The Art Of The Bookshelf

You can tell a lot about a person by their bookshelves.  They’re a great opportunity to showcase your interests and personality through well-curated displays of books and other items.  They can quickly become a mess and a catch-all for all sorts of things that don’t belong there though (I speak from experience).  

I’ve pulled together some tips to styling your bookshelves efficiently and decoratively, whether you have a lone Billy Bookcase from IKEA or a library room devoted to books. Just remember, your home is not a stage set. Is should always evolve and change with you.  Don’t be afraid to move things around.

✗ Group items linked by theme.  Groups of odd numbered items (3 or 5) are usually more visually appealing.

⎨ Kim Stephen Interiors ⎬

✗ Stack books horizontally and vertically for a more dynamic display.

 ⎨ The Art of Doing Stuff ⎬

✗ Balance the display by adding decorative items among the books. 

⎨ Coco Rocha’s apartment, courtesy of Vogue ⎬

⎨ HGTV ⎬

✗ Organize books by colour, which creates a graphic pop, drawing attention to them as a feature instead of seeking to make them blend in.

⎨ Style at Home ⎬

✗ Incorporate art, such as smaller framed works, which can be propped up on shelves or  larger pieces which can be leaned in front of them, creating a layered effect.

✗ A great tip for making your bookshelves pop is to paint or wallpaper the back of the bookshelf a contrasting colour from the actual bookshelf.

✗ Hang something such as a painting or a mirror on the mouldings of a bookshelf.

✗ Shelves filled with books from end to end look best at the bottom of the display, otherwise the arrangement will appear top-heavy.

⎨ Jeffers Design Group ⎬

 Marie