You can start by simply arranging your books differently. I know you said you didn't have a lot of other decorative items to add, but even framed photos or small art could add a lot of personality. Place books, by size and color, some horizontal, some vertical. Place other items like a photo on horizontal books, etc. etc. It's a place to start. Here's what I did with my living room shelves. Second photo is just one of millions you can find on the web. Lovely room. Have fun.

Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, that is a lovely room. I think I could dress up the fireplace wall shelves if I tried. For now, the books are divided into fiction on one side and non-fiction on the other. Not aesthetically pleasing, but practical. But I'd really like to minimize/ reduce the number of shelves around the room. They are so distracting!

Hi, drywall would work, you could also consider t&g plank boards that you could paint white or grey like your walls and they would look like wainscoting.

You might also consider taking out the shelves (leave the fireplace ones though) and then placing hardwood in at right angle to the current floor and create kind of a pattern/ border around the room with a different colour stain, too difficult to match the stain. This pic shows the general idea.

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If you take out the shelves then place furniture within the alcoves and that should show them off a bit more too. Looks as if the small sofa will fit quite nicely into the niche where the larger sofa is now. Also most of these border areas will be covered by furniture, so they will not be as noticeable either.

I had another thought. Did you consider covering one/some of the bookshelves? I recently had a dilemma with a space behind a bed in our guest room and I found this burlap curtain (had to cut and hem shorter) at, of all places Bed Bath & Beyond (very reasonable). Different application than yours but just a thought. A neutral, textured drape (rod mounted or even hung on hooks) would soften the space, cover the bookshelves (while leaving them accessible) and perhaps even give the appearance of windows behind it? Here's the one I found for my problem.

So many people who love books are very jealous of you. I agree some of the bookshelves need some tweeking, perhaps by adding a fluted molding to the outer edge of the shelves. This is a challenge which can evolve into the most beautiful & cozy room. One which all of your guests will love to walk into.

I love what you have done with the boat niche and your triptych painting. I just think you will need a lot of effort to arrange the books you have into a cohesive mix of books, collectibles & empty space.

I would start with the TV section as it needs the most forethought. Can you add a shelf that will just fit your box under the TV? It should have holes in for the wiring so it will not be seen. Then add two simple slab doors under that which will conceal the lower area, perhaps moving the outlet to inside the doors so no wiring is seen. Since you do not use the TV that often, you could add two doors that will open & slide back into the area on each side of the TV while watching & can be closed at other times.

A knowlegeable workworker will know what I mean. Don't hire anyone until you have all of your plans figured out so it can all be done at one time.

I would never remove bookshelves. The arrangement you have of the furniture creates a great balance with the off-balance FP. Furniture can go in front of some bookshelves, but please do not try to hide them. You need to accent them. The furniture does not nned to be against the walls either.

Also I didn't quite finish with the TV wall. I would hang two fairly large paintings to fill the blank space above the TV shelves.

One thing I discovered is the "1/3" tip Sandra mentioned is important, especially the 1/3 empty space. Really makes a difference...had no idea until I started changing my own shelves.

Thanks everyone! This is such a supportive community.

elainesteinke, I will seriously consider the bead board idea. It features in many other rooms in my house, and I like the continuity of incorporating it in here.

sandradclarke, You are so right about that tv set up, I never did finish the cord management part of the job and it needs some tweaking. And thanks for the reminder on the "rules"...not my strongest skill set, but I will try my best.

chloebud, with so many shelves to fill, the "empty space" part of the equation should be easy for me :-)

Still working on the wall art. I promised myself I would only hang meaningful pieces in this house, so I am re-building our collection. Drives my husband nuts, as blank walls seem to make him uncomfortable!

Also Sandra, I had not considered dressing the shelves up with millwork. This house has very simple trim throughout, but I had kicked around the idea of a crown holding at one time. Maybe punching the bookshelves up a notch is the way to go? I was so stuck on minimizing them. Time to reconsider...

whoops, crown *molding

Elizabeth, this is a section I started working on for a collection of special books we have from the Franklin Mint. It still needs work, such as the bottom shelf and maybe a bit more open space. However, it looks better than before thanks to Houzz.

chloebud, that is an impressive collection, beautifully displayed. I've discovered thru this process that it's a good exercise to look at photos of my bookshelves. Makes it easier to spot the problems.

Thanks, Elizabeth...and, yes, photos really do help!

Some additional ideas that haven't been posted yet - consider swapping out a section of wood shelves for glass shelves, paint the back wall of the bookshelves to match the beautiful blue wall color, and add some can lighting in the alcoves. This combo would really brighten up the dark areas and give it a little more sparkle.

Shannon, thanks for your suggestions. I do have two more adjustable sconces like the ones on the ceiling, and I was planning to mount them in the alcoves on new bulkheads, sacrificing the upper shelves. These areas are quite gloomy at night. There's a picture light hardwired over the fireplace, so I can tap into this switch.

And in case you're wondering...yup that's a buzzer below the light switch! There's an annunciator in the kitchen (from the days when there were house maids) and this room comes up as Library. Our comical version of Downton Abbey meets Nova Scotia!

And I do like the idea of painting out the back walls. I'd fill them in with beadboard if the shelves weren't fixed. Paint is certainly easier!

And now I'm thinking of filling in the bottom shelves all around the room (with drawers or doors) to create some hidden storage, reduce the visual clutter and match what's already going on on the left side of the fireplace. No idea what's behind that bottom panel...

@smittycdm Thanks for the nudge. It's been a little while since I posted and sometimes I need to noodle ideas around for a while before I act. I will set aside a week this summer to tackle this! Looking forward to it now.

Just because you have it doesn't mean you have to use it. Minimalist rules these days. One shelf, one sea shell, for example. Empty shelf is fine too. I have a friend who has a sideboard in her home and resting upon it is one (what appears to be) hair ribbon. That's all. Looks stunning.

To Marsha Elizabeth: You have probably moved, but in case you haven’t, please show what your home looks like now after whatever it is that you did. 2016 was a long time ago…..but since others may have similar issues even now, please post a few photos. It’s not too late.