Display Your Favorite Books With This Unique Find From IKEA

Bigger isn't always better, especially when it comes to living in a small space. When working with limited real estate, maximizing your storage space is key, as is finding the right pieces of furniture or decor that don't dwarf the rest of the room. One common dilemma for bookworms is figuring out how and where to store your books, especially if you can't fit a large bookshelf. Enter IKEA's KOMPISHÄNG bookend, which is mobile, compact, and looks like a work of art with or without your latest reads.

The bookend is one of several products in IKEA's KOMPISHÄNG line, designed with renters in mind. These are folks who appreciate easy mobility for future moves, but don't want to sacrifice style, function, and quality. The line includes items like hanging storage and narrow, lightweight tables and stools. The steel KOMPISHÄNG bookend has two handles and a curved platform in between. From end to end, it measures slightly more than 21 inches and is 4½ inches deep, with handles that are 7 inches tall.

Although IKEA's website describes it as a bookend, it's also a bookshelf. A New York Times review reported that the shelf holds 10 to 20 books, with a "wedge-shaped gap between books" because of the product's curvature, which seems to encourage people to sift through them. One downside was that the shelf wasn't the most practical for carrying the books around. However, IKEA reviewers who simply used the item to hold (rather than transport) books raved about its ability to securely hold books and hide clutter.

Books are traditionally housed in large bookshelves against walls, loosely tucked atop nightstands, or lined up on floating wall shelves. But there are also creative ways to store books that actually enhance your home decor. With the KOMPISHÄNG bookend, bookworms get versatility and design savviness. Consider spots like a window seat, desk corner, or coffee table, where loose books might otherwise look like clutter. Remember that the bookend isn't permanent, either. If you temporarily need more space on the coffee table or desk, simply move the bookend aside.

Even if you're not limited on space, the bookend has other perks. If you're an organization enthusiast and a bibliophile, consider getting one bookend for each genre. Or if you're the type of reader who dips into more than one book at a time, keep one bookend reserved for your current reads while another one holds your TBRs. For a household with multiple readers, this product is a perfect way to keep each person's book stash separated and organized.

If red doesn't work with your design aesthetic, don't worry. There are some easy DIY options to make this bookend work for your space. Painting over the powder coating on the steel will require sanding with fine-grit sandpaper, applying a bonding primer, and painting with an epoxy-based or metal-grade enamel paint. For more variety, consider covering the bookend with peel-and-stick wallpaper, which comes in seemingly endless options of colors, patterns, and graphics.