Decorating bookshelves – the best modern ideas for styling with books, art and decor
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Loading... - Daan Dekker
- 17 Jun 2022
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Decorating bookshelves can be more difficult than it looks. From the best way to arrange paperbacks, adding art and curios to making the shelf always look fresh and inviting, there's plenty of experimenting to get shelf decor right.
Whether you’re starting from scratch or seeking a quick refresh, our experts have outlined some of the very best modern display ideas for bookshelves, whether you want to arrange your hardbacks by theme, color, odd and even numbers or mix them with art, vases and other curios.
If you're busy sprucing up your living room wall decor today, eke out some time to update your bookshelf too. With a little care and attention, it can become one of the most alluring parts of your space.
8 IDEAS FOR DECORATING BOOKSHELVES IN A MODERN WAY
1. ARRANGE BOOKS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY
Unconventional compositions and orientations can give your bookshelf an edge. No matter how many books you have on display, the key is to make sure they come together to create an eye-catching vignette. Instead of simply placing them vertically, next to each other, consider a vertical and horizontal composition for added interest.
To fit well onto your living room shelving, it's best to keep the large books lying down, and the smaller, thicker ones standing up. Alternatively, you could even decide on this arrangement based on the themes of the books.
'When choosing how to put books together on a bookshelf, instead of grouping by color, group by theme,s Rayman Boozer, a designer. 'Perhaps you'll put books together on a similar subject, or that remind you of a particular moment. The result is a bookcase that tells stories, rather than just looks aesthetically pleasing, and that's a far more meaningful way to live.'
If you refer to your books often, remember to have an organizational system that makes it easy to find what you're looking for. In those cases, it would be best to organize your collection alphabetically by author or by genre.
2. MOUNT ART TO YOUR BOOKSHELF
A decorating trend has been gaining popularity recently, contributing to an elegant living room look –the unconventional idea of hanging art on a shelf instead of the wall. This not only draws focus to the bookshelf but even gives the art an edge.
'I've noticed this idea for mounting artworks on the front of bookshelves in more and more homes recently, and I can see exactly why it works so well,' says Hugh Metcalf, deputy editor at Livingetc.
'If you've got a large bookshelf with lots of shelves to style, there's only so much you can play around with the size of your decor within the shelves themselves,' he suggests. 'Using a larger piece of artwork fixed proudly of the shelving means you can introduce a completely different scale, as well as something that breaks up the regularity of the shelving's lines.'3. KEEP EDITING AND RE-ARRANGING
Keep the display always looking attractive and fresh, even if you aren't buying new books every month. You can do this by regularly updating, rearranging, and editing your decor styling and book organization.
'As for the books and objects not looking cluttered, it is a constant process of editing and removing what feels unnecessary to a space,' says interior designer Tamsin Johnson(opens in new tab). 'I think a big guide for me to the display of pieces, large and small, is when they seem as if they have always been there. Again, when it "feels right".'
4. ARRANGE BOOKS IN ODD NUMBERS
Humans have a predisposition for symmetry, and when they see anything asymmetrical, it immediately sticks out. This concept works perfectly in decor when you want to make a statement.
'When styling bookshelves, always arrange things in odd numbers,' says interior designer Mary Patton(opens in new tab). 'Also, if you opt for a bold color such as green, do pick accessories that will also pop with that color.'
Set up a bookshelf in the living room corner and fill it up with one tall, one medium, and one round vase, kept alongside books. Or, get three objects of the same color but different textures. Another way is to stagger the objects and group them, so they look like they're overlapping each other.
Plus, place the books off-center in the shelf. This too will generate curiosity and coax guests to take a look at your selection. Read More...
