Bookcase Styling - Essential Pieces for a New Look
One of the most common areas that people struggle with is bookcase or shelf styling. There are often many surfaces of different sizes so naturally, deciding what to put on those can be difficult. In an attempt to assist with this common problem, I have put together a few steps and essential pieces for styling your bookcases, built-ins and shelves.
STEP 1: CLEAR IT OUT
Clear the shelf entirely. Eliminate a few pieces that you’ve had for many years or those that are dates.
(I removed a lot of wooden signs as I felt it was making my home look like a Cracker Barrel.)
STEP 2: REMEMBER PROPORTION
Put your largest items on the bottom shelf. This is a great place for baskets, like these sea grass ones from HomeGoods. I also hide wires and remote controls in here. You can cut out the back and run wires inside.
STEP 3: USE MONOTONE BOOKS
Add white or neutral colored books. I use these upright in between bookends. I lay them flat and put picture frames and small pots on top. I also turn the spines in to have pages exposed. These are essential pieces in creating this look. I get all of my fabric covered books here. You can also take paper covers off of hard covered books for this look.
STEP 4: ADD FRAMES OF VARIOUS HEIGHTS BUT SIMILAR TONES
For this look, I removed a lot of my heavy frames and replaced them with these thinly framed gallery frames. I love this look because it adds a simplicity to the space that makes it feel fresh.
STEP 5: INCLUDE LANTERNS
For many years, I used the same coastal, distressed lanterns on my shelves. For 2020, I replaced them all with more modern versions with brass accents…and this was a HUGE change! I purchased two octagonal lanterns and placed one on my mantle and one in the bookcase. I added two additional thinly accented brass lanterns and stacked those on books. I also love flicker flame candles. There are candles that just glow and then candles whose flame moves back and forth to imitate a real flame. Although these specific candles are pricey, they look beautiful and cast a beautiful warmth at night. TIP: I buy white candles so they don’t glow an orange-yellow.
STEP 6: STYLE SMALL POTS OF GREENERY
On my Instagram, I refer to these as #babypots. These $5-10 greenery pots can be found near the checkout aisle of HomeGoods. I used these on top of stacked books in shelves but also around my home on dressers and in bathrooms.
STEP 7: ROUND AND ROUND
Often, people forget to vary the shape of objects in their bookcase. Clocks and “orbs” always compliment bookshelf decor. You can find this specific “pocket watch clock” here or use this one which is a similar to this alternative. Geometric shapes, like these gold orbs, can be found at HomeGoods.
STEP 8: COORDINATE YOUR MANTLE
Make sure your mantle features the same elements as your bookcases if they are adjacent. You can see, for this mid-winter refresh, that I used the same books and added hand turned candlesticks. This soft, wood dough bowl also filled that awkward empty space between the TV and mantle. You can purchase that here and use greenery balls from Hobby Lobby to fill it.
STEP 9: UPDATE YOUR FIREPLACE
If you have an outdated fireplace, upgrade the look with a new fireplace screen. I used this bronze one to compliment a lot of warm and cool tones. Add baskets with pillows to soften the corners. I also use these hurricane glass pillar candles year round to “frame” the hearth.
STEP 10: USE SEASONAL COLORS
Let Mother Nature’s color palette guide you…use the colors of the season for accents. When styling the photos in your frames, change out the photos to compliment the the season to make your shelves cohesive. For example, its mid-winter so I have a lot of softer whites and more natural colors and have removed all Christmas and fall photos.
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