By Rory Carter Interiors 24.03.2026

Small Apartment? Here Are 5 Clever Ways to Create a Home Library

Big reader with a small apartment? We can help with that.

Are you a big reader in a small apartment? We love a good book as much as the next bibliophile, and understand the deep connection that can develop from spending time thumbing through pages and transporting yourself into the worlds and characters of your favourite tales.

If you’re like us and love the feeling of the paper between your fingers and that new book smell, then you’ve probably accumulated quite the literary collection over the years. And surely, as they’ve now become valuable heirlooms, discarding them is out of the question. So, how do you fit your very own library into your tiny apartment? Read on.

Hallway

The hallway is an underrated area of the home that can actually be really beneficial for anyone short on floor space. Make use of a hallway with floating shelves stacked high to the ceiling, which will not only give you heaps of room to store all your favourites, but it will also create a feature out of a blank hallway. If it's wide enough, you could even incorporate a bookcase or cabinet for extra storage.

Room divider

Room dividers are a great way to zone off different areas of a studio apartment. They’re also a fantastic opportunity to incorporate a library into your apartment. Instead of choosing something that will close off the space, opt for a sleek system with shelves to stack your books high. That way you can access all of your titles from both sides, too.

In your bed

Sleeping atop a stack of stories has a charming ring to it, doesn’t it? If you've got a storage bed, consider using the space to house books so that you don't even have to move the covers to start a new book. If you're particularly handy, you could knock up a headboard with secret shelves to keep your books, teacup, and anything else you need for a good night’s rest.

Cover the entire wall!

If you’ve got the freedom to do it, we recommend creating your own library in the living room that makes you feel like you've stepped inside a scene from Hogwarts. With some affordable and clever open shelving, it's entirely possible to deck out your room in floor-to-ceiling stacks of books. The question is, do you have enough books to fill it?

Unused nooks

Have you got any quirky nooks or an unused fireplace in your studio? Instead of leaving them empty, get creative with some shelves or stacks of your best books to give the area purpose and yourself a place to show off your collection.