10 Stylish Ways to Display Cookbooks in the Kitchen

Though many households rely on tablets to keep track of our recipes nowadays, there's nothing like a good old-fashioned cookbook. Cookbooks not only provide valuable information, but most of them also look nice, too.

These cookbook storage ideas will help you add style and function to your kitchen, whether you have two cookbooks or twenty. 

Storing cookbooks on the countertop is ideal for books you often use since they'll be easily accessible in this location.  The idea pictured here adds vintage character by placing the books in an old crate. Want to keep it more simple? Another option is to line the books up against the backsplash using bookends.

Vintage Pepsi Crate Storage from Lemonade Makin' Mama

This cookbook display idea requires a little more planning if you don't already have built-ins, but it's well worth the investment if you have space. To replicate this look on existing built-ins, arrange your cookbooks by color on alternating sides of the shelves. 

Do you have more than ten cookbooks and a wide enough kitchen to accommodate another piece of furniture? This DIY project repurposes a vintage sideboard by creating a kitchen island that also functions as a bookshelf. Try this in your kitchen by simply removing the doors to your salvaged furniture and then adding some hooks on the side. 

Sideboard Turned Kitchen Island from Mom 4 Real

Consider this cookbook idea if your small kitchen is lacking storage space both on the countertops and within the existing cabinets. Since cookbooks aren't a necessity, it makes sense in a small kitchen to keep your display as minimal as possible. 

To recreate, implement this Ikea hack utilizing the BEKVÄM Spice rack and create your own functional cookbook display. 

How to Add More Storage in the Kitchen from The 2 Seasons

If you have a wide enough entryway or can spare losing a cabinet, update an existing kitchen peninsula by adding shelving on the end for your cookbooks. The open shelving makes sure your cookbooks are a focal point, so make sure you put some time into how you arrange them. 

Custom Kitchen Bookshelf from Deeply Southern Home

Open shelves​ are really popular in kitchen design right now, but it's essential that you learn how to style them. Cookbooks make great filler items for this purpose. The only drawback is that depending on how you style the shelves, the books may be difficult to access. Keep your most used cookbooks on the lower shelves and stored vertically. 

If your kitchen has a pantry, see if you can designate one of the shelves for cookbook storage. As other ideas have demonstrated, group your cookbooks by color to make the display more eye-catching. Also, just about anything can work as bookends for this idea, so get creative! 

Key Elements of a Well Organized Pantry from The Glitter Guide

If you want the look of open shelving but don't have the means to rip out existing cabinets, just remove one of the doors. Give the inside a fresh coat of paint, and you'll be able to style your cookbooks without having to spend a ton of money updating the kitchen. 

Cookbook Addiction & Shelf Styling from The Inspired Room

There are a lot of baskets and trays on the market that will work perfectly for creating a cookbook vignette on your countertop. But before you go out and buy something, look around your house. Perhaps you have something vintage you can repurpose, like this dish drying rack. 

Vintage Dish Rack for Cookbooks from The Farm Chicks

The empty space above the fridge poses a challenge for many of us, especially if our fridge isn't built into a kitchen cabinet. This family recreated their existing blank space above the fridge by building their own cookbook shelf. The very top section functions as a wine rack. 

Above the Fridge Cookbook Shelf from Femme | Eng