The easiest way to give any apartment personality is simple: living with books.
Not styling them into perfection. Not hiding them in cabinets.
Just letting books be a natural part of your rooms — the way real book lovers actually live.

Here’s how I create the “living with books” look in my apartment and how you can bring that feeling into your home too.

1. Make One Big Bookshelf the Star

In my living room, everything starts with one statement piece:
a 4.5m wide, 2.5m high String shelf filled all the way up.

It sets the mood for the whole apartment.
It’s my main library, my favourite view and truly my proudest corner.

A large bookshelf instantly makes your space feel intentional and warm.
When you’re living with books, more is more.

2. Let Books Spread Through the Apartment

A real living with books home doesn’t keep stories in one room.

Bedroom:
My Tylko shelf is half books, half drawers for the everyday chaos.

Even my Noah Living nightstand is stacked with current reads and books I just like to have close.

Kitchen:
In my small and colorful Reform Copenhagen kitchen, cookbooks and design books are part of the look.
Books in the kitchen make the space feel real and lived-in.

Windowsill:
Small stacks of books add instant charm without effort.

Kids’ Rooms:
My children have their own shelves. Their favourite picture books migrate into my rooms; mine migrate into theirs. That’s what happens when everyone is living with books.

Hallway:
My coffee table books live here.
Bold covers. Big pages. A quick dose of inspiration every time I pass.

3. Use Lighting to Create Atmosphere

Good lighting is essential when you’re living with books.
It turns shelves into warm, inviting corners.

I use many small light sources instead of one bright overhead light.

My Woud Design lamp is one of my favourites — soft glow up and down, dimmable, always perfect for reading.

I also have several pieces from Nuura Lighting. Their chandelier in the living room gives the book wall a dramatic but cozy backdrop.

Light makes books look like part of the architecture.

4. Mix Storage With Personality

Books everywhere look beautiful — as long as the non-beautiful things have a place to go.

That’s why I love shelves with drawers, like my Tylko.
Books stay visible. Life stays hidden.

Nightstands full of novels, cookbooks in the kitchen, art books in the hallway — this is what makes an apartment feel authentic.

5. Be Proud of Your Book Collector Identity

Living with books isn’t just an interior style.
It’s a lifestyle.
A choice.
And honestly? A flex.

A book-filled apartment feels smart, warm and personal.
Unread stacks aren’t stressful. They’re possibility.
A home full of books is a home full of life.

If you want more inspiration for living with books — private libraries, bookstores and bookish interiors — follow me on Instagram @prettybookplaces.