizing your bookshelf is an opportunity to express your style and make your collection more functional. I really enjoyed this experiment and here’s how the final bookshelf turned out:
- Top Shelf: modern fiction, Shakespeare, contemporary fiction (mostly to-read)
- 2nd Shelf: pop fiction, crossover literature, weird/dystopian, fiction set around the world
- 3rd Shelf: non-fiction; assorted, on writing, mental health, travel
- Bottom Shelf: notebooks
So go ahead, experiment, and find the way that works best for you—your bookshelf is an extension of your personality, and with the right organisation, it will become a space that brings you joy every time you reach for a new book!
For more bookish ideas, check out my full Travel Books Guide.
Read next: the best travel coffee table books to fuel your wanderlust
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