Home Library Architecture: 63 Smart & Creative Bookcase Designs

Sharing your shelf is, in a way, sharing yourself. Every element —from the titles you choose to the way you organize them— says something about your personality and your interests. 

Who wouldn't want to cozy up in a library filled with dusty books and lush plants? But these images typically present bookcases just as a decorative element, superfluous to the actual design of the space. Like many things, when architects take on the design of bookcases they can become so much more: recessed and hidden, cantilevered, patterned, embedded...the list goes on!

We've rounded up some of the finest examples of bookcases that combine practicality with ingenuity

Maria Carolina / Sub Estúdio + Pedro Ivo Freire + Flávia Torres

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Maria Carolina / Sub Estúdio + Pedro Ivo Freire + Flávia Torres. Image © Tomás Cytrynowicz

Casa DL / URBAstudios

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Casa DL / URBAstudios. Image © Joao Morgado

CZ7 Loft / 5ft2 Studio

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CZ7 Loft / 5ft2 Studio. Image © Sonia Mangiapane and Peik Li Pang

Greville Road Studio / Syte Architects

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Greville Road Studio / Syte Architects. Image © James Morris

Eaves House / mA-style architects

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Eaves House / mA-style architects. Image © Kai Nakamura

The Long Brick House / Foldes Architects

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The Long Brick House / Foldes Architects. Image © Levente Sirokai

Bookshelf House / Shinsuke Fujii Architects

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Bookshelf House / Shinsuke Fujii Architects. Image © Tsukui Teruaki

Lincoln Roof Extension / Notan Office

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Lincoln Roof Extension / Notan Office. Image © Maxime Delvaux

Photographer’s Loft / Desai Chia Architecture

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Photographer’s Loft / Desai Chia Architecture. Image © Paul Warchol Photography

Architect's Workshop / Ruetemple

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Architect's Workshop / Ruetemple. Image courtesy of Ruetemple

Casa Ortega / Estudio A0

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Casa Ortega / Estudio A0. Image © Sebastián Crespo

CRID San Miguel Capiata / OCA

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CRID San Miguel Capiata / OCA. Image © Federico Cairoli

Casa da Escrita / Joao Mendes Ribeiro

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casa da escrita / joao mendes ribeiro. Image © do mal o menos

CY Residence / Kedem Shinar Design & Architecture

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CY Residence / Kedem Shinar Design & Architecture. Image ©Amit Geron

Casa Bacopari / Una Arquitetos

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Casa Bacopari / Una Arquitetos. Image © Leonardo Finotti

SlrSrf / Open Source Architecture

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SlrSrf / Open Source Architecture. Image © Benny Chan / Fotoworks

Estudio Mike / Daniel Moreno Flores + Margarida Marques

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Estudio Mike / Daniel Moreno Flores + Margarida Marques. Image © Federico Kulekdjian

Casa Varanda / Modo Designs

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Casa Varanda / Modo Designs. Image © Bharat Aggarwal

Apartamento Terracota / AR Arquitetos

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Apartamento Terracota / AR Arquitetos. Image © Maira Acayaba

Little House Big City / Office of Architecture

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Little House Big City / Office of Architecture. Image ©Matthew Williams

Apartamento Sacadura Cabral / Morim Santos Silva Arquitectos

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Apartamento Sacadura Cabral / Morim Santos Ailva Arquitectos. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

House in Takatsuki / FujiwaraMuro Architects

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House in Takatsuki / FujiwaraMuro Architects. Image © Toshiyuki Yano

Flinders Lane Apartment / Clare Cousins Architects

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Flinders Lane Apartment / Clare Cousins Architects. Image © Lisbeth Grosmann

Casa em Estoril / TARGA atelier

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Casa em Estoril / TARGA atelier. Image © Francisco Nogueira

Apartamento Santos Dumont / Ateliê de Arquitetura

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Apartamento Santos Dumont / Ateliê de Arquitetura. Image © André Nazareth

Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth House

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Chameleon Villa / Word of Mouth House. Image Courtesy of Word of Mouth House

Paulista Apartment / Triptyque

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Paulista Apartment / Triptyque. Image © Roberto Wagner

Casa Lopera / David Ruiz Molina

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Casa Lopera / David Ruiz Molina. Image © David Frutos

Flat Renovation for a Photographer / Alia Bengana

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Flat Renovation for a Photographer / Alia Bengana. Image ©V.Vincenzo

House 1101 / H-arquitectes

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House 1101 / H-arquitectes. Image © Adrià Goulà

TRN / JRKVC

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TRN /JRKVC. Image © Peter Jurkovič

