Bookcases aren’t just for storing books. They enhance a room’s ambiance, showcase knickknacks, and offer chic storage that many people love.
If you’ve ever wanted to style a bookcase perfectly, you might be wondering how to achieve that look. We’ve got the styling tips you’ve been looking for.
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How To Style A Bookcase
Your bookcase should only be styled after you’ve decluttered. Styling a bookcase calls for careful planning.
Styling a bookcase requires the following:
- Choosing the right accessories
- Choosing chic storage
- Arranging storage and accessories correctly
1. Choose The Right Accessories
While they usually hold books, you can also add decor and personal items to add visual interest.
While there are some load limits as to what you put on a bookshelf, there are common items that always look good on them. Here are some suggestions.
Art Deco
Statues, sculptures, and other art deco are excellent choices to add interest to the space.
Plants
Whether they’re real or fake, plants offers a refreshing ambiance to any home.
Decorative plants are very popular these days among home decorators. To get the best look possible, make sure to invest in a stylish planter.
Bookends
Bookends are both practical and decorative. They aren’t the stereotypical large, chunky pieces of metal they once were, either.
Bookends are now made into beautiful sculptures that can add a special splash of color to any bookcase style.
Accent Vases
Vases look amazing on a bookshelf and can double as a luxurious storage. To make them pop even more, add beads or flowers to your vase.
Just remember that if you’re placing a vase on top of a bookshelf, make sure the design is broad and sturdy to lessen the chances of it toppling over.
2. Choose Chic Storage
The right storage can make it easy to display both books and other items beautifully. Wicker baskets, decorative boxes, and trinket trays can be a great choice.
3. Arrange Your Items
A well-styled bookshelf can transform any room, making it not just functional but also a focal point of decor.
Here are some tips to help you arrange items on your bookshelf to achieve a stylish and cohesive look:
Start with a Clean Slate
Before you begin, remove everything from your bookshelf. This gives you a blank canvas to work with and allows you to see the space clearly.
Dust the shelves and make sure they’re clean and ready for your new arrangement.
Group by Theme or Color
One way to create a visually appealing bookshelf is to group items by theme or color.
For example, you could arrange books with similar colors together or place items that share a common theme, such as travel souvenirs, on the same shelf.
Vary Heights and Sizes
Mixing items of different heights and sizes adds interest and prevents the bookshelf from looking monotonous.
Place taller items, like vases or framed photos, next to shorter stacks of books or smaller decorative pieces.
This variation creates a dynamic look that draws the eye across the entire shelf.
Create Balance
While variation is important, balance is key to a stylish bookshelf. Distribute items evenly across the shelves to avoid clustering too many large or small items in one area.
You can achieve balance by using a mix of vertical and horizontal arrangements, and by spreading out colors and themes.
Layer Items
Depth can add a lot of style to your bookshelf. Layer items by placing smaller pieces in front of larger ones.
For example, you can place a small framed photo in front of a stack of books or a decorative object in front of a larger picture frame.
This adds dimension and prevents the shelf from looking too flat.
Leave Some Space
Don’t feel like you need to fill every inch of your bookshelf. Leaving some empty space can actually make your arrangement look more sophisticated and less cluttered.
It gives the eye a place to rest and helps highlight the items you do choose to display.
Personal Touches
Finally, add some personal touches to make your bookshelf uniquely yours. Include items that have personal significance, such as family photos, heirlooms, or souvenirs from your travels.
How Do You Make Your Bookcase Look Less Cluttered?
You should try to free up at least one shelf per bookcase. You can donate books you no longer read, put some books in storage, or get a second shelf.
Should Books Be Stored Flat Or Upright?
This all depends on how many books you have on your shelf. If you only have a couple, store them flat with the spines visible to the viewer.
If you have a bunch, then it makes sense to store them upright using bookends. Either way, it’s usually a personal preference.
Should You Organize Your Books By Color?
Arranging books by color can be a wonderful style idea. By grouping together books by the colors of their spines, you get a visually striking look that also looks clean.
While it may look good, it can also make it difficult to find books you really enjoy quickly.
If you want to display books from shelf-to-shelf and have to keep a bunch in easy access, it might make more sense to arrange them alphabetically.
Arranging books alphabetically gives you a reliable way to find that favorite book in a pinch.
Can You Put A TV On A Bookshelf?
In some cases, yes, but it doesn’t usually work. Most televisions are too large and heavy to fit on a bookshelf.
Sometimes, even putting them on the top of the bookshelf puts them at risk of falling.
Since televisions can topple on a bookshelf pretty easily, it’s best to skip this unless you have a way to both fit the TV in and secure it in place.
Styling Your Bookcase: Tips And Tricks
Now that you have a good idea of what styling a bookcase can involve, it’s important to make sure that you get those final finishing touches right.
These quick tips below can help you get the best look possible, or just make your styling a little easier:
- Check online bookshelf styling ideas to help you figure out how you want to style it. A little inspiration never hurts.
- Add metallic or stone accents to help bring out the look of the books you own.
- Start your styling session by focusing on larger items first. This makes introducing smaller accent objects easier.
- When working on your styling, step back, and figure out how it looks from afar.
In Closing
Though it can be intimidating to style your own shelves, it’s a pretty doable procedure.
As long as you take time to choose the right accessories, plan the spaces, and declutter first, you’ll definitely achieve the look you want.
As one of the most enjoyable parts of interior design, it’s important to make sure you enjoy the decorating time you have. After all, it’s a way to turn your bookcase into a reflection of yourself!
