Home Improvements: Turn your books into a design feature

Make your books decorative, rather than simply functional.

Whether you're an avid reader or a true bibliophile, if you have amassed a collection that needs a place in your home, get creative.

A well thought out home library can become a feature design element rather than a functional one. Instead of investing in standalone shelves, consider tailor-made solutions that create or define a space. A shelving system that runs from ceiling to floor is a great tool to divide an open-plan room. Likewise, it works well to create a zone within a room. If you are not keen on having a library in your main space, animate unused spaces with books. Entrance hallways, corridors or the space under stairways are great locations to store a book.

Next up, the books need to be organised on the shelf. Using alphabet or genre is one way to do it - but colour blocking is far more visually appealing. Use an artistic approach and arrange your collections by colour and height.

Many of us are bed-time readers, so pick a piece of furniture that allows you to store your must-reads by your bed or install a few floating shelves above your bedside table. Adding a chair with book storage to your bedroom is another way to encourage winding down.

* Pallavi Dean, design director, Pallavi Dean Interiors