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Aug 18, 2023

The 20 best bookshelves for every budget and style

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Whether you’re piecing together a mini library of sorts in your humble abode or simply love the look and feel of a shelving unit in your room's empty corner, a quality bookcase fits the bill – and luckily, there's one for every style and budget.

Sure, you can display your favorite books and other knick-knacks. Perhaps you’ll also display a digital photo frame or a hand-crafted vase. Or, maybe you’ll opt to grow a green thumb and opt for one of the best plant subscription services we rounded up. Whatever your goal is, a bookcase is a design staple that will surely stand the test of time — even when you redo the decor every few months.

"Bookcases and bookshelves are a great functional piece of furniture as you can use them for storage, but they are also a great way to inject personality into your space by featuring decor, books and other objects that are important to you and show off your personality," Nick Lewis, interior design content creator on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, told the New York Post. "Not only do they look beautiful and provide interest to a space, but they are also incredibly functional, too."

Ahead, we pulled together the 20 best bookcases and bookshelves of 2023 for you to shop from and enjoy in your space. Top retailers include Amazon, Wayfair and Anthropologie, but rest assured we pulled the top-tier options that will be sure to complete your cozy space — along with a quality recliner and coffee table.

Not to mention, if this furniture piece is going in your bedroom, be sure to check out our guides to the best Amazon mattresses and makeup vanities to tie everything together. You’ll also want to check out our in-depth FAQ section for more interior design trends.

The Furinno Luder 5-Tier Bookcase has worked its way up to Amazon best-seller territory — and for a good reason. Its simplistic design boasts nearly 73,000 rave reviews, is made from engineered wood and is easy to assemble. Plus, it's especially apt for smaller spaces.

Tap into rustic charm with the HSH 4-Tier Natural Real Wood Bookshelf. For less than $200, we love it's open-concept design and farmhouse-industrial hybrid. Plus, it's highly durable, brushed with a solid wood grain finish and looks luxe in any home.

Add some traditionalist flair to your room with the Sauder Select Collection 5-Shelf Bookcase. With a chalked chestnut finish, its engineered wood design is clad with three adjustable shelves for flexible storage and decor options. Not to mention, it's backed by nearly 8,000 rave reviews.

The IOTXY 2-Tier Wooden Open-Shelf Bookcase will surely add a pop of color to your neutral space. Namely, this affordable option is minimalist, simple to assemble and is functional for any space — big or small.

A chic gold and white bookcase? Yes, please! The Loomie 8-Open Shelf Bookshelf is undeniably one of our favorites, much ado to its tiered shelves, royal curvature and compliment-worthy aesthetic. Plus, its industrial steel frame will add much character to the open space you need to fill.

Ideal for a playroom, craft room or kids playroom, the ClosetMaid Cube Bookcase is praised by more than 6,000 satisfied customers, thanks to its simplistic, organized layout. It comes in dark cherry and espresso shades, too, and perfect for storing books, mementos and more.

Now this is a bookcase. Shop the 17 Stories Iron Etagere Bookcase for an elegant look to a blank, open wall. If you’re looking for a newly minted furniture piece to flaunt your book collection — this 100% fits the bill, no doubt.

To add something to that empty corner that has been driving you a little nuts, the 17 Stories Emersen Iron Corner Bookcase is one of the most practical and sophisticated we’ve seen. Fair price point aside, its six-tier storage space is a nice touch, especially for displaying finer China pieces or frames.

We love the muted neutral shade of the Latitude Run Massena Ladder Bookcase. It screams ‘nursery’ or ‘kids room,’ but is also suitable for a home office or foyer. Plus, it looks high-end, which is a huge plus for swaying near the $200 price point.

Whenever white and gold are mixed, things look expensive. If you have a small space to work with, add the Foundstone Lacuna Steel Ladder Bookcase to your online shopping cart. It hugs the wall beautifully, is adored by more than 1,000 home decorators and has a sharp, clean look.

Add some cottage flair to your space with the Fern Bookcase from Anthropologie. Whether placed in your dining room or bedroom, its rich chestnut shade with contrasting wood drawers is the perfect blend of open-concept and concealed storage.

Mid-century never looked so good with West Elm's Mid-Century Low Bookshelf. It's on a phenomenal discount right now and we adore its low-to-the-floor design. Plus, its landscape rendering allows you to accentuate the space above it with some affordable wall art.

For the classic X design, you can't go wrong with the Flora Home 3 Shelf X Design Folding Bookcase. Because it folds and is less than $75, it's a great value for the match-all furniture piece you’ll be receiving. Plus, it can even double as a bar cart.

The Castlery Esther Bookshelf is giving all the modern and sleek vibes, and we’re totally here for it. Crafted with marble and engineered wood with walnut veneer, it's a well-made option that's just as stunning as it is durable (thanks, metal frame!) Plus, it's a model that will be surely receive plenty of compliments.

Holy cuteness, the West Elm Kids Sarah Sherman Samuel Knob Bookshelf is one of our favorite picks for a nursery or kids bedroom. With its curved frame and spacious dual drawers, it's a piece that’ll last for years — and won't cost you more than $800.

The Anthropologie Eileen Tall Bookcase is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before (and you’d likely agree). From its extremely modern layout to its stark gold frame, it looks like it would be placed in every celebrity mansion in the U.S. It's a splurge, but this has to be the Queen of all Bookcases.

Black and white mixed together offers a unique mod look, and the YITAHOME 5-Tier Bookshelf is yours for the taking. As a budget-friendly pick, you’ll appreciate its five tiers of storage space and completely vertical rendering to fit in most spaces.

Just because you live in an apartment or are operating with minimal wall and floor space doesn't mean you have to ditch the bookcases for good. In fact, the Tajsoon Industrial Bookcase's space-saving design is one of the most thoughtful we’ve come across. Five shelves, too? Sign us up!

Ideal for displaying your collection of cherished paperbacks and hardcovers, the Millwood Pines Geometric Bookcase isn't just your run-of-the-mill (excuse the pun) option; it's a statement piece that, like a statue, will sit perfectly and photograph well.

We vote the Willa Arlo Interiors Torney Iron Geometric Bookcase as one of our favorites for open floor plans. Why? If your kitchen bleeds into your dining area, the style of this furniture piece seamlessly functions as both a traditional bookcase and a dining room credenza. Check yes, please.

Ahead, Lewis shares interior design insights to help guide your next bookcase purchase. Even better, he touches on design aesthetics, color palettes and more.

According to Lewis, he still sees a lot of clean modern bookshelves being really popular.

"Mixing interior design styles like mid century with traditional is very popular right now," he adds. "People are mixing different styles together in unique ways but I do see a lot of the simple shelving made of wood or metal being the most popular while mixing that into a more traditional space where you might have more ornamentation."

While open shelving has been very popular for a while now — Lewis notes — he predicts we may see that becoming less popular as it's seemingly impractical for most people. That said, bookcases and shelving "will become more paired down and intentional" going forward.

"Built-ins are another great option for people that know they’re going to need shelving in a certain spot in their home, but people need to be careful with that because you lose flexibility with a built-in that you gain with a bookcase," he says. Some of our picks have the look and feel of this furniture type.

"For a while now color palettes in people's homes have leaned warmer with tones of brown, beige, rust and green being very popular," Lewis explains. "So, shelving made of wood has been very popular and is a wonderful timeless option that works really well with these colors and also is a great building material for shelving."

According to Lewis, light oak and walnut are great choices that you will never regret.

Check out the New York Post Shopping section for more content.