How to Choose a Bookcase for Your Living Room

A bookcase is one of the most versatile pieces of furniture in the living room. It can be used for books, decorative objects and personal items, but also to organise a wall, integrate the TV or visually divide two areas of the home.

In many interiors, a bookcase is not just a storage unit, but an important part of the overall living room composition. It can cover an entire wall, complete a TV area, sit alongside a media wall or work as a room divider in open-plan spaces.

In this guide, we look at how to choose a bookcase for your living room, starting from its function, the main types available, modular options, proportions, depth, load capacity, materials, safety and the best use of space.

Where to start when choosing the right bookcase

Before choosing the style, finish or colour of your bookcase, it helps to define a few practical points first. A bookcase may be used mainly for books, for decorative objects, for enclosed storage, to integrate the TV, or to divide two spaces visually. Understanding its main purpose from the start makes it easier to choose the right structure, size and layout.

Assess the available space
Measure the wall or area where you want to place the bookcase carefully, and check walkways, doors, windows and how it relates to the other furniture in the living room.
Define its main function
A bookcase can be designed mainly for books, for decorative objects, for closed storage or to integrate the TV into the composition.
Choose the right type of bookcase
In living rooms, the most common options are wall bookcases, wall-mounted bookcases, modular systems and double-sided bookcases also used as room dividers in open-plan layouts.
Check depth and storage capacity
The depth of the shelves has a major impact on both storage capacity and the visual balance of the room.
Consider structure, stability and safety
Shelf thickness, span width, materials and correct wall fixing are all key points, especially if the bookcase needs to hold a lot of books or heavy items.

If you want to explore some available options, you can start here: living room bookcases. If you are planning the whole space, you may also find useful our guide on how to furnish a living room.

Types of bookcase for the living room

Bookcases can have very different structures. The right choice depends on the space available, the style of the living room and the role the furniture will play within the room.

Wall bookcase

A wall bookcase is the most common option for the living room. It runs along a wall and can occupy just one section of the room or the whole wall.

In many cases, these bookcases are designed to hold not only books but also decorative objects, storage units or even an integrated TV.

Ideal for organising a living room wall with books and accessories.
Main advantage: good storage capacity and a tidy overall look.

Wall-mounted bookcase

A wall-mounted bookcase is fixed to the wall without direct support on the floor. It can be made up of individual suspended modules or of a more articulated composition with open compartments, closed storage and shelves.

This is a popular solution in modern living rooms, because it makes the wall feel lighter and keeps the floor clear, helping the room look more open and airy.

Ideal for contemporary interiors or spaces that need to feel visually lighter.
Main advantage: a cleaner, more minimal look and greater visual lightness.
Please note: it requires a suitable wall and correct fixing based on the weight it needs to support.

Modular bookcase

Many modern bookcases are modular systems made up of elements that can be combined according to the space available.

In furniture design, the terms modular and made up of modules are often used in the same way: they refer to bookcases formed by modules that allow highly customisable compositions.

Ideal for long walls or tailored compositions.
Main advantage: high flexibility and the option to adapt the layout over time.

Double-sided or room divider bookcase

Double-sided bookcases are designed to be used from both sides and can also be placed in the centre of the room.

They are often used in open-plan homes to separate two areas visually without building a full wall.

Ideal for open-plan spaces.
Main advantage: divides the space while still allowing light to pass through.
Please note: it needs the right proportions and well-planned walkways around it.

Modular bookcases: one of the most customisable living room furniture solutions

One of the most interesting features of modern bookcases is the high level of personalisation they offer. Many bookcase systems are designed as modular systems, meaning structures made up of modules that allow very different layouts to be created.

This means a bookcase can be planned according to the available space and the needs of the living room, working equally well on smaller walls or across much larger compositions.

Depending on the system you choose, a bookcase can be configured in many different ways:

low bookcases or floor-to-ceiling compositions;
long wall-to-wall structures or more compact layouts;
fully open compartments or closed units with doors or drawers;
the addition of glass display cabinets for objects and collections;
integrated LED lighting to highlight books and decorative pieces;
combinations of shelves, storage units and display niches.

This flexibility makes the bookcase one of the living room pieces with the greatest design freedom. The composition can be adapted to the room, changed over time, or expanded by adding new modules.

If, instead, you are looking for a composition more focused on the TV area and integrated living room storage, you may also want to read our guide on how to choose a media wall.

Bookcase proportions in relation to the living room wall

When choosing a bookcase for the living room, it is not only the available space that matters, but also the relationship between the furniture and the wall where it will be placed. A bookcase that is too large can make the room feel heavy, while one that is too small may look out of balance compared to the wall and the rest of the room.

