Unfortunately these are all the books I own. :(

I added to my comment while you were typing that, about baskets/bins

Are the shelves adjustable in height?

Try putting the books on the bottom shelves. Then put one item per shelf to display. On top left shelf, put all three decorative containers (thought they were candlesticks at first) from the mantle instead of the dark picture.

Look around your house for bright, melon-size objects such as the yellow bowl.

You need to do two things ... add lighting and declutter. You need to get lighting (somehow) from the top of each shelf. Then you need to pick a theme and a color palette based on the style of your house. You have too many odd little things going on and it just looks busy and disjointed. Things to not put inside a wall unit ... clocks, things that have words on them or oversized letters. I would mirror all of the backs of the shelves. I would replace the picture over the mantel with something in more neutral colors and I would not put any small items on the mantle, they need to be bigger. And then to create some dimension so that not everything is just flat against the wall, I would put some decorative fireplace items that have some height in front of the fireplace opening.

Edit. Less is more. Use some metals, and light colored objects to draw the eye in. If you use books, arrange and stack neatly for impact.

They don't look too bad, but you're right, they are dark. I would replace some of the objects with things (not small) that picked up the colour of your art.

Thanks for the suggestions. The main problem is I don't know which items I should de-clutter. Which things point out as looking bad to you?

The yellow container is cute. I would take out almost everything that's brown and bring in more colors to go with the yellow. I also like the carved box with the flowers. That could be the brown thing that you keep. Maybe some lighter picture frames. The words or the letter S might look good on the mantel instead of the candlesticks.

Maybe more red and yellow and brighter metals
But I hate decorating shelves and I think it looks nice

What about trimming out the area above the fireplace to match the book shelves and make it the matching height or a little higher. Then hang a decorative mirror in the centre?

The first thing I would do is remove the small items from your mantle. I think your pretty picture can stand alone. As others have noted, I think your shelves are a bit too full. It would be much easier to try different options if I was there in person. Lol! Try removing the picture top left and moving the books from the shelf below up. Lay them horizontally in the middle. Move the box and bird slightly to the middle of their shelf. Leave the pray. Remove the picture from the next shelf. Bottom shelf - not sure. For now leave book on left and remove rest. Top right remove stuff and prep.ace with picture that was top left or "S"?? Next shelf try removing S - can books stand in middle? Next try removing picture and leave lantern and bird where they are. Leave basket where it is. Remove tiny objects. Remove yellow pot. Put bird closer to books. This all may look awful, but see how it looks.

The center shelf on the right isn't right but the shelf second from the bottom on the left is nice. Both have three stacks but see the differences? The left side pieces overlap and the heights are uneven. The one on the right has a stairstep arrangement and the pieces are separated from one another.

Try having two items on the shelves with the large things, move a bird or small ball to them. Try using the pot on lower right as a bookend.

Have all the books with spines out or ends out, don't mix it up. I'm not a fan of leaning books, a bookend or stack of books serving as one is nicer. Use the larger items as bookends or make up more horizontal stacks of books.

Each shelf should look nice on its own. Then decide which shelf goes where as you wouldn't want all the 3 stack shelves together or all the large item shelves together. Do gather everything you could put up there together and plan on not using most of it but you never know. Grammie's sugar bowl or teapot could be just the right size and shape, that clay thing you made in 7th grade might fit right in or the photo frame or tiny picture is just right.

Just my two cents: I don't think you can get WOW from a pair of cabinets like this. I think you put beautiful and well-lit art (after a nice entry and light there), and then put things in the bookcases that you like to see, and/or that spark some discussion. Leave staged shelves to the decorators.

The thing that bothers me is the build ins seem so disconnected from the fireplace. The mantel is even on top of them a bit. I agree with the earlier post by Teresa that you need to continue the moldings across the top to connect to each other and paint the area between the molding and the mantel with the same paint as the built ins. You might try raising the molding even higher over the fireplace to draw more attention to the fireplace and make it the focal point instead of the cabinets. The items in the bookcases are ok but there are a lot of dark colored items and things that look like they were chosen to fill space instead of being something that you really love on its own. If you don't really admire or the love at least some of the individual pieces then I don't think you can really love the finished look.

