If you're living in a city loft, a suburban apartment, or a teeny home, one thing you're more than likely running short on — especially if you love furniture and home decor, much like all of us at Livingetc — is space.
If that sounds like you, it stands to reason that you probably shopped our round-up of the best bookshelves and thought to yourself, "I'd love to buy one of these, but I don't have the room!" Perhaps you even went so far as to pull out the tape measure, just in case. But you knew it was a losing game.
It's time to turn that frown upside down, however, because we're back again with a curated edit of the 12 best bookshelves for small spaces, each of which has been carefully selected to maximize space, minimize visual clutter, and ease your storage issues as quickly as you can press "add to cart."
12 of the best bookshelves for small spaces
Price: $59
The beauty of the conceal shelf is two-fold: It hangs on the wall, meaning it's out of your way on the floor, and the shelves themselves are "hidden," creating an air of minimalism and magic.
Price: $116.99 (10% off)
If you can find the space for a rotating bookshelf, it would be an excellent storage option given that you can use every side. This natural, solid wood option would be great in an office or nursery.
Price: $62.99 (10% off)
Take advantage of your walls with a vertical column wall shelf, even if you can see the frame of the piece. Lean into it as a design choice.
Price: $79.78
This Amazon bookshelf takes advantage of a typically unusable piece of the room — the corner — and adds shelves, storage, and a bit of height. Stack decor, candles, and more to make your living room look more expensive.
Price: $289
Much like the conceal shelves, this acrylic option benefits from its transparent frame. It can be hung vertically or horizontally, and visually declutters your small space.
Price: $79.99
It's no mid-century modern bookcase, but this stately, rotating option employs some solid paneling behind which to hide your colorful covers. A space-saving option that also serves as an organizational hack.
Price: $129.99
The semi-open Alessandrina Bookcase acts as a vessel for decor in multiple directions so you don't have to choose.
Price: $79.96 (20% off)
Turn your side table into a bookcase with this meshed gold option from CB2. Put one on either side of the couch and you've got yourself a BOGO.
Price: $550
Assuming you have tall ceilings but small square footage, this narrow shelf maximizes the height of your apartment while taking into consideration the width.
Price: $27.74
Easy to squeeze into those hard-to-reach places, this affordable 3-shelf option from Home Depot also comes with adjustable shelves for further customization.
Price: $199
The built-in divides here maximize what you can and can't store on this creative modern bookshelf. Stack books and plants with trinkets and treasures with ease.
Price: $223.99 (20% off)
Much like the Untitled shelf, this Target option is gorgeously narrow. But like other minimalist bookshelves, it also features glass shelving, a fabulous space-saving touch.
How should you choose a bookshelf for a small space?
When choosing and styling a bookshelf for a small space, interior decorator and blogger Vivianne Chow says you should "maximize the vertical space as much as possible," she told Livingetc. "Choosing a tall bookshelf will be ideal to draw your eye up and maximize storage." Or, you might try "wall-mounted shelves," which also function as a "space-saving solution." Options for both suggestions are linked in the edit above.
When you begin to style the shelf, start with a "less is more" mentality so as "to avoid overwhelming the room," she went on; this is extremely important in a small space. After that, "stick to neutral minimalist decor pieces that blend cohesively and try not to clutter each shelf with too many items."
