10 TIPS ON HOW TO STYLE YOUR BOOKSHELVES LIKE A PRO

March 27, 2017

10 TIPS ON HOW TO STYLE YOUR BOOKSHELVES LIKE A PRO

Hey friends! Between our staycation and then our actual vacation, I have missed a few weeks on blog posting and have so much to share with you! We have been featuring some pretty amazing open shelving and bookcases on our Instagram lately, and we are going to share tips on how you can make your bookshelves look just as beautiful.

1. Get rid of the majority of your books: I know, it sounds crazy. But the NUMBER ONE thing that people are doing that is hurting their design is over-cramping their bookshelves with books. This automatically will make your space feel busy, cluttered, and heavy. You want your bookshelves to look styled and purposeful, and so you will need to limit the number of books you use on your shelves. Go through and de-clutter the ones you'll never read, and I always always tell people to never NEVER use children books out on your main bookshelves. Save your children's books for their room, playroom, or place them in a basket or trunk where they can be carefully stored. The books you DO keep for your shelves should have at least a 1.5"-2" minimum thickness, so that you can have a larger scale and keep from feeling cluttered. And once you clear out all the extra books you don't need, you'll be ready for my tip number 2!!

2. Bookshelves are not just for books: Your bookshelves should be a good balance of books and sculptural objects. Think beautiful vases, interesting objects, and things that have a different texture than your books. I really love introducing metal objects and even some porcelain. With your sculptural objects, you are showcasing different scales and height to add more visual interest to your shelves.

3. Layer, layer and layer again: Use your books and sculptural objects together. They are friends. Layer books laying horizontally with a sculptural object on the top, use interesting or different objects as book ends for books stacked vertically. I also love layering artwork behind sculptural objects to give it a collected feel.

4. Use balance and taste when styling: If one shelf is a little more book heavy, the next shelf below it should have less books and more sculptural objects. I like to rotate between doing one shelf of vertical stacked books, and then the next shelf having two stacks of horizontal books with objects, or a large beautiful bowl or vases.

5. Pull your books and objects in away from the edges of the bookcase: This is another tip that will help your bookshelf feel more open, and showcase the beautiful objects that are centered on the shelf. By doing this, you are giving the eye a place to rest (what we call dead space) and so you appreciate the visual details even more because they are able to speak for themselves. This especially is a needed tool when using metal bookshelves that don't have closed sides, or when you are dealing with color blocking and want to break up the palette.

6. Add something personal: This one is my favorite! Every home I have gone into, and every person I have had the privilege of designing their home has a story. Whether you travel the world, like to make artistic pottery, have a beautiful family, or like to paint. Everyone has something that they love and bookshelves are a great place to showcase these items! Add that awesome trinket you brought back from your trip, showcase the beautiful family pictures you had taken last summer, or showcase the amazing painting that you just got framed. Make it personal.

7. Texture is your new best friend: Breaking up different materials and textures will take your bookshelf go from great to glamorous. I already touched on it above, but I want to highlight the importance of having different materials and textures throughout your bookshelves. Mix gold metal with black, layer books with a porcelain vase. Think organic balanced with something industrial or glam. Wood textures with colorful tones. It will really bring your bookshelves to life!

8. Add artwork & picture frames: We mentioned adding these things in under bringing in personal items, but artwork and picture frames need to be done in a way that they don't detract and take away from the other items on your shelves. Keep artwork and picture frames on an appropriate scale, and place them on shelves that are at eye-level so that they can be easily viewed. Have fun with your frames, they can serve in bringing in texture and metal into your space.

9. Go Round: With having so many items that are rectangle and square (I'm talking about your books ;) add sculptural objects that are round. This will soften the space and add another shape that will bring in added detail and interest. Again, balance each shelf with the appropriate amount of square and round items.

10. Tell a story: As you step back and view your finished bookshelf, you want it to tell your story. Our bookshelves are filled with interior design and travel books, layered in with hand-made bowls from Africa and gold snake-skin picture frames. It really is the perfect mix that shows what we love. What is your story? Do you love abstract paintings and unique objects? Do you love reading old novels that have vintage bindings? I always say that if a stranger were to come into your home, they should be able to tell what type of person you are from studying the carefully selected pieces you have displayed on your shelves. Your bookshelves should capture your passions, hobbies, and flair for life.

Here are some of my favorite bookshelves that showcase each of these tips: