How to Decorate a Bookshelf: Simple Formulas That Work!

YOU ARE READING: How to Decorate a Bookshelf: Simple Formulas That Work! – Driven by Decor AT PhebinhvanhocEN

in this post: having trouble decorating a bookshelf? I’m sharing my simple tried and true formulas for adding shelf decor that works!

Our previous house had quite a few limited closets and storage space, but we had a lot of built-in bookcases, so I was basically forced to figure out how to decorate shelves and bookcases to keep those rooms from looking empty and boring. And I’ve made it super easy for you to do too by sharing six simple formulas you can use to start decorating your shelf. so if you have some empty shelves that have been bothering you, hopefully you will find the inspiration and insights to finally decorate those babies! let’s go to the family room first… (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here})

You are reading: How to decorate a bookshelf with books

Most of you have been following my blog long enough to have seen this space many times before, but if you’re here for the first time, you can see more photos and get a better idea of the layout. of the two bookshelves in the room {here}. Whoever designed this bookcase made it pretty easy for me because they divided the shelves in such a way that the shelf space on the left and right sides is perfect for holding a single decorative accessory, so that’s what it was for and that’s it :

middle shelves are not that simple, but I found some formulas that do not fail as conclusions for you to use:

#1. books + bookends next to the full bowl

choose 5-8 books (you can bring some color to your space by choosing ones with your favorite colored spines or wrapping them in a favorite fabric or you can keep things neutral by turning the books around to show the pages in place) of the spines) and add a decorative bookend. my favorite online source for unique bookends is etsy {here}. place a bowl next to it (it doesn’t have to be wooden, it can be metal, fabric, etc.) and fill it with something decorative. These are some of my favorites:

I threw in a handful of faux cabbages I had lying around after using them on my fall mantel, but you can also use decorative ceramic balls, faux flowers, shells…just about anything!

#2. inclined books + ball-shaped accessory next to the vase on books/box

lean a few books (starting with one or two that are fairly tall) against the end of the bookcase and place some kind of ball-shaped accessory next to it, like my oyster shell ball (you can find a similar one {here }). the rope, whatever it’s called, on the bottom right of my bookshelf would have worked well there too! Next to it, place a shallow box or two stacked books and place a medium sized vase (mine was a homeware find!) on top.

#3. tray or art print in the middle + tall fixture on the left + short fixture on the right

start with a sizable shallow round tray (mine was a thrift store find, but {this one} is similar) or an art print or mirror (doesn’t have to be round; square or rectangular would also work fine). ideally you want something fairly tall, but you can always cheat like I did and put some books underneath to add height. add a tall prop like a plant on one side (this is my favorite plant, it’s a type of snake plant and survives even the worst neglect!) and a prop that’s fairly short in height on the other. i used {this dried star pod} – it’s a bit weird but i love it and have used it on my mantelpiece too! I also have another example of this formula on our other bookshelf. let’s go there…

can you guess which shelf it is? yes, the middle shelf on the left – there is a center art print (mine is similar to {this} let’s stay home printable) with a small plant on one side and a large accessory (like {this chandelier} which is similar to mine) on the other:

and there are two other simple formulas you can steal from this second bookcase:

#4.tall slim accessory + smaller accessory next to framed print

start with a tall, skinny accessory, like a vase (mine is a homeware find!) and add a small accessory to the front and a bit to the side. place a framed photo, art print, or mirror next to it. When choosing your accessories, the important thing is to have some variety in height (my vase is closer in height to my framed photo than I’d really like; a few inches difference is best!).

#5. large accessory next to the decorative box + small decorative piece on top

It starts with a large accessory, it can be a sculpture like mine, a bust, a ceramic horse head… almost anything! then next to it put a horizontal stack of some books or a decorative box (like {this black and white striped box I have}) and then add a little decorative piece (like {this little coral piece} on top of the box.

Now we’re going to go to our home office, but before we go, did you realize that the top middle shelf = formula #1? It’s definitely a formula that works because I didn’t even realize that I had decorated two shelves in the same basic way until I wrote this post 🙂

I’ve featured our home office on the blog and instagram many times before, but I usually share photos of our gallery wall across the room. Today we’re going to turn the camera on the big old built-in bookcase:

some of the shelf space is already taken up by a TV and two speakers, and the area above the desk has little wooden cubbies that I filled with {these ikea kvarnvik boxes} but there was still plenty of shelving that needed some styling:

I came up with two other shelf design formulas that you can use to design your own shelves:

#6. books + vase (or similar) as bookends + long narrow basket

Start with some upright books at the end of the shelf, then use a vase or other decorative accessory as bookends. anything that’s the right height and heavy enough to hold the books will work, so it’s a great place for something unique and/or meaningful; for example, I love horseback riding and have used my old saddle stirrups as bookends before. here are some vases i love that would work:

#7. vertical books + horizontal books + small decorative object

This is one of my simplest shelf design formulas and I use it all the time (even on the shelf above the TV on this bookcase). simply stand 4-6 books upright on end, then place 1-2 books right next to them and place a small decorative accessory on top. i love white coral and i have multiple pieces so i’m using it at the top of the book but it can be anything including sentimental pieces like those big pottery pieces the kids make in art class and you don’t know what do with them. place whatever you like next to this little arrangement on the shelf: I layered a checkered artwork my youngest daughter made plus a bronze pig that feeds my weird love of bronze animals.

update! started decorating our shelves in our new house. you might also get some new ideas from these:

tips and tips ideas of what to put on your shelves

I hope these formulas have been useful to you. I’m a girl who likes to spell everything! In closing, I wanted to share some final tips and advice to keep in mind when decorating your shelves:

odd numbers tend to work best – you’ll notice that most of my formulas involve doing things in 3
keep things interesting with lots of different textures (like chunky baskets, coral, etc. ) ) and finishes (different metals, colors, etc.)
don’t be afraid to leave an empty space! my large pitcher on the bottom shelf in our family room sits alone on a shelf that’s a couple feet long, but it works!
show off your personality, interests, etc. shelves are a great place to put family photos. , souvenirs or anything that makes you smile. they can also be filled with books, but it is not necessary. every time i share a picture of our shelves on instagram, at least one person says “shelves should be for books”. No. they should be for whatever you want them to be: it’s your home, so do what you love!
stagger the heights of your objects (but you guys learned this tip before, right?)
If you don’t have enough light to keep the plants alive on your shelves, go for a faux! there are some great ones out there:

dress up your bookcase by lining the back of the shelves with wallpaper! I used {this fabric wallpaper} on my shelves in the living room.

Ugh… are you still with me?! leave a comment and let me know if you have any questions or if I just confused you.

xo,

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How to Decorate a Bookshelf: Simple Formulas That Work! – Driven by Decor