Styling White Bookshelves
I feel like I’ve been organizing and styling the built-in’s in our family room forever. That’s probably because I have. They look like this one, only smaller:
Here are the photos of white shelves I’ve been using for inspiration. I’ve always loved how this one is styled:
This one is also beautifully styled:
But my favorite shelves are the ones with lots of books and just a few interesting objects thrown into the mix like these:
This is also the most practical since I have a ton of books.
What’s your bookshelf style? All books? Lots of tchotchkes? A mix?
(Photos: 1-3.Lonny 4.Emily Henderson 5.Martha Stewart 6.via Desire to Inspire)
LOTS and LOTS of books!
I have a hard time finding the right odds and ends to create an interesting arrangement and finish off the look…not to mention how many ways there are to set up the books!
I’m working on my new basement asymmetrical shelves…using paperbacks … I thought it would be easier than hardcovers/soft covers because they are so varied in colour but similar in size, but I am still stumped!
Styling bookshelves is an art form! I can spend days and days moving things around until they are just right!
Personally I love a good mix. Although I know I would have more books and magazines.
Ally I used to have almost exclusively books with a few decorative elements. Now I have edited to show more of my art glass, blue & white pieces smaller art, etc.
Love the look with tons of books though!!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
I love both- I have some bookshelves packed with books and others that are more styled with pretty things…love the warmth a bookshelf brings to a space.
I am in need of bookshelves to store my books. Now I just need to find a place for them.
I actually have bookshelf #5 (Martha Stewart) in my family room. A few years ago, this same house was used for a pottery barn catalog photo shoot. My husband and I saw the bookshelf in the background of a photo and knew that it would be perfect for the wall in our family room–and it is. It was his second woodworking project. It seemed so large at first, but we actually need to build another somewhere in the house because we have that many books. It’s not styled per say, but I have mixed up the placement of books (vertical/horizontal). If you saw it now, you would see that the art books are all askew (my brother-in-law was just here) and specific titles on diet, self-help and GK Chesterton are all pulled out so that I might notice them and heed their advice (my sister-in-law was just here). The bottom shelf is reserved for our kid’s toy baskets and bins. It adds so much to the room. I’m glad we did it.
Love some of those images……can’t wait to see the finished product!
If my son would have seen this site, he’ll gonna freak out! He love books and really lots of it but we still don’t have a book shelve. Lovely!
I love this timely post! The one thing I could never see myself doing, however, is the picture in the middle of the shelves. I keep seeing it over the years and it has yet to grow on me. love these pics for inspiration
Great photos…keep up the great topics!
what i wouldn’t give for build-in bookshelves.
No. 6 is actually from Karen at The Art of Doing Stuff. http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/how-to-stack-7-books-7-different-ways/
Thanks for the link!
I am forever restyling my bookshelves. It’s a thing of beauty when it’s done well.
I have been thinking about expanding the bookshelves in my livingroom and this gives me such good inspiration to do it. Love it!
Maybe I should not have painted my bookshelves gray…
I love books as you know. I get nervous when people don’t read…
And I love mixing books with personal treasures. LOVE everything in the second to last image. Functional, beautiful and relaxed!
Hugs to you,
Mon
Hanging a framed picture at the front of the book cases like that is such a genius idea! I’ve seen it before but forgot about it. Must try it.
Ally, I am definitely a lots of books girl with a few things mixed in for good measure. Of course if I had more room for shelving I might like to have some with more objects….no, I’d just find that a reason to buy more books!