Bookends

Heavy enough to stop a row of books sliding over. Marble, stone and cast metal bookends weighing 1 kg or more each will hold a full shelf of hardbacks. Lighter, more decorative designs suit a short row of paperbacks or a few books on a desk. L-shaped metal bookends that slide under the end book are the most secure.

Group books by colour or height, cap each end with a bookend and top a short horizontal stack with a small object. On a desk, console or mantelpiece, a row of eight to twelve books between a pair of sculptural bookends looks deliberate rather than stored. Keep the books' spines flush with the shelf edge.

Marble and stone are the heaviest and most stable, and look elegant on open shelves. Brass and cast iron add weight in a slimmer profile. Wood is warmer and lighter, better for shorter rows. Acrylic and glass suit a minimal look and let the books' spines take centre stage. Match heavier bookends to heavier books.

On a kitchen counter to hold cookbooks, on a desk for files and notebooks, in a child's room for picture books, or on a sideboard to hold records upright. Bookends also work as decorative objects on their own, especially sculptural pairs, which can frame a small display on a shelf.