Decorating & Design
Do You Have Bookshelf Wealth?
Updated on February 22, 2024
Bookshelf Wealth — the latest interior design trend dominating TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest — is all about the art of collecting. If you’re looking to pare down (or declutter) your bookshelf display — you may be doing it all wrong. Bookshelf Wealth is a departure from minimalist, curated displays and a move towards highlighting your existing collection of art, objects and volumes of books in a layered, sophisticated way. The 2024 design trend will also encourage you to preserve your home’s character: stained glass windows, original wall moldings, and bonus points for pops of pattern and color.
We had a look through the House & Home archives to see how homeowners and designers have embraced the Bookshelf Wealth trend (long before it was trend). Most recently, Colette van den Thillart mastered the look in her client’s lush and layered Rosedale home with a cocooning reading nook. Jackie Kai Ellis‘ library-dining room is another lesson in Bookshelf Wealth, featuring her and her husband’s endless collection of CDs, music biographies and graphic novels. Finally, Brian Gluckstein’s iconic Library Bathroom is one for the books.
Do you have Bookshelf Wealth? Scroll down to find out!
Colin Blanchard and Kenneth McRobbie’s home office is a showcase for unique pieces that have amassed over time: a French writing table, vintage campaign desk chair, old black and white photographs and plenty of books and souvenirs.
Condo owner Joey Diaz stands proudly in front of his dining nook where Zoom calls capture his impressive collection of art, books and sculpture. “I’ve always wanted a New York–style condo with European flair,” he says.
Brian Gluckstein may be the master of Bookshelf Wealth. His iconic “library bathroom” puts his collection of leather-bound books on full display.
This collected condo is like a love letter to Bookshelf Wealth. The couple’s shared style is reflected in the art and furniture they’ve collected over decades, from vintage barbies to model homes mixed in with photographs, ceramics and unique art. “We had a great layout to work with, and my role was to create something that let their collection speak,” says designer Neil Jonsohn.
Take things up a notch by color-blocking book covers. In this cozy reading nook, grouping the like-minded covers together is an artful move.
In another home by the designer, a rich pea-green background in this bespoke pink bookcase ups the drama of what’s on the shelves.
Colette’s love of Bookshelf Wealth can be seen in this sophisticated den that features a wraparound bookcase with a striking gold Buddha that belonged to the owner’s mother.
In the principal bedroom of the same Rosedale home, a staggered bookshelf offers a striking silhouette.
Jackie Kai Ellis and Joe Chan in their cool and collected Vancouver condo. Joe’s collection of books and records combine with Jackie’s cookbook library and a selection of objets illustrate their passions. Instead of color coding their books (as she did the first time they moved in together), Jackie now leans in to the chaos to max out Bookshelf Wealth in a big way.
“Mixing objects and books along this wall added those layers that give a small space interest,” says designer Kate Snyder of this custom built-ins shelving that pulls some focus from the TV screen.
Fashion designer Tu Ly wanted to pay tribute to the history of his circa-1885 rowhouse — along with his favorite collectibles — in his den. While renovating, Tu unearthed burgundy William Morris wallpaper under the wood paneling and saved a piece to frame. The easel-mounted TV reads as art and displays a still from their favorite movie The Godfather.
This cozy den designed by Anne Hepfer makes you want to sit and stay a while. The homeowner’s collection of books and objects are displayed on custom wood shelves and highlighted with sophisticated picture lights. A forest green sofa below a black and white photograph makes it official: it’s Bookshelf Wealth.
Click here for more of our 2024 design trends.