There’s someone in our office who has a bit of a ‘problem’ with books. They’re stacked three deep on the shelves, apparently. A mixture of old, treasured novels; thumbed and worn ones, will-read-later tomes and weighty reference books.

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This doesn’t seem to be a unique predicament: there’s something about books which bring out the hoarder in even the most minimalist individual. Ever since Waterstones revolutionalised the market with its 3 for 2 offers in the mid-nineties, books have been easy to come by and easy to accumulate. If you recognize this scenario – even just a *teeny* bit – chances are storage has, at one time or another, been an issue.

We’re just coming into London Design season, when the London Design Fair and the London Design Festival showcase some of the most innovative design pieces in our capital. As ever, there are some rather lovely examples designed to give a stylish home to your library – whatever its size. And, to balance things out, we’ve also included a few ideas that we feel are just good examples of book storage.

From the London Design Festival…

Matthew Elton

Matthew Elton is a furniture designer based in Hackney, East London, and his simple, robust and rather beautiful furniture retails through Heal’s, where it’s his shelving that houses the collections of other highly desirable, but possibly slightly unattainable design gems.

Barnby Design

Robert Barnby believes good design should be ‘as little design as possible’, and his bookshelf – another exponent of the ladder idea – certainly fits that description.

Peter Marigold’s Bookhod

Peter Marigold’s portfolio contains a delightfully eclectic mix of innovations, and the Bookhod is one such gem. Inspired – as the name suggests – by the tool used by bricklayers to carry building supplies up ladders, the Bookhod is designed to be a display for a few chosen books, rather an entire library.

Karl Andersson’s Piniwini

We have no idea about the name of this invention, but we’re intrigued… very intrigued! How do those books stay there?!

Some other book things we love, which you won’t be able to see at the LDF…

“Enjoy the advantage of subscription!” chirp the folks at German company, Njustudio, and why not? We’re guessing this would work equally as well with a stack of coffee table books.

Patricia Yasmin Graf, also hailing from Germany, has designed a shelf system that seems entirely complementary to life in rented flats and houses: this simple board leans against the wall and the weight of your books keep it there. Pretty nifty, we think. Plus, the complete lack of self-assembly has to be a bonus…

The Kartell Bookworm shelf is another brilliant antidote to the idea of a ‘normal’ bookcase. It’s flexible, which means it can be configured however you like, in whatever space you have.

Here we move from one end of the market to another: children’s book storage. The folks at the Great Little Trading Company have some super storage solutions, and though they’re clearly aimed at kids, we think they’re a good option for anyone short on space, or who may only have a few books in need of storage (or, like the Bookhod, if you just want to keep a few to hand). These extendable bookends are a great idea and might even fit into adult homes too… if you’re keen on little stars, that is.

If no amount of shelving is going to solve the problem of your personal library until you’re able to find somewhere with slightly more generous square footage, storage isn’t a bad idea at all. In fact, as the book hoarder mentioned at the beginning of this article will attest (ok, the jig’s up: this author is that person), knowing that your precious books are somewhere dry is worth its weight in gold.

Stacking books in corners of your home isn’t always the best course of action: if your place is in any way damp, it’s likely this is where it’s going to seep in, ruining your precious books in the process. Here at Boxman we can deliver sturdy, waterproof boxes to your home. You then pack them up as you see fit and can track the contents of each box online, so there’s no need to spend hours searching for that lost copy of The Illiad – or, ahem, The Da Vinci Code – as you’ll be able to locate everything at the touch of a button.

And finally, a few ideas for book storage areas that we just wanted to share because we liked them…

Zminkowska De Boise Architects, based in London, are just one of several designers to have seen stairs as a potential storage opportunity – and not just as a means to reach the next floor. This project, featured in Dezeen magazine last year, is stylish and space-savvy. Kudos, indeed.

We were having a nosy around Matthew Elton’s website and came across this rather amazing custom build. For anyone who has a bit of well-placed nostalgia for 1970s style paneling, this is just the ticket, just as it might be for those light on wall space but heavy on books. While most of us are unlikely to be able to afford such a bespoke service, the idea of the ladder bookcase is a beautifully simple one, and the wrap-around bookcase, using every nook and cranny, are both ideas that could translate well into small sized abodes.

Those craving the ultimate in book nooks (and perhaps a desire to do a spot of travelling in Japan) need look no further than Book And Bed, a Tokyo-based hostel. In the spirit of the capsule hotel, the sleeping accommodation is simply partitioned off by curtains, but the difference here is that there’s a comprehensive English/ Japanese library at your disposal as well. Perfect for those who enjoy a bit of a read before bed, although we imagine it would be all too easy to get a little too comfortable and never leave your bookish nest.

London Design Fair is on at the Old Truman Brewery between 22-25 September, 2016. London Design Festival runs between 17-25 September throughout the capital and more details of events, talks and exhibitions can be found on their website.