To achieve a more harmonious composition, it helps to think in terms of proportions between the furniture and the wall.

A bookcase that covers the entire wall

A full-wall bookcase can be a very elegant solution, especially in medium or large living rooms or when you want to create a feature wall for books and decorative objects.

Ideal for medium and large living rooms.
Works particularly well with modular or made-to-measure compositions.
Please note: it helps to alternate closed storage and open sections to avoid an overly heavy look.

A partial bookcase on the wall

In many living rooms, the bookcase takes up only part of the wall, leaving free space at the sides or working alongside other living room furniture.

This solution helps the room feel lighter and often makes it easier to include other elements, such as a sideboard or a TV area.

A more flexible solution in smaller living rooms.
Main advantage: it leaves more visual breathing space in the room.
Useful if you want to combine several living room elements together.

How much space to leave at the sides of the bookcase

Where possible, it is often a good idea to leave 20–40 cm of free space between the bookcase and the side walls of the room.

This small margin helps avoid the effect of furniture looking “crammed” into the wall and makes the overall composition feel more balanced.

Low bookcase or floor-to-ceiling bookcase?

The height of the bookcase also has a major impact on how the room is perceived.

Low bookcases
They keep the room feeling lighter and leave more visible wall space.
Floor-to-ceiling bookcases
They offer more storage capacity and can become the main feature of the wall.

The best option depends on the size of the living room, how much storage you need and the overall effect you want to achieve.

Shelf depth, thickness and dimensions

The depth of a bookcase has a strong impact on both storage capacity and the visual balance of the living room. Unlike media walls, bookcases generally have a shallower depth.

This is due to a structural reason: bookcase shelves need to support the weight of books and objects without creating an excessive overhang. For this reason, shelf depth, shelf thickness and the distance between vertical supports should always be well proportioned.

In most domestic bookcases, depth usually ranges approximately from 25 to 45 cm. These are indicative dimensions, consistent with many models currently on the market, although they may vary depending on the manufacturer, the material and the structure of the bookcase.

25–30 cm
A very common depth in domestic bookcases. It allows you to store books and objects while keeping the composition visually lighter.
30–35 cm
Provides more space for large-format books, decorative accessories or storage boxes.
35–45 cm
A deeper solution used in some bookcases that integrate storage units or a TV space. Beyond this range, it becomes harder to maintain the right shelf proportions and long-term stability.

Besides depth, shelf thickness is also very important. Among bookcases currently on the market, shelves often range approximately between 15 mm and 30 mm, although this varies by manufacturer and model.

As a general rule, thicker shelves are used when the bookcase needs to support heavier loads, while thinner shelves are often chosen for a lighter and more minimal visual result.

More structural shelves
These are more suitable for bookcases designed mainly for books, especially if they need to support heavier volumes such as encyclopaedias or large collections. In these cases, it is also better to keep shorter spans, often around 30–60 cm, to reduce the risk of sagging over time.
Thinner shelves
These are often used in more decorative compositions, designed for lighter objects, small books or to create a slimmer visual appearance. Compared with thicker shelves, they generally offer a lower load capacity.

Shelf load capacity should therefore always be considered carefully: there is no single measurement that suits every bookcase, because load resistance and rigidity depend on thickness, material, span width and construction system. Even so, for the wood-based panel bookcases most commonly found on the market today, these reference points are useful when making a choice.

If the bookcase is intended mainly for books, it is generally better to prioritise a stronger structure, well-sized shelves and shorter spans, rather than choosing the composition purely for aesthetic reasons. If, on the other hand, the bookcase is mainly decorative, lighter solutions can also work well.

When the bookcase is very tall, it is also helpful to alternate full shelves, open compartments and more open sections to keep the composition visually balanced and avoid an overly crowded effect.

Bookcase materials: wood-based panels, metal, solid wood or glass

Bookcases can be made from different materials, and the material chosen has a major influence on the structure, modularity and load capacity of the furniture.

In living rooms, the most common options are bookcases made from wood-based panels, bookcases with a metal frame, solid wood bookcases or glass bookcases.

Bookcases in wood-based panels

The most common bookcases are made using wood-based panels (such as chipboard or MDF) finished in a range of surfaces. This type of material makes it possible to create modular and highly customisable systems with a great deal of design flexibility.

maximum compositional flexibility;
the possibility to create low, tall or full-wall bookcases;
integration of units with doors, drawers, glass cabinets or lighting.

For this reason, bookcases in wood-based panels are often chosen when planning a personalised composition for the living room.

Bookcases with a metal frame

Some bookcases use a metal supporting structure combined with wooden shelves or other materials.

These solutions offer a very resistant frame and a lighter, more contemporary look, but generally provide less compositional freedom than fully modular wooden systems.

Many systems combine a metal frame with wooden shelves, creating a good balance between strength and design.

Solid wood bookcases

Bookcases made in solid wood are often more artisanal or bespoke pieces.

Here too, load capacity depends on shelf thickness and the distance between vertical supports, but for the same thickness a solid wood shelf can usually support a higher load than a wood-derived panel.

Modularity is generally more limited than in industrial modular systems, although the furniture itself can be made entirely to measure.

Glass bookcases

Glass bookcases are more distinctive solutions and are often produced as independent standalone pieces.

In most cases, they are not modular systems: the final composition is created by placing several finished units side by side.

These bookcases are used mainly to create light, contemporary compositions, where the furniture acts almost as a display feature.

Bookcase with TV space: when it makes sense

In many living rooms, a bookcase is not used only for books, but also as a way to integrate the television into the overall composition.

In these solutions, the TV is positioned between two sides of the bookcase or integrated into a wider structure combining shelves, storage units and open compartments.

This configuration can create a more uniform and visually balanced wall than using a separate TV unit.

The technical limit of TV space in a bookcase

When the television is positioned between two vertical sides of the bookcase, it is important to respect a few structural proportions.

In most bookcase systems, the usable width between two vertical supports does not generally exceed around 120 cm.

This limit is linked to shelf stability: if the span becomes too wide, the upper shelf may start to sag over time because of the weight it has to carry.

For this reason, many bookcases provide TV modules with controlled widths or additional structural reinforcements when the central opening becomes wider.

If you are instead looking for a composition designed mainly to organise the TV area, store devices and structure the media wall more effectively, you may also find useful: how to choose a TV unit and how to choose a media wall.

Room divider bookcase with rotating TV panel

In some double-sided bookcases used in open-plan homes, it is also possible to integrate a rotating TV panel.

The panel can usually rotate up to 180°, allowing the television to face different areas of the home.

For example, the screen may be turned:

towards the sofa in the living area;
or towards the kitchen or dining area when using the other side of the room.

This solution is especially useful in open-plan layouts, because it allows one single TV screen to serve two different parts of the home.

As with all centre-of-room compositions, it is important to plan proper cable management, often with floor preparation or concealed technical channels built into the furniture.

Bookcase safety and wall fixing

Tall bookcases should always be fixed to the wall, especially when used for books or heavy objects.

Correct fixing improves both stability and safety, reducing the risk of tipping.

check the wall type first (solid masonry or plasterboard);
use fixings suitable for the wall material;
follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

This is even more important with wall-mounted bookcases, where wall strength, anchoring system and weight distribution need to be checked with particular care.

Even when the bookcase stands on the floor, fixing it to the wall is still recommended to ensure better long-term stability.

Mistakes to avoid when choosing a bookcase

A bookcase that is too deep: it reduces circulation space and makes the living room feel heavier.
An overly full composition: without empty space between books and objects, the wall will look more crowded.
Furniture that is too large for the wall: it may become visually dominant and feel unbalanced.
Not fixing it to the wall: a mistake to avoid, especially with tall bookcases.
Shelves that are too thin for heavy loads: they may sag over time if used for many books.
A TV opening that is too wide between supports: without the right proportions, the upper shelf may lose stability.

Frequently asked questions

Is an open bookcase better than one with doors?

Open bookcases look lighter visually and allow you to display books and decorative objects. Bookcases with doors, on the other hand, create a tidier look and offer better protection against dust.

How deep should a bookcase be?

In most living rooms, bookcase shelves generally range from 25 to 45 cm in depth, depending on the function of the furniture and the type of items it needs to hold.

Can a bookcase include a TV?

Yes. Many modern bookcases can integrate a TV into the composition, but it is important to respect the correct width between vertical supports and to assess stability and cable management carefully.

Can a bookcase divide an open-plan room?

Yes. Double-sided or open room divider bookcases are often used to separate the living area and dining area, because they divide the space without closing it off completely.

Should bookcases be fixed to the wall?

Yes, especially if they are tall or heavily loaded with books. Wall fixing improves both stability and long-term safety.

What is the difference between wood, metal, solid wood and glass bookcases?

Bookcases made with wood-based panels are usually the most flexible and modular. Those with a metal frame have a lighter look but often offer less modular freedom. Solid wood bookcases can support heavier loads, while glass bookcases are generally standalone finished pieces placed side by side.