Tips for Arranging & Organizing Bookshelves

Keep It Simple

To style a bookcase to perfection, resist the urge to pack in accessories on every shelf. Keep a clean look by choosing a one-color or tone-on-tone scheme for vases and figurines, and make sure to mix up shapes. Every so often, step back to assess the overall balance of your arrangement. Place items off-center or try larger or smaller ones until you like what you see.

Doorway Savvy

Built-in bookshelves surrounding a doorway can be tricky; start by filling the top row with books. Alternate the remaining nooks with creatively stacked books and accessories.

Everything Fits

To add interest to your book collection, alternate stacking books horizontally and vertically. Bold-color picture frames make great bookends and help photographs stand out on shelves.

Less Is More

Mod shelves call for a sparse look, so group together a small set of books that are all of fairly uniform size. Accessorize with streamlined vases, leaving lots of open space on shelves to let the accessories shine through.

Color Smart

Carry your color scheme onto your bookshelf to give the room a sense of unity. Here, accent accessories on the shelves match the light blue wall color. Storage boxes conceal items such as toys and movies that you may not want out in the open

Bold Yet Simple

If your book spines lack visual style, paint your bookshelf a vibrant color to make it the focus. To highlight the color even more, choose a single contrasting shade for accessories.

Alternative Arrangement

For a display-worthy bookcase, organize paperbacks in pretty baskets. Group like books together (by author, genre, etc.) and put labels on the baskets so books are easy to find

Outside Interest

Utilize a built-in bookcase as a fashionable and functional headboard. Baskets hold eyeglasses and lotions, leaving plenty of room for a library of nighttime reading materials. Add more appeal with adjustable reading lights mounted inside the bookcase. Hang a favorite piece of artwork on the front of the shelf for visual interest.

Jumbled Perfection

Vary heights and create interest by stacking books horizontally to use as platforms for displaying other objects. Pull together a small bookcase by arranging the top and bottom shelves in opposite ways.

Lovely Layers

Deep shelves give you the luxury to play with layers. Lean plates and artwork along the back of the shelves, and anchor them with books or heavier objects. Place a few small pieces of art near the front of the shelves to give them depth.

Clean Display

Get the most storage and style out of built-ins by filling the shelves with books; stack them vertically on the lower shelves and keep the top shelves more open. Arrange accessories two or three deep, keeping them fairly symmetrical for a clean look.