How to Style Bookcases and Shelves

Basic Bookcase Styling Tips

Bookcases originally served the purpose to store and display your books. However, there’s ample opportunity to expand their function into a delightful decorative focal point. The first principle of bookcase styling is that the space is not exclusive to books but a wonderland for photographs, plants and ornaments. Another important principle is to not stuff your bookcases full to the brim – less is sometimes more! Here are our top bookcase and shelf styling tips to help you out!

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Do A Bit Of Planning

A great starting point is placement. Firstly, identify which room best fits your bookcase, and then within that room, which spot will ultimately elevate and showcase your items the best. Along with floating shelves, bookcases can fill spaces along large and otherwise bare walls. Hanging shelves can be mounted on large, bare walls in between other decorative elements such as paintings to provide more decorative freedom.

Floating shelves don’t have to be purely decorative. It’s a good idea to add useful items that will often be needed in proximity to the shelf. If the shelf is in the kitchen, it can contain assorted jars, or perhaps pots and pans. A shelf in the laundry room can contain detergents and washing pegs alongside things to spruce up the utilitarian appearance.

Bookcases in particular can look amazing if they’re filled with a healthy dose of books. But not everyone has an impressive personal library. With lots of empty space, bookcases tend to become storage spaces for random junk. But with a bit of deliberate planning, your limited selection of books can fit right in with a few carefully chosen accessories and plants.

Consider your colour scheme before start. Aim for complimentary and cohesive colours in a ray of different textures, rather than presenting an overwhelming colour and pattern clash. When you’re ready to start adding decorative décor, start with larger items such as plants and vases. These should anchor your styling, with smaller items fitting in and around them. Group your items in uneven clusters; groups of 3 or 5, in varying heights and depths.

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Have Fun & Get Creative!

Artwork makes for a great addition to your shelves. Large framed posters can help fill larger spaces, and smaller items can create balance alongside other big items. However, avoid just adding a host of random trinkets just because you have space to fill. Everything on display should be meaningful and considered, otherwise it’s in danger of resembling clutter.

And of course, remember to add books! That’s what bookcases are for, after all! But be creative in the way you place them. Forget about the library and the bookstore. Vary selections of vertically-placed books and horizontally-placed stacks throughout the bookcase. Keep book sizes similar, or arrange from biggest to smallest. And as mentioned, consider keeping complimentary colour schemes together. As a finishing touch, you can add little items on top of stacks of books to round out the shape of the stack. TIP: if your book cover is loud and proud and not fitting with your colour scheme, consider turning it around and showing the pages for a subtle effect.

Now you can balance out the gaps with well-considered home decor accessories. This can include things like family heirlooms and portraits, your collection of snow globes from around the world, little statuettes or candles. As long as it fits in and has meaning to you, it’s welcome to stay.

Small plants can complete the styling of your bookcases and shelves. Low-maintenance or faux indoor plants of various shapes and sizes can be used and remember that their pots or vases can themselves contribute to the decor. Balance is the key. Remember, don’t overstuff the spaces. Just try to balance things out.

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Finishing Touches

Before signing off on your creations, take a step back to take it all in. Look it over with a critical eye and don’t be afraid to edit anything that seems out of place. Remove items, add things, or rearrange until you’re happy. But remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect. It should, after all, be reflective of your taste, your life memories and passions, not that of others. Happy bookcase styling!