Earth Box / Equipo de Arquitectura

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Earth Box / Equipo de Arquitectura. Image © Leonardo Mendez

House Savukvartsi / Honkarakenne

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House Savukvartsi / Honkarakenne. Image courtesy of Honkarakenne

Casa no Jardim Paulistano / GrupoSP

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Casa no Jardim Paulistano / Grupo SP. Image © Nelson Kon

Loft Space in Camben / Craft Space

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Loft Space in Camben / Craft Space. Image © Armando Elias

Haffenden House / PARA

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Haffenden House / PARA. Image © Nathan Rader

House for Booklovers and Cats / BFDO Architects

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House for Booklovers and Cats / BFDO Architects. Image © Francis Dzikowski

Kobiler House / Architextit- Einat Erez-Kobiler

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Kobiler House / Architextit-Einat Erez-Kobiler. Image © Hagar Doppelt

Harcombe / forresterarchitects

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Harcombe / forresterarchitects Image © Adam Scott

Casa GMG / Pedro Gadanho

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Casa GMG / Pedro Gadanho. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

Casa Sumaré / Isay Weinfeld

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Casa Sumaré / Isay Weinfeld. Image © Nelson Kon

Loft no Itaim / FGMF Arquitetos

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Loft no Itaim / FGMF Arquitetos. Image © Fran Parente

Apartamento Pamplona / Zoom Urbanismo Arquitetura e Design

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Apartamento Pamplona / Zoom Urbanismo Arquitetura e Design. Image © Maíra Acayaba

Apartamento Riachuelo / 0E1 Arquitetos

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Sursock Apartment / platau

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Sursock Apartment / platau. Image © Wissam Chaaya

Lishin Elementary School Library / TALI DESIGN

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Lishin Elementary School Library / TALI DESIGN. Image © Hey! Cheese

Apartment at Luciano Cordeiro / Aurora Arquitectos

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Apartamento na Luciano Cordeiro / Aurora Arquitectos. Image © do mal o menos

Espace St-Denis / Anne Sophie Goneau

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Espace St-Denis / Anne Sophie Goneau. Image ©Adrien Williams

Casa no Morro do Querosene / StudioGP

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Casa no Morro do Querosene / gruposp. Image © Nelson Kon

ZTUDIO / mfrmgr

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ZTUDIO / mfrmgr. Image © Grzegorz Sztybel

BHMM House / Estudio JI Arquitectos

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BHMM House / Estudio JI Arquitectos. Image © Mariela Apollonio

Casa Tetris / Studio MK27

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Casa Tetris / Studio MK27. Image © Fernando Guerra | FG+SG

Shelf-Pod / Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio

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Shelf-Pod / Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio. Image © Shinichi Watanabe

GAD 511 / Patrícia Martinez Arquitetura

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GAD 511 / Patrícia Martinez Arquitetura. Image © Fran Parente

Own House / Metaforma

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Own House / Metaforma. Image © PION Fotografia

Casa Librería / Shinichi Ogawa & Associates

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Casa Librería / Shinichi Ogawa & Associates. Image courtesy of Shinichi Ogawa & Associates

Casa Juranda / Apiacas Arquitetos

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Casa Juranda / Apiacas Arquitetos. Image © Pregnolato & Kusuki Estúdio Fotográfico

Cotia Library Garden / IPEA

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Cotia Library Garden / IPEA. Image © Dalton Bertini Ruas

Bookshelf House / Andrea Mosca Creative Studio

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Bookshelf House / Andrea Mosca Creative Studio. Image courtesy of Andrea Mosca Creative Studio

Tower House / Austin Maynard Architects

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Tower House / Austin Maynard Architects. Image © Peter Bennetts

Casa Scout / BAAG

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Casa Scout / BAAG. Image © Courtesy of BAAG

Apartamento POSSAMAI / Sbardelotto Arquitetura + Atelier Aberto Arquitetura

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Apartamento POSSAMAI / Sbardelotto Arquitetura + Atelier Aberto Arquitetura. Image © Marcelo Donadussi

HOUSE 3/6 in Dongducheon / Y GROUP

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HOUSE 3/6 in Dongducheon / Y GROUP. Image © Namsun Lee

Note: This article was originally published on August 20, 2018, and updated on June 24, 2020.

About this author
Cite: ArchDaily Team. "Home Library Architecture: 63 Smart & Creative Bookcase Designs" 30 Jun 2020. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/897991/home-library-architecture-smart-and-creative-bookcase-designs> ISSN 0719-8884

Apartamento Riachuelo / 0E1 Arquitetos. Image © Marcelo Donadussi

家中的图书馆 : 63个智慧创新的书架设计

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