How to Style a Bookshelf
Have you ever had a little corner that gave you trouble? Like no matter how you configure the furniture or rethink the flow, something doesn’t add up? Well, I met my match with this living room corner. It has some limitations with the fireplace, windows, and overall long shape of the room. Luckily, All Modern jumped in with this tall, leaning bookcase which solved a lot of space issues. Now, I’m showing you how to style a bookshelf with neutral decor.
Bookshelf Styling Tips
- Start with a Blank Slate – The easiest way to style any shelf is to start with an empty shelf. Before I start any shelf styling project, I start by clearing off the shelves.
- Add for Height – Next, to keep the bookcase from feeling cluttered and short, I use vertical pieces for height. This includes artwork, leaf stems, vases, stacked books, and other tall objects to move the eye upward.
- Balance Shapes – A shelf styling trap is to use all the same shapes, but I se a mix of square, boxy, round, and irregular shaped items to keep the bookshelf from feeling flat. This keeps the eye moving around and feels dynamic
- Mix up the Books – If you’re styling with books, think of ways to display them including horizontal, spine in or out, stacked, etc.
- Edit – Lastly, it’s important to edit the shelves. Every little corner or space does not need to be filled. Often, less is more. It’s ok to have some negative space.
While part of a bigger living room refresh, here I focused on just this small corner. While you likely wouldn’t guess it, this space has given me a lot of grief while we’ve lived here.
What once felt like an empty awkward corner, is now a grounded, balanced area with a tall bookshelf. It adds a lot of height to the space and anchors this back corner. Really a perfect solution!
As for styling, I always opt for neutral decor that is both practical and easy to incorporate. If you’re wondering how to style a bookshelf these items make it simple.
I started with a ladder bookcase. It serves a few purposes. First, we’re short on storage in this house. Secondly, the angled shape gives some dimension to this boxy room and really fills up the awkward corner.
Bookshelf Styling Decor
- Wood and Metal Leaning Bookcase (similar to the one I have)
- Dried Foliage – perfect for added height when live greenery is not an option
- Matte Black Porcelain Vase – one of my all time favorites
- Flight Vertical Bird Print – this art print is one of my go to prints from Juniper Print Shop
- Pacific Natural Coffee Table Book – inspiring natural home decor
- Oasis: Modern Desert Homes Book – oh, how I dream with this book!
- Pale Wood Chain – love this so much, I have two!
- Speckled White Vase
- Round Wood Bowl – adds warmth & depth so the shelves don’t feel flat
- Ceramic Jar Candle
- Woven Rectangle Basket – I use a variety of these to “anchor” the bottom shelf
Free Shelf Styling Guide
Want to take all these tips with you? In this free guide, I’ll walk you through my step by step approach to styling any shelves for a clutter free, functional aesthetic. Simply download and get started!
How to Style a Bookshelf Without Books?
You might be wondering if you even can you decorate a bookshelf without books! Yes, you totally can. Use a variety of other objects like artwork, vases, small plants, decorative bowls, baskets, and other special items to create a dynamic, organized bookcase.
You can also always add in a few coffee table books to keep it interesting!
Final Thoughts on Styling Bookshelves
Overall, I’m really happy with this bookcase and the overall corner in our living room. Using neutral decor really makes decorating simple and I hope you found these tips helpful in learning more about how to style a bookshelf! I use these guidelines over and over with each book shelf.
Using a few, straight forward tips, it’s easy to create a clutter free look that feels right for your home. If you’re curious about more styling, I have more specific tips; How to Style a Picture Ledge and How to Mix Decor Styles.
