The day Home Edit showcased the organized charm of rainbow-organized bookshelves, the Dewey Decimal system tumbled from its throne as the reigning monarch of book-categorization systems. The show wasn't the first place to highlight the trend—if you scroll years back into your saved images on Pinterest, you'll find the first color-coded bookshelf you fell in love with! But it was a vocal supporter.
Still, we have noticed that a rainbow shelf, while bold and beautiful, does make it harder to find the exact volume you're looking for—unlike, say, alphabetization by author. To paraphrase literary character Carrie Bradshaw, we couldn't help but wonder: Have we come to the end of the rainbow? Is your home library overdue for a refresh?
To find out, we asked the experts. And we discovered that rainbow-organized shelves can have designers red in the face with passion or aggravation, or, on the other hand, green with envy.
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"Books arranged by color actually came out about 15 years ago," says Cathy Purple Cherry of Purple Cherry Architects. "They're certainly not overrated or outdated, as the trend has evolved. Initially, the draw was to a strong palette of primary colors and to organize the chaos of the décor. Now, we have seen vendors and suppliers move into a much more stately or sophisticated line of book covers—not in a rainbow-colored spectrum. So, the trend of books by color is not gone, it has just shifted for example from bright reds to quiet golds." In other words, designers are finding clever tricks to keep the trend alive.
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Purple Cherry continues, "Rainbow bookshelves are a morphing trend that I think will be around for a long time. While books have been replaced by digital technology, there is still an emotional appeal to seeing books because they represent that you are scholarly, learned, and passionate about reading, regardless of if what you're reading is on your Kindle."
On the other hand, not everyone considers books to be remnants of old media, akin to a charming antique typewriter. Interior designer Nicole Hirsch has a limited tolerance for rainbow bright shelves. "Rainbow bookshelves can be 'adorable' in a little kid’s bedroom but should not be transferred anywhere else within a home," she says. "It was really introduced as more of an organization method than anything else but somehow took on a life of its own."
Interior designer Amy Pigliacampo disagrees, swearing a rainbow is as smart a way to arrange books as any. "My brain organizes everything by ROYGBIV...even my phone apps are organized that way," she says. "If that works for you then it's a great system. If it makes you crazy, it's definitely not for you."
House Beautiful Senior Style Director, Robert Rufino just finds them a little lazy, "For every design trend that has a cult fanbase, the wave of interest comes and goes," he says. "You can get more creative than arranging the books by color–try painting inside of the cabinet to enhance the atmosphere of the space."
For book enthusiasts, arranging books by color seems frivolous, unless you're looking at a selection that's strictly aesthetic, like a collection on a coffee table. Even fans of rainbow shelving agree books-as-decor-only can go too far; if your bookcase features fakes books (without any pages ) it immediately veers to the corny end of the spectrum.
How to Make Rainbow Bookshelves Relevant
The trend garners varied reactions among bibliophiles, design-lovers, and those who refuse to choose a side. If you're a fan who is currently reading this in front of a ROYGBIV-adorned bookcase, there's no need to ditch the candy-coated trend completely. Just consider giving it an edit, courtesy of these designer tips on how to create a look that lasts.
- Integrate a variety of components like sculptures, frames, accessories, small plants, etc. regardless of whether your bookshelf is rainbow or not.
- Go Monochrome with a bookshelf and books to match!
- Consider the negative spaces created by the books—mixing in stacks with vertical ones and even leaning some so that the beautiful covers are visible.
- Combine your books with personal artifacts, heirlooms, board games, folded blankets, baskets, curious objects, plants, and items that have softer lines that contrast the books themselves.
- Try variations of the rainbow with a tonal look, Pigliacampo suggests, focusing on a few colors that feel related like gold and brown, red and burgundy, or blues and greens Pigliacampo suggests.
The Final Chapter
You don't need to limit yourself to alphabetically or visually arranging books. Another option is to do it emotionally, according to what they mean to you. "I rearrange and regroup my own books every year or so to keep it fresh and interesting," Pigliacampo shares. "As with all things design, books often represent a certain 'chapter' in your life and can be sentimental."
In the end, whether or not you arrange your bookcase by color is totally up to you! It can be fun and playful to style your bookcase in a fashion that reflects your personality. Maybe your librarian wouldn't cheer you on, but your home, your rules. If you would like to tone down the look for an office, choose to display neutral hues—you can even slipcover your books all in white as above (if you don't mind having to pull them out to see what they actually are). That being said, many designers and readers alike prefer to have book titles visible. That's because what you read signals what you hold dear, from what you studied in college, to family heirlooms, to books you've raced through so many times the binding is unraveling. Regardless of how you choose to categorize, beauty and function should always have a spot on your shelf.
And once you've settled the to-rainbow-or-not-to rainbow question, may we suggest tucking yourself away in a reading nook?
Rainbow Bookshelf Inspiration
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Medgina Saint-Elien covers everything your home needs. She writes about exciting new product launches, hands-on reviews, and the "lightbulb" moments in every maker's story. In overseeing key HB editorial franchises, including the Live Better Awards, Saint-Elien champions the work of BIPOC entrepreneurs in the design and beauty industries. In addition to House Beautiful, her work has been published in Byrdie, Snapchat, and more. Outside of work, the writer and poet can be found documenting her travels on social media and saving memes for future use.
