NOVEL IDEAS

You can judge a book by its cover – just take a look at these creative ways of displaying your favourite reads

- PIPPA BLENKINSOP

THE LIBRARY LOOK As well as providing ample storage, dedicating an entire wall to a bookcase makes a wonderful feature. ‘A big advantage of having a bookcase specially made is that the size of the shelves can suit the collection,’ says Simon Tcherniak, senior designer at Neville Johnson. Try arranging books in order of size (left) to make the display easier on the eye.

COLOUR POP When using books for styling, select colours that work with your décor – tones that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel work particularly well, as in this project (right) by Sims Hilditch. ‘We used books with a terracotta spine, which sit in nice contrast with the smoky-blue paint of the joinery,’ says design director Louise Wicksteed.

PAGE TURNER Large collections of books can leave shelves looking messy and cluttered. If you’re willing to forgo a little organisation, one option, says Simon Temprell of Neptune, is to ‘turn your books around, with the spines to the back, to create a textural effect that works best with books you don’t need to find in a hurry! And if you’re after something more modernistic, cover your books with white craft paper as a stylish antidote to the traditional library.’