Take them out leave the bottom parts in place and hang a great piece of art to balance the T.V in fact if you have another room to use for Y.V it would be even better

I really like your art piece, and it can stand alone on the mantel, I would remove the 3 items and leave it bare. I think all your photos should be in the same colored frames. I would pick silver or lighter bronze metal frames so you have some sparkle. You have too many small dark objects. Your books are fine, but I would replace the other objects with bigger and lighter objects and not too many of them. Arranging shelves is a process imo, I have arranged and rearranged mine until I finally am pleased with it. So keep working on it, you will find what you like eventually.

The shelves look too small in scale. I would give it a facelift and remove the arches, and change the number of shelves. Beside, you likely want a larger TV for the area.

Beverly! Super cool! Love the look but not sure I have it in my budget to get the bookcases fixed like that in the near future.

Where is the art from? Love it

If okay, I would spray paint some of those items to break up the darkness. Example the basket thingie on the right side of the left bookcase and all those woven balls. I would spray paint "HOME" and "PRAY". Or, paint the back of the bookcases yellow.

Sharing a few images from a design we did for a client might really help you here. You could take away items, paint the back of the shelves, and add more interesting objects.

1/3 books, 1/3 large decor items, 1/3 open space. When you can afford a remodel, replace the pink tiles and redo the top of the bookcases to look more like the mantel rather than just flat and plain. Meanwhile, there are too many shelves making the display space too narrow for decor that can be identified from across the room. Second hand shops are a great place to pick up more books. Be sure they're pretty and hard bound.

I would remove the top shelf and bottom shelf and get bigger accessories, add more books and a few decorative mirrors leaning. Rule of 3s is always good

So if I were to remove the top shelf - the open area right below the arch is a little more than 2ft tall. Isn't that too big in an opening?
If I remove one of the bottom shelves and adjust it so they are even, the height is 18" tall for each shelf.

They are 22" deep - that makes it difficult in regard to learning objects.

If they are too deep for you, add a false back to make them more shallow. Use luan or foam core poster board. This also will give you the oppty to paint the new backs before you put them in to add color and interest. What is the tallest decor item you have available?

You don't want to hear this. Rip them out and drywall. They are not well done, they crowd the hearth, and are badly proportioned, with shelving too thin. They make the hearth appear as a rabbit hole. I would tear them out, redo the walls and place a console on either side. Mount the tv over a console. They aren't worth the agony. Failing that, remove a couple shelves, and paint them the WALL color in total. Then limit the collectibles on them. Agree another spot for tv would be better as well. If you really want them, and you want them white... adding a wood panel and painting it WHITE underneath the art above the mantel, filling the space and trimming.......would also help a great deal, That would allow your eyes to read the entire combination of shelving/hearth as a WHOLE........... Better for sure.

I agree with deco enthusiast.... Try the 1/3 guideline. 1/3 books, 1/3 objects and 1/3 empty space (which might mean hitting a yard sale and buying a few more books).

And heavier items on the bottom ( heavy meaning greater mass like stacks of books) and as you move up the shelves items get lighter and roomier so the top shelves hold just one size appropriate item

I don't think that's to big Baby peach. I would put something tall in there. I just think it will give you more of the wow factor you are looking for. But I could be wrong. It's your livingroom do what makes you happy. I like the idea of painting or mirroring the backs also. But I think you will get the biggest impact from removing a couple of shelves and finding a few taller pieces and books

If you can't follow Beverly's advice and remove them, I suggest you mirror the backs. It will help bounce light around the shelves. Some metallic objects, like bookends, frames, and decor could be added to further brighten the space. If you replace the shelves with glass, a battery operated light on the top will illuminate the whole space.

Don't mirror them,............it only doubles the clutter

The book cases are problematic on many levels...instead of attempting to change them or improve them ( with the exception of removing as many shelves as possible) why not paint them to match the walls and let them recede a little..fall back to the understated built-in look ...then concentrate on the wow factor with the items you put there..just a few big pieces...of art ...or sculpture...?..if you really want to add drama paint the back walls a very bright color... Or even a metallic...you may just really be tired of the clutter and the tiny shelves and decor items ...the shelves that are left should be random as well ...leaving different size openings..then approach the spaces as a gallery for singular items in each opening...this look will be the show stopper you are after...if you can have some ceiling track lighting installed about 3-4' in front of the cases....so that you can direct spot lights on the new installation,pieces