A bookcase can give you so much more than just a place to store your books, it’s also the perfect opportunity for a little creative styling! Once you open yourself up to the idea that your bookcase could earn you some serious design points, you realise just how much potential it has. Whether you like to keep your home clean and modern, romantic, classic or eclectic, there’s a way to go about styling your bookcase to take it from a background storage piece to a stunning centre feature! Ready to get styling? Read on for some top design tips…
Be thoughtful with book placement
Your books don’t have to be placed in just the one way but switching up placement and stacking patterns you’ll find that your bookcase is already looking well designed without the help of any additional items! Stack some books in the centre of the shelf horizontally, others vertically on top of larger books – whatever you like! The general rule running through this guide is to stick to odd numbers, it’s the unspoken rule of design – us humans just like it better!
Largest first
Once you’ve played around with book organisation, it’s time to place a few items. Always start with your larger pieces first, these eat up the most space and have the greatest visual impact, so it’s important to establish them early on in the styling process.
Layer with artwork
Artwork propped up against the back of your bookcase’s shelves (or your walls, if the case is open) is a fantastic way of switching up an area and segmenting off your display. Use this trick to establish your colour scheme and tone – think about it, a minimalist black and white line drawing is going to have an entirely different effect than a colourful oil painting.
Use greenery
Bring the outdoors in a for a lovely, natural embellishment on your bookcase. Succulents and potted plants will serve up amazing depth and texture, just be mindful not to overdo it. One or two plants here and there will be enough to establish the vibe you want without overpowering the whole display.
Keep a reflective collection
Your smaller objects that layer alongside artwork, plants, books and vases should all reflect yourself and your family. By placing pieces that you’ve collected over the years on travels or particular memorabilia that brings you joy, you’re going to be creating a truly unique and sentimental display. Consider placing a few family photos on there for an extra personal touch.
Feature glass and metallic elements
Glass and metallic pieces are going to bring some serious design points without overcrowding your shelves, in fact, they actually go a good job of tricking the eye into thinking that the room is bigger than it is.
Don’t be afraid of symmetry
Don’t be afraid of mirroring the same design pattern on multiple shelves – especially if you have a larger bookcase to design! Repeating patterns or collections will bring a lovely touch of symmetry to the room and encourage your whole space to feel a little more uniform.
Open your mind up
Think about really embracing your creative side, you can arrange your books by colour, buy uniform covers for a truly minimalist look or even paint the individual shelves of your case for a custom job that looks incredibly striking. Design doesn’t have to be serious!
Follow these tips for a gorgeous display in your home. If you don’t have one already, check out your options for beautifully made bookcases in Sydney