Accent Furniture Pieces: Arranging Books on Your Bookshelf

Without bookshelves, our homes will be filled with piles and piles of reading material. But what if there is a way for you to make them functional and fun at the same time? Let’s explore ways on using these accent furniture pieces to heighten our design possibilities. Below are some decorating tips to get your started. From shelves teeming with books to the strategic use of space, you are bound to find one area that will meet your design needs.

1. Balance books with decorative items. If you have some space to spare, throw in some decorative items. Statues, framed art and vases in colors similar to your displayed books will help unify the display.

2. Create symmetry. A sense of balance can be very powerful, and symmetry can definitely anchor a room. To achieve such a look, see to it that you do not pack one side with books and an abundance of empty space on the other. This unifying strategy should work for a bookcase with multiple shelves like the Cappuccino Hollow-Core 55″H Modern Bookcase by Monarch Specialties. Keep things simple and ensure that big items are balanced by big items on the other side, and that no one area is strangely empty.

3. Leave some empty space. If you can leave a portion of the shelf unoccupied, you can create a clean-lined effect. Smaller rooms can benefit from such minimalist look as clutter makes the interior look smaller. Also, some emptiness creates the illusion of a bigger space.

4. Add interest with leaning books. While you can arrange all your books vertically, it might be interesting to change things up a little bit. Try leaning your books to vary the design. Lean them away from the center of every shelf compartment to leave room for decorative items in the middle.

5. Stack books for variety. You can lean and you can stack. Stacking your books horizontally crates a modern look that will add diversity to your arrangement. This is a nice alternative for shelves with room for little else than books like the Titian Bookcase by Linon Home Decor.

6. Cover books with uniform paper. If you love monochromatic designs, consider covering your books in paper. You can go with any color that matches your décor scheme, and achieve dimension by varying the shades.

7. Arrange books by color. On the other hand, if you want to see the titles of your books, you can leave your reading materials exposed. Consider arranging them by color. Rainbow colors can spice up any room so color coding your books will add order to a shelf that is packed with paperbacks and hardbacks.

8. Use books as decorative pops of color. With all the talk of helping your book collection tastefully blend into your space. In a wooden bookshelf like the Samantha 4-Shelf Bookcase by Allan Copley Designs, for instance, blue, red, green and yellow books are a welcome addition to what might have been a neutral space.

Are you now ready to start decorating your bookshelf?