How to Style Your Bookshelves

Your bookshelves are the perfect space to display goodies that you love and treasure.Gather the sentimental pieces you’d love to showcase, then follow along with ourstep-by-step process to organize and style your bookshelves.

ESTABLISH A COLOR PALETTE

Limiting yourself to a strict color palette is the most effective way of creating a beautiful and cohesive bookshelf. Consider the other colors within the room and throughout your home— it doesn’t have to match exactly, but needs to happily co-exist. Most importantly, find a color scheme that excites you! For our bookshelves, we chose a stark black and white with touches of gold, muted greens with mustard and leather, and hues of rose gold.

SHOP!

Start by first shopping your house! Find objects that fit within your color palette, then head to your local thrift store to find books, vintage pottery, candle sticks, or quirky accessories. Next, move onto local boutiques, like ROCK PAPER SCISSORS and ROXIE DAISY in Downtown Charlottesville, VA, to find unique accessories and sculptural elements. Finally, round out your shelves with stylish pieces from places like Target Home, World Market, and Home Goods.

BOOK Design By Nature by Erica Tanov, $35, ericatanov.com

VASES 3-Piece Hat Trick Vase Set, $15, cb2.com

HOURGLASS Hexagonal Hourglass with Gold Stand, $22, worldmarket.com

RESIZE YOUR SHELVES

One size does not fit all! Begin with your tallest object, giving it some breathing room— we suggest an inch or two above the top of the tallest piece. Then adjust the remaining shelves accordingly. Give yourself permission to remove a shelf if it works better for the overall spacing.

START BIG, THEN SMALL

Begin by placing your largest objects on different shelves, to create balance. (You don’t want all the large objects on the right side, for example.) Then arrange your books in stacks or rows, with the largest books being on the outer edges of the shelf, placed in descending order as they come in towards the center. When you create stacks, be sure the cover of the top book is aesthetically pleasing—the more curious and artistic, the better!

PRINT Framed Cactus Wall - Project 62,$37, target.com

FAUX PLANT Faux String of Pearls Plant In Textured Pot, $24,worldmarket.com

PAPERWEIGHT Wood and Marble Geometric Paperweight, $14, worldmarket.com

Scour your local thrift stores or sale bins to find books with beautifully colored spines that go with your color scheme; We started with this cactus print, then adjusted the other shelves; Use luxe storage bins to stay organized, and keep clutter hidden.

Try placing a stack of books inside a basket for a different look; Layer objects to create an interesting vignette and bring depth to your shelves; Bring texture to your shelves with natural elements like crystals and a salt lamp (that glows beautifully at night).

ACCESSORIZE!

Now comes the really fun part—time to accessorize with whimsical and fun objects. This is your chance to inject a dose of personality in your bookshelves. Find pieces that speak to you and express your sense of style. Small candles, vases, and textural pieces add visual interest, and keep the eye moving around the shelves. Crystals, like the amethyst we chose, add an extra element of texture and sparkle. Try placing smaller objects on top of a stack of books, so they don’t get lost visually.

ADD GREENERY

To bring your entire bookshelf to life, finish with a dose of greenery. If your bookshelves get ample sunlight, choose live plants, if not, go faux! There are a surprisingly realistic options available. Choose a mix of small air plants, succulents, and wispy greenery.

STORAGE BASKET Copper Wire Storage Basket, $20, cb2.com

TERRARIUMS Copper Geo Terrariums, $19–$39, worldmarket.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO ROCK PAPER SCISSORS THINKRPSCVILLE.COM, ROXIE DAISY ROXYDAISY.COM, AND STANLEY MARTIN HOMES STANLEYMARTIN.COM

STYLED BY JASMINE BIBLE + TAYLOR TITUS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM DALYNEST MAGAZINE