Can You Put A Bookcase In A Hallway? (4 Styling Ideas)
Many of us are trying to get creative with our hallways. When searching for ideas to style the hallway, one obvious question always keeps coming up. Can you put a bookcase in a hallway?
You can put a bookcase in the hallway. In fact, it’s one of the most popular ways to style hallways, especially for book lovers. Even if you don’t want to keep books on your bookcase, you can utilize the storage for showcasing things you love.
You’re about to get exposed to some brilliant ideas for styling a bookcase in a hallway. Are you ready? Let’s get started.
Why Should You Put A Bookcase In A Hallway?
Interior designers, as well as many users who have installed a bookcase in their hallways, will recommend you do that too. The reason is that you can make a statement entrance using this idea. Besides, there are numerous ways to get creative with a bookcase in your hallway.
Depending on your taste and preference, you can fill your bookcase with books or mix the books with some other items to create a better design. There’s no doubt that putting a bookcase in the hallway will make the perfect first impression of you and your home to anyone who visits.
4 Ways To Style A Bookcase In A Hallway
As we have mentioned before, there are numerous ways to style a bookcase in your hallway. Some of them are simplistic and suitable for smaller hallways, whereas others are suitable for larger ones. Pick the one that suits your home, and start styling your hallway now!
1. Built-In Bookcase
If you have a large hallway, the best way is to go for a built-in bookcase. Keep at least 36 inches of hallway free for walking. The optimal width is 42 inches, but if you can’t spare that much space, 36 inches will do too.
It’s a costly solution to consider. However, if you’re making adjustments for your own home, a floor-to-ceiling bookcase will certainly be worth the money. Besides, you can customize the bookcase as you like.
2. Freestanding Bookcase
Let’s say you don’t want to spend that much money or you’re renting an apartment. You can still get a bookcase in your hallway. Choose a freestanding bookcase that comes within your budget.
This way, you can get a glamorous hallway without paying much money for the installation. Get a bookcase as tall as possible to create a floor-to-ceiling illusion. Customize it the way you want but make sure that it goes with your interior design.
3. Floating Bookcase
Another option is to install vertical storage on the wall of your hallway and arrange your books there. You can combine books, showpieces, and photo frames to create a more personal touch to the bookcase.
If you’re going for a floating bookcase, it’s essential that you match the bookcase with your home design. Don’t pick something that looks odd. For instance, you can try matching the color of the bookcase with the surrounding pieces of furniture.
Alternatively, you can also stick to a particular theme for your entire home decoration.
4. Multiple Bookcases
When you choose smaller storage or bookcases, you can install multiple ones instead of one. Even though it depends on how much area you have available for a bookcase, you can always try to fit smaller units in a narrow hallway.
Adding an extra bookcase will facilitate the storage you have in your hallway. You can utilize that storage for keeping essentials other than books. For instance, you can keep your keys, hand sanitizer, and sunscreen on one shelf.
Besides, you can also add decorative items to the shelves. This will create a personal touch to the bookcase and express your personality.
Reasons for Placing A Bookcase In A Hallway
We have already mentioned that putting a bookcase in the hallway is a unique yet popular option for many people. If you still have any doubt about the idea, let us give you some reasons why placing a bookcase in a hallway can be one of the best things to do with your home.
· It Expresses Your Personality
The hallway is the first thing people see when they enter your home. It’s an expression of you as a person. So, if you’re a book lover, keeping a bookcase in the hallway can paint a picture of you to your visitors.
Besides, anyone who loves books can go through the books when entering and leaving your house. It also gives them something to look at when they’re removing their outwear.
· Sufficient Storage
Installing a bookcase will not only help you showcase your book collection but also work as a storage for other things. For instance, you can keep your keys and other essential things on top of the bookcase.
If you have a floor-to-ceiling bookcase, you can use one of the shelves to store your essentials. This way, you won’t have to install another cabinet to keep the things you need by the door.
· Aesthetic Purposes
The obvious reason why anyone installs something in their hallway is to increase the beauty of their home. Well, you can’t go wrong with this aspect when you’ve decided to get a bookcase for your hallway.
It’s a safe storage option that will change the entire outlook of your hallway. And unlike other options, it’s tough to go wrong with a bookcase. Regardless of what theme you go for, a bookcase will never go out of style.
Bookcases are also versatile. That means you can style anything alongside or on the bookcase to match the aesthetics. For instance, you can hang some modern art on the wall or keep some beloved photo frames on the shelves.
No matter which design you’re going for, a bookcase will never disappoint you in terms of aesthetics.
· Suitable For All Homes
The thing about bookcases is that you can design them in any type of hallway. If you have a large hallway, you can get a built-in bookcase. If you have a narrow hallway, you can consider a small or floating bookcase.
Even open hallways are very suitable for installing a bookcase. With so many options and opportunities to get creative with a bookcase, it feels like a must-have for any hallway. As long as you’re being careful about matching it with your home, it can bring the best result for your hallway.
Tips For Putting A Bookcase In A Hallway
- Always keep at least 36 inches of space for your hallway. If you have a larger hallway, you can make that width 42 inches.
- If you’re placing a bookcase in your hallway, it will need enough light. So, make sure that your hallway is not dark, especially at night.
- Combine your walk-in library with other personal belonging to make it feel more like home.
- Make sure that all books are reachable. Keep the bookcase and the books clean as it’s in your hallway.
- If you have a narrow hallway, make sure that you’re utilizing the storage of the bookcase for other purposes too.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can you do with a hallway space?
The hallway space is great for creating the first impression of your house. You can keep the look minimalistic if the space is narrow. However, make sure to add seating and storage for convenience.
Adding a bookcase for storage can improve your hallway design if that’s something you’re interested in. You can use the bookcase for storing books as well as other essential things that you would have stored in a cabinet.
How do you style an entryway bookshelf?
There are numerous ways to style an entryway bookshelf. It depends a lot on what you have available at hand and how much you’re willing to invest. For instance, if you have a lot of books, you can arrange books on the shelves based on their color shades.
Alternatively, you can combine some books with your favorite decorative items. Make sure to place the smaller items in front and the taller ones in the back.
If your bookcase is open enough, you can store essential items like handbags, keys, sunglasses, hand sanitizer, photo frames, candles, and other stuff too. However, make sure that you’re not messing with the theme of your home interior.
Final Say
There is no other answer to whether you can put a bookcase in a hallway or not. You can put a bookcase in your hallway, and you certainly should. It will create the exact outlook you’re looking for in your hallway.
In addition, it’s very easy to get versatile with a bookcase. Regardless of what you have available at home and what budget you’ve fixed, you can surely create a perfect outcome with this idea. All you have to do is to place the bookcase and start organizing it.
If you don’t like what you’ve done, you can always alter it and keep organizing it until you’re happy with the result.
