A bookcase belongs in a bedroom when it is treated as furniture rather than as a library. Keep the shelves roughly two thirds full, match the finish or the height to something already in the room, and place it where it balances the bed rather than competing with it. Six arrangements cover almost every bedroom layout, and they are set out below.<\/p>\n
Bookcases are usually bought for living rooms, which is why they can look transplanted in a bedroom. The difference is in what goes on them and where they sit. A bedroom bookcase holds a mix of books, textiles and closed boxes, and it works with the bed, the wardrobe and the chest rather than sitting apart from them.<\/p>\n
Two narrow bookcases placed either side of the bed create symmetry and give you far more storage than two bedside cabinets in the same footprint.<\/p>\n
Choose units around 40cm to 50cm wide and taller than the headboard. Leave the lowest shelf of each at mattress height and use it as the bedside surface for a lamp and a glass. Everything above becomes storage and display.<\/p>\n
Keep the contents of the two units loosely similar without making them identical. Matching heights and materials do the work, and small differences in what sits on the shelves stop the arrangement looking staged. Narrow designs within our modern bookcases UK<\/a> range suit this position well.<\/p>\n Fix both units to the wall. A tall narrow bookcase beside a bed is the sort of thing that must not tip.<\/p>\n Windows in UK bedrooms often sit at around 90cm from the floor, which leaves a band of wall below that is usually wasted.<\/p>\n A low bookcase of two or three shelves fits neatly there and gives you a surface at sill height. That surface suits a lamp, a plant or a folded throw, and it keeps the window unobstructed so daylight still reaches the room.<\/p>\n Watch for radiators. If one sits under the window, leave at least 10cm of clearance at the sides and do not block the top, since a unit pressed against a radiator traps heat and can mark the finish over time.<\/p>\n Books in direct sunlight fade, so this is a better position for boxes, baskets and objects than for a collection you care about.<\/p>\n In rooms where the bed sits against the longest wall, a taller bookcase either side plus a bridging shelf above the headboard creates an enclosed alcove effect.<\/p>\n This works best with a low headboard, and it needs at least 30cm of clearance above the pillows so the arrangement does not feel oppressive. Keep the shelf directly above the bed light: textiles, a framed print leaning rather than hung, nothing heavy.<\/p>\n The effect is architectural, and it suits rooms with high ceilings and plain walls. It also gives a plain bed a strong focal point without buying a larger frame. Pairing the units with a low bed from our modern beds UK<\/a> selection keeps the proportions right.<\/p>\n The most practical combination in any bedroom is closed storage below and open storage above, side by side.<\/p>\n Place a bookcase of the same height next to a chest of drawers in a matching finish. The two read as a single run, and you get drawers for the things that should be hidden and shelves for the things worth seeing. Keep the top surfaces at the same level, since a difference of even 10cm breaks the line.<\/p>\n Style the top of the chest with one lamp and one small object, then let the bookcase beside it carry the visual interest. Matching finishes across the two is straightforward when buying from a coordinated range, and the chest of drawers UK sale<\/a> selection covers the same finishes as many bookcase ranges.<\/p>\n In larger bedrooms, studio flats or rooms with a dedicated dressing or working corner, an open backed bookcase placed perpendicular to the wall separates the zones without closing them off.<\/p>\n Light still passes through, so the room does not darken, and both sides of the unit remain usable. Style the sleeping side with soft items such as folded textiles and a lamp, and the working side with books and boxes.<\/p>\n Keep the unit no taller than around 150cm if the room is small, otherwise it becomes a wall rather than a divider. Anchoring is essential here, since a freestanding unit with nothing behind it is inherently less stable. Purpose made room dividers UK<\/a> are an alternative if you want separation without the storage.<\/p>\n Most bedrooms have one corner that nothing quite fits. A slim bookcase is usually the answer, because it needs very little depth and it turns dead space into something useful.<\/p>\n Alcoves beside a chimney breast are the obvious candidate. Measure the width at several heights, since older UK houses rarely have parallel walls, and buy to the narrowest measurement. A unit 5cm narrower than the alcove looks intentional, while one that does not quite fit is unusable.<\/p>\n In a plain corner without an alcove, a tall narrow bookcase adds height where the room is otherwise low, and a plant on the top shelf softens the join between wall and ceiling.<\/p>\n A few principles keep any bedroom bookcase looking calm.<\/p>\n Leave roughly a third of each shelf empty. Group objects in odd numbers with varied heights. Repeat one material, usually matching baskets or boxes, across at least two shelves. Keep colour limited, and remember that book spines carry colour whether you intended it or not, so turning a few stacks horizontally helps quieten a busy shelf.<\/p>\n Vary the shelf gaps rather than leaving them all identical, and keep the heaviest items on the lowest shelves for both stability and visual balance.<\/p>\n2. Run a Low Bookcase Under the Window<\/h3>\n
3. Build a Wall Around the Bed<\/h3>\n
4. Pair a Bookcase With a Chest of Drawers<\/h3>\n
5. Use a Bookcase as a Room Divider<\/h3>\n
6. Fill an Awkward Corner or Alcove<\/h3>\n
Styling Rules That Apply to All Six<\/h3>\n