How to Decorate Shelves & Bookcases: Simple Formulas That Work!
Your bookshelf does so much more than simply stack books! It’s an amazing storage opportunity as well as giving you plenty of space for displaying your keepsakes and accessories. Whether you’re styling a brand new home from scratch, furnishing just one room or you’re simply looking to step up your bookcase display, the following tips are going to be a huge help! Here’s how to decorate your bookshelves and bookcases…
Start with the case itself
First things first, the actual bookcase! If you’re looking to upgrade your existing model or you’re in the market for a bookcase for the very first time, you’ll need to get hunting for a classic, timeless style that can stay with you for countless years to come. The key to securing a piece that you love, that works for your family and that stands the test of time is shopping for quality craftsmanship and natural materials. Look for reclaimed natural timber pieces. This material is stylish, neutral, environmentally friendly and actually becomes warmer and more characteristic over time, making it ideal for all family homes, even the ones with furry friends and messy little ones!
Switch up your stacking
Now you’ve got your new bookcase, or you’ve cleared out and cleaned your existing model, you can start repositioning those books. Beginning your styling with the main attraction (in this case, obviously this is books) saves you from over piling on non-essential accessories and clutter, leaving very little room for the piece to actually perform the function that it is supposed to. Stacking books doesn’t necessarily mean just placing them in the traditional sense. You can switch up your stacking sequins from horizontal to vertical, spine facing out, spine facing in and even with sporadic clustering. This takes the functional aspect of your bookcase and turns it into a design feature. You can switch this up whenever you feel! Consider getting creative with colour, you can experiment with blocking, organising by tone or repeated patterns.
Mix medias and materials
Once your books are neatly placed in their new creative formations, you can begin to add in your other accessories. Bring in plenty of carefully curated, varied objects crafted from different materials to create an interesting, warm scene that’s well styled but still homely. Mix ceramics, metallic finishes, glass, wood and soft finishings for a beautiful bookcase that’s stocked full of character.
Bring the outside in
Adding plants, flowers and succulents is a great way of enhancing your bookcase without overpowering the styling as a whole. Add a few pops of greenery to bring more texture and brightness to your bookcase. Plants are fantastic for creating subtle symmetries across your case. Mirroring formations puts together a relaxing and cohesive scene that’s very calming and pleasing to the eye.
Keep it personal
As always, anything that’s too over styled won’t feel like it belongs in a family home so avoid taking it too far and be mindful of keeping your bookcase nice and personal. Factor in the rest of your home to style a scene that reflects your whole design vision, you need to create scenes that flow with the rest of your aesthetic. Ensure that you have one or two family photos or pieces of personal artworks to make it feel personal and comforting.
Start shopping for reclaimed timber bookcases and shelves in Sydney today to secure the perfect setting for your styling.
