Bookshelves add some character to your living room or home office. They are a great addition to any space. The biggest challenge comes with organizing and styling those bookshelves. There is a way to make your bookshelf stand out and be the focal point of the room.
These 8 tips will explain how you can achieve perfection.
1. Layer the Back of the Shelves with Artwork or Paint
Add some depth to your shelves by hanging artworks at the back. If the shelves have a backboard, paint it black to add some mystery. You can also use wallpaper instead of paint.
Alternatively, you can hang framed art in front of your books. It will have the same effect.
You can also add travel souvenirs or antiques on the shelf to create some form of contrast. As a rule of thumb, try positioning one item on the top left of the shelf and the other on the far right to create a sense of balance.
2. Get Rid of Clutter
To re-organize and style the shelf, you have to remove everything and start afresh. Get rid of books with old or damaged covers. Put those books in your library where no one can see them.
As you sort out the books, group them according to size and colour.
You may be thinking of adding more books to the shelves. Before you do that, ask yourself the following question; will they be a good fit if you consider the theme and colour?
3. Putting Books Back on the Shelf
As you rearrange the books back on the shelves, mix things up. The golden rule is to put 60% of the books vertically and the remaining 40% horizontally to create a zigzag pattern.
You can also arrange the books according to colour. For example, red-covered books can go on the top shelf while green ones can be on the middle shelf.
You can personalize the arrangement by putting books on the top and bottom shelves and leaving the middle shelf empty.
4. Don’t Overdo It
It can be tempting to want to put everything on the shelves. Unfortunately, overstuffing the shelves only makes them look ugly instead of interesting. Try as much as possible to leave a third of each shelf space empty. Then, leave the other third for accessories and the things you love. The remaining third should be filled with books arranged vertically and horizontally.
5. Use Baskets for Additional Storage
Instead of adding books to the bottom shelf, you can put them in a large basket. Your shelves shouldn’t have a similar open design from top to bottom. Spice things up a little bit by adding more storage at the bottom shelves.
Here is how you can do that; Put the remaining books and useful accessories inside the large basket. Then, put that basket on the bottom shelf.
6. Use DIY Covers
If you can’t find the right theme for your shelves, create one. Customize the book covers with a fabric of your choosing or a decorative paper. Ask your partner or friends to help you replace the old covers with new ones because the process can take a while if you do it alone.
7. The Rule of Threes
Use tall unique objects to make your shelf stand out. Examples of such objects include candlesticks, sculptures, and vases. Use three vases of different heights on one side and three sculptures on the other side. Let those objects act as bookends.
The rule of threes also applies to books. If the width of the shelf is not that wide, place three books vertically and three horizontally to create ‘perfect’ symmetry. Then, use the horizontal books as stands for antiques.
8. Add Plants
Plants will add some colour and variety to your shelves. Place one potted plant at one end of the shelf and another at the other end to create symmetry. The other route you can take is placing a large plant beside the shelf.
Related:Â 5 Steps to Create an Above Bookcase Plant
