Design patterns come and go, however some things– like a shelf brimming with books– will never head out of design: Books lag the whole bibliophile visual, why cozy reading nooks are continuously trending on #BookTok, and what provides life and character to an otherwise boring rack.

Fact be told, many of us have books on our racks that we’ve never ever checked out. The phenomenon of owning unread books is so typical, there’s even a term for it: the antilibrary.

Concealed Mysteries

If you’ve ever seen any sort of treasure searching movie or show, you probably think about decorative books as a way to conceal essential possessions (or ideas). It’s not generally useful to expose a concealed room with the pull of a faux tome, however you can keep your routers and cable modems hidden from sight with the cautious placement of some hollowed-out book spines. You can find faux book boxes ($ 28,) to purchase online and keep your precious jewelry, valuables, and cords out of sight.

A Lovable Library

If you don’t like the concept of using empty spinal columns on your bookshelf, there are other lovely ways to fill your area with books. Savvy thrift consumers are constantly on the lookout for hardcover books to embellish their shelves and coffee tables (since if you do not plan to read them, it does not matter what’s inside). Tiktoker @hello_haley_, for instance, gets rid of the book jackets from standard hardcover books and color collaborates the books in stacks or groups.

You can likewise makeover thrifted or dollar shop books to fit your style– and it’s inexpensive enough that you can do it whenever you desire a change in visual. Get rid of the jackets and paint the books, cover them in designer labels, wrap them in fabric, or embellish them with remaining scraps of wallpaper.

If you’re not the DIY type, there are companies, like Juniper Books, that turn stacks of books into artworks. Creator Thatcher Wine creates customized books, ready-to-ship books, and empty book coats– some traditional and some contemporary– that are quite enough to deserve their own display screen.

Wine also uses “Books by the Foot”, which are curated by subject, color, or cover product: from as easy as 3 feet of dark directories to 5 feet of antique leather books with publication dates varying from 1800 to 1920. Whatever feel you’re choosing, from dark academia to romcom core, books have the power to change your space– whether you’ve browsed the pages or not.