Tips for Styling Bookshelves

January seems to be the month for cleaning, editing and organizing,

All the Christmas decor is gone and with the fresh new year, I think it motivates us to see our homes with a fresh new perspective.

It was in this spirit that I took a hard look at the bookshelf in my sewing corner and decided to restyle it. To be honest, it had been bugging me for a long time. When I finished the piece, I just kind of threw some stuff on it.

It never really was quite right…

I renovated this bookcase several months ago with fresh paint and pine shiplap on the back. You can see the transformation here

Here’s the after photo from the original post

There’s a lot of stuff on there!

It really needed to be edited.

I used most of the same pieces but I eliminated some things that made it look crowded. And I moved them around for a much better look.

This is what it looks like now.

I finally got around to covering the linen box tops!

I like it so much better! It’s less crowded and way more appealing.

Here are some things to keep in mind when styling bookshelves:

Distribution: Try to distribute color and shapes evenly within the space.

Repetition: Try to use some of the same items from one shelf to the next. I used antique books and linen boxes as repeat items. Repeat shapes as well. The majority of my shapes are rectangular.

Numbers: Sets of mostly odd numbers work the best.

Shape: Add objects with interesting shapes.

Space: Leave some empty space. It makes things less cluttered and easier on the eyes. And easier to dust!

So here’s another look at the before:

And here’s the after:

The difference is subtle but better…

Happy New Year and happy styling!