Fact: Books are a great addition to any room. On a coffee table, a stack of books adds character and gives a bland table a stylish look. Bookshelves lined with rows of spines have a similar effect in a living room or an office. While a library has a charming look, it’s not ideal for every home. But a simple stack of books, placed elegantly on a floating shelf, is a different story. Content creator and self-proclaimed serial decorator Grillodesigns found a way to do just that with her dish rack bookshelves. Like a sprawling library, it doubles as decor and becomes a chic focal point in the room.

Takeaways New Hide ▲

Dish rack shelves create

affordable floating bookcases

for compact stylish storage

Great DIY for renters:

self-adhesive hooks mean

no drilling required

Only supports paperbacks—

display hardcovers elsewhere

for practical home decor

Stacked books instantly add

character and personality

to bland tables

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As someone who has books all over their home, this hack immediately stopped my doomscrolling session. A large library spread across my living room has always been a dream of mine, and while I’ve been able to create a small reading nook, I still have a surplus of books hiding in boxes. My New York City apartment isn’t equipped for more bookcases, and shelves can be a hassle to put up. But this hack has effortless DIY written all over it.

For starters, it uses two simple items: a wooden dish rack and hooks. In the video, the creator notes that choosing the right kind of dish rack is key for separating the books. The idea is to have the books lie horizontally on each makeshift shelf without sliding off. That said, she recommends looking for a dish rack with at least 10 cm of depth. Fortunately, there are lots of places to source them, like Amazon or her go-to retailer, eBay. You may think Ikea would be a good place to start, but she advises against it. Although the superstore sells similar wooden dish racks, they may not be as sturdy as others for this hack.

@grillodesigns

I’ve added more shelves to my dish rack bookshelf 🤭👀. Should I add one more? If this is the first time you are seeing this hack – then all you need is a wood dish rack (depth of at least 10cm – I get mine off eBay usually … don’t get the IKEA one ) and 2 self adhesive hooks to support each rack vertically. Let me know if you ever decide to try it

♬ original sound – Grillodesigns

DIY Dish Rack to Floating Bookcase Tips

• When shopping for dish racks, look for sturdy options with a strong base and secured legs.
• Keep in mind how many shelves the dish rack will create.
• Buy multiple dish racks to create a long floating bookcase.
• Be sure to use two self-adhesive hooks with each rack to ensure it will be well-supported once the books are added.
• Place the racks close together, ensuring there is no space between each one.
• Give your books a good dusting before placing them on the shelf.

The Final Takeaway

If you’re looking for a cool way to display and store your books, this DIY floating bookcase is a good option. The materials are affordable and easy to attain, while the project itself requires little effort. However, there is one drawback to this dreamy floating bookcase. Given the material of the shelves, it can only support paperback books. However, you can keep your hardcover books on the coffee table, providing guests with some enjoyable reading material.