Bookcase Styling Tips: Five Years Later

I absolutely love charming bookcases and built-ins and what they add to a room. Disclaimer: I am not a minimalist but I think these tips can work for any decor, just subtract items if it gets too busy for you. I group books in order of subject or genre I then think about height and balance. I don’t group books by color but if it happens to work out with the height of the spines, I try to make the colors harmonious (if that makes sense). I also align all books closer to the front of the shelves, not to the back of the wall. On to the main tips…

Take all books and items off of the shelves, sorting in categories as you go.  Determine which categories make the most sense to you and will be easily accessed by your family. During this time, it’s helpful to have a donate pile and a maybe pile. If you’re sentimental, I definitely recommend a maybe pile. Assemble an assortment of meaningful objects, framed photos, and artwork to incorporate into your bookcase styling. These items break up the space and incorporate visual interest. Also think about pottery and/or baskets to add to the mix. 

When placing your books back onto your shelves, stand back and think about balance. I like to break things up by stacking some books horizontally, using larger coffee table sized books, keeping the stack low. If possible, you could add a decorative object on top of the stack, keeping proportion in mind. If you don’t have a large collection of books, leave room for negative space. This gives the eye a place to rest, it also gives you room if you add to your collection.

Start placing larger objects onto your shelves, such as a large vessel or a basket. Adding baskets towards the bottom of your shelves can provide extra storage. Depending on where your bookcases or built-ins are, you can store remotes, cords, games; the options are limitless. In terms of interior design and aesthetics, it’s been shown that odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye. This could be a grouping of three objects that are similar but perhaps different in size, such as vases. If you’re flanking a set of books, you would obviously use two items if they’re identical or related. I have antique clay sculptures that belonged to my mother and use them as bookends on a somewhat smaller set of vertical books with negative space on either side so they’re highlighted.

EDIT! It takes time to get things exactly the way you’ve envisioned, be patient. It takes time, try to live with your first iteration for a day or so and then tweak and rearrange as needed. Styling a bookcase can cost you nothing but time and sweat equity but when it all comes together, it can be heavenly. Remember, it's not static or permanent so play around to your heart's content! Yes, I used the word PLAY, there is no exact formula or test involved so have fun with it!