Bookshelf Styling – All My Best Tips

As many of you saw over on Instagram, I spent the past couple of days working on restyling my living room bookshelves. Because I’d been neglecting them since the holidays, they were in need of a new look and a thorough cleaning – yikes. And being homebound right now and with all that is going on in the world, I welcomed the distraction. In case you could also use a creative respite from the news, today I thought I’d share a few of my best tips for styling bookshelves.

I’ve shared my 5 step process here on the blog before. But today I really want to focus on specific styling tips and creative ideas for playing with what you likely already have!

Bookshelf Styling Tips

• Create a color palette. Because I personally like a collected look, I typically keep my color palette pretty tight. I find that using just a few colors creates a cohesive look even when you’re using a collection of different pieces. It also helps you to narrow down what you choose to display. Include books, turning the binding to the inside or creating a paper or fabric cover for those that don’t fit within your color palette.
• Attempt to repeat colors at least three times throughout your shelves to make the colors/accessories you’re displaying look intentional. (Even that pop of red is repeated two other times.)

• I’ve shared this tip before, but it’s worth mentioning again. Spreading your color throughout your bookcase using visual triangles keeps the eye moving and creates balance. (This is why before I start styling bookshelves I like to organize all my accessories into groups by color. This makes the overall styling process so simple!)

• Mix in plenty of round and sculptural objects to break up all the straight lines.
• Group smaller accessories, possibly using trays or books as risers to corral them, to give them more visual weight and keep them from getting lost on your shelves. Maybe consider spray painting a mismatched group of like items all the same color, like candlesticks or bud vases, to create a collection.

• Pair similar items of varied heights to give more presence to smaller accessories.
• Display pieces that feel personal and meaningful. The things we have displayed in our homes should tell our stories and make us smile when we see them. Family photos, vacation souvenirs and family keepsakes are a yes in my book!

• Layer in art to add depth and interest.
• Bring in plants (air plants are my favorite because they require little attention) to add life and freshness.
• To give the eye a place to rest, consider adding in some tone on tone accessories. For example, the white vases and planters I’m using on my shelves add subtle interest and create a few quiet moments to give the eye a place to rest.
• Mix old with new and traditional with modern for a collected vibe.
• Add a splash of black and white. It makes everything feel chic!

Chances are you already have everything you need to restyle your bookshelves! But if you’re interested in adding in some new art, Juniper Print Shop offers digital downloads. I printed an 8×10 inch size of both the London and Ranunculus prints on my home printer, and they turned out great! Being that they’re digital downloads I can later have them printed on better quality paper when we’re no longer sheltering in place. But for now, just on plain old printer paper they look pretty great. Ranunculus are my favorite flower, and we were supposed to be going to London for our Spring Break trip this year. So this print is helping me to hold on to hope and look forward to happier days ahead for all of us.

The lucite frames I purchased a couple months ago at Target, but you can find them online. And they also come in a 5 x 7 size.

So what have you been doing to keep yourself from feeling overwhelmed by the news? Restyling my spaces and working on house projects is definitely helping me!