So this post is a freebie. That's right. This is a zero dollar make over, if you want it to be.
Styling your book shelves or built-ins can be really tricky. Because most of us don't have dozens of leather-bound books. Most of us have a few nice hardcover books, a ton of paperback flimsy books, and a lot of fun trinkets.
What would life be without TRINKETS?
I love trinkets. Like, I'm obsessed. My sisters are obsessed too. We love finding new or old trinkets anywhere.
Keepsakes, family photos, souvenirs, antiques, heirlooms, spray painted stuff from the dollar store, etc. These trinkets are the sort of wonderful things that you want all around you as you relax in your beautiful home. The wooden music box Pop made, the old glass bottle your kids found at the ocean, the family Bible, a black and white of a precious year gone by. When I sit on my sofa and my husband stares lovingly at the Cowboys Football game, I snuggle in my afghan and stare lovingly at my bookshelves while I sip my spiced herbal tea. Or heavily sugared coffee.
Who wouldn't want a few attractive ideas on how to do book shelves?
For this project You will need:
Lots of books from around the house
Favorite Picture frames
A medium-to large sized pile of Trinkets(!!)
A few faux plants
A dust rag and some furniture polish
Step 1.
Empty your bookshelves of everything. Give them a great dusting with your furniture polish. Start with a clean slate. Put your various items in piles according to what they are. Books in a pile, frames in a pile, trinkets in a pile, greenery and plants in a pile.
Step 2.
Styling and profiling. A great rule of thumb is "the every other rule". For instance, if your top shelf is books, make the next shelf a trinket. Notice I said "A trinket". Not trinkets. Let's keep it clean, kids. No one wants to look at a hot mess.
With books I like to arrange them mostly with the spines against the shelf and the pages facing outward. I just think things look more uniform that way.
In my case, I had quite a few vintage books, some of my great-grandmothers books, and some old hard-covers I had already read. These all function very well for "page facing out" books because they're no longer something I need to locate immediately. I actually keep functioning books that we are currently reading or referencing in a cabinet that I can locate quickly.
Step 3.
A touch of green. I also love simple succulents or greens in my shelves. Nothing too hairy. Just something pretty and bright to make things feel alive. I always do faux flowers in book shelves. Shelves don't always get a lot of natural light and no one wants to be dumping water in small spaces, between shelves, and with so many precious books around.
Step 4.
Personal touches. Family photos are always a great addition to book shelves. Or framed maps, framed house plans, framed art from the kids. Things that make you smile. Keep these muted or black and white. A lot of books and a lot of bright colors can tend to make things seem cluttered. I have two bookshelves sandwiching my fireplace. They are the highlight of my family room! But show-stopping book shelves don't have to be filled with every color in the rainbow.
I hope this helps! I will definitely have lots of seasonal bookshelf ideas coming y'alls way soon! Below is a loving photo of our Birchwood bookcases seasonally decorated for fall. I had to throw in something seasonal for y'all!
Love, Ashley
