In a house-tour of a mid-century apartment in São Paulo that Brazilian studio Cupertino Arquitetura designed, we spotted a clever iteration of low bookshelves that too often look cluttered and domineering.

By making the shelves extra-deep, books are set back into the box, becoming less visually prominent and busy. The resulting spacious ledge can be used as seating or as a surface to display things. There is mostly a single level of books close to floor level, with ample space above, which also helps minimize visual “busyness”.

We’re going to steal that idea.

Photography by Maíra Acayaba