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Handmade Home: How to Style Your Bookcase
A few simple tips can help you transform a bookcase into an artful display
I love changing things around the house to create a new, fresh look, but I don't always have a lot of money to do so. Something as simple as restyling your bookcases is an easy and inexpensive way to change up the look of your room. As you browse through home design photos, you're bound to see beautifully styled bookcases and shelves. You could start by gathering some photos for inspiration or, if you're like me, jump right in!
Browse more shelf displays
Browse more shelf displays
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| I use my bookcases to display some of my favorite things. Photos, books, ironstone, silver trays and vintage cameras are just a few examples of items I like to display. I love blending the old with the new for a fresh look. |
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| 1. Clear off your shelves. By starting with a blank canvas you won't be tempted to leave anything in the same place. This is a good time to give them a quick cleaning too! Wipe off dust with a damp towel and get rid of any cobwebs. |
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by susan duane
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| 2. Gather like items. Put them all in one spot and take a look so you can see exactly what you have to work with. Be sure to look all around the house. Sometimes finding a new home for an item can give it new life. |
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by susan duane
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| 3. Start with one section at a time. My bookcases is divided into three sections. I like to tackle one section at a time and then move on to the next — almost as if each section is a stand-alone case. I find it easier to do this because it's not so daunting. You'll notice by the final photo the composition is different than it is in this shot. |
by susan duane
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4. Play around with your objects. I decided to turn the books around on the top shelf, giving it a totally different look. I also like to mix the height of the items I use to add interest. Displaying things in groups of threes is one of the tricks I've learned — it's visually pleasing.
by susan duane
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5. Mix up the height. I use books to add height to items. Try ordering items from the tallest to the shortest. I wouldn't do this for the entire case, because all of the tall things would end up on one side. It'll work better if you tackle each section one-by-one, and have just a few of the groupings move from tallest to shortest.
Be sure to take a step back every now and then to get an overall view.
Be sure to take a step back every now and then to get an overall view.
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by susan duane
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| 6. Use your collections. When grouped together, your collections have a much greater impact. Here I used some of my ironstone pitchers. Repeating the ironstone throughout the shelves creates a sense of cohesiveness. |
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| 7. Pick a color palette. I think keeping the color palette simple is key to a pleasing composition. Here, I mainly used black, white and silver. For something a little unexpected, I hung one of my favorite photos of the children from one of the dividers for the shelves. I also like to incorporate some type of storage, like the basket I used for my magazines. It keeps the messier items tidy looking. Do you have a beautifully styled bookshelf? I'd love to see them! Share your photos in the Comment section below. More: Guest Picks: Storage and Styling for a Child's Bookcase Making Books a Part of your Home's Design Guest Picks: 20 Finds for the Artful Bookcase |
Ideabook published on Feb. 14, 2012.
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We also have three short bookcases in the living room behind the sofa, next to the desk we have as a small home office area. These three book cases and one in our bedroom are STUFFED with books. Lots of textbooks since we are graduate students. They are shelved neatly, but we have no need to look at them so they are in the back of the room and the two next to the tv are the ones I use to display my favorite things. I love having those things displayed separately from our books to lessen the cluttered look.