Steps On How To Style Your Bookshelves

We had a lot of fun during this year’s Parade of Homes’ Designer Day with a lot of great questions from our customers, so we wanted to share some design tips with you.

Whether you are styling a simple floating shelf or a whole wall of built-ins, the task of decorating bookshelves can be daunting. Here are some tips to create a beautiful balanced look from our The Meadows: Arbutus Designer, Jen Lapsiuk:

Step One: Gather Items on Bookshelves

First gather all the items you would like to display. It helps to have more then you need so you can play around with different looks.

Step Two: Larger Items First

Start by placing your large items such as vases, baskets, boxes, and trays on your bookshelves. Space them out so they don’t appear to be heavy in one spot.

Step Three: Add Books

Next, bookshelves would not be complete without books so, add in your books!

Place books in groupings of 2-3 and mix vertical and horizontal groupings. Use books with pretty spines that stack well together, if books are not so nice you can try turning them around. You can also group books by color or try coordinating the colors with other items on your shelf. Book ends are also a great way to display your favourites!

Step Four: Artwork And Photos

Add artwork and photos to personalize. You can lean your photos in frames or stack them on top of books. Also try layering photos in front of one another to add dimension.

 Step Five: Last But Not Least

Add accessories! Layer items in front and place some items at slight angles so it doesn’t appear too structured. Play around with the accessories, keeping in mind- heights, color, texture and of course balance! Spread items out that are too similar, like metals, wood, and glass. Also think about adding some natural material such as driftwood, airplants, rocks or seashells.

We hope that these tips were helpful.  Now sit back, grab a glass of wine and admire your hard work! Happy styling!

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