Creating your DIY Reading Nook

Andrew Giammarco

DIY: Style a Bookshelf

THE #SHELFIE is real. Here are tips for styling bookshelves to get them Instagram-ready.

1. GET ORDERLY The Dewey Decimal system isn’t mandatory, but you should decide how your collection will be organized on the shelves. Whether that’s lining them up alphabetically by author, grouping them by genre, or color-coding the spines, sort the books into appropriate piles.

2. STACK BOTH WAYS Shelve using horizontal and vertical stacks. Keep in mind that when books are vertical, it looks best if the spines ascend or descend in height. Go pyramidal with horizontal piles, placing the bigger tomes on the bottom and letting the volumes get smaller toward the top.

3. DON’T CRAM The rule in libraries is to only fill three-quarters of the shelf, if possible. This ensures there’s room for more books! Avoid overstuffing, as empty space balances out the visual weight of the books. Try employing the rule of thirds here—fill one-third or two-thirds of the shelf with books, then leave the rest clear, or add in vignettes of favorite accessories.

4. ACCESSORIZE Choose pieces that are meaningful, and which vary in both shape and size. Items could include assorted framed pictures or artwork, vases, candlesticks, plants, sculpture, even a Magic 8 ball.Use horizontal and vertical stacks of books to bring interest to your bookshelf.

5. ARRANGE When incorporating accessories on the shelves, consider the scale of the objects in relation to the books, as well as the number in the groupings. An odd number of items arranged together typically looks best. Think in terms of layers—place keepsakes on top of stacks, put framed photos at the back, or use heavier items as bookends. Prefer to only have books? Then face out a cover occasionally to create variation.home + design

Products for a perfect reading nook

Dive into the unique patterns, vibrant colors, and fun names found on the wallpaper collaboration between Abnormals Anonymous and Anna Redmond, a Seattle artist. The made-in-the-U.S.A. designs are printed with VOC-free ink and range from the undulating surf of “Wavelength,” to a reinterpretation of needlepoint in “Twisted Stitcher” to the hand-drawn “Flashdance” seen here and in the reading retreat.

www.abnormalsanonymous.com

The exposed wood frame and grooved upholstery of the Callan Chair and Ottoman from Room and Board will look striking, whether floating by the fireplace or nestled in a library corner. Count on it for just the right amount of back support during a reading binge.

www.roomandboard.com

Richard Koehler founded Folk, a furniture and lighting studio based in Portland, after growing frustrated with the “overabundance of cheap disposable products.” The Tripod Floor Lamp exemplifies the studio’s approach to craft, combining hand-oiled walnut legs with clearlacquered steel hardware and handmade shades made from Pendleton fabric—perfect for illuminating the pages on the next book club pick.

www.folkbuilt.com