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Bookworms who live in houses have bookcases galore to show off their beloved novels and bibliographies and memoirs. Bookworms who live in tiny apartments have . . . random corners of the floor and a sliver of space on the nightstand. Before we go any further, know this: We are not going to ask you to go on a Marie Kondo–inspired mission and rid yourself of your hardcovers. No, we want you to get creative. Because though bookcases might be the easiest place to store books, they aren't the only one. Open space under bed frames and side tables is fair game, as are your walls and random other surfaces you wouldn't normally think to store your paperbacks on. Read on to see what we mean.
Store your books . . .
Under the bed
With a platform bed with a bookshelf built right into the frame!
Inside your side table
If you're going to have a big stack of books, it might as well fit perfectly underneath a nightstand made for that purpose.
. . . behind your headboard
DIY a headboard made of basic 1x4s, with a column of open space in the middle for tucking in your latest reads.
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On a table
This mini bookcase fits just right on consoles, coffee tables, and deep window sills. (It also makes that floor space you were previously using to pile your picks look a hell of a lot neater, if you'd rather go that route.)
A few inches below the ceiling
Install a simple shelf with L-brackets about a foot or so below your ceiling to store oldies but goodies out of the way. Particularly large collection? Wrap the shelf all the way around the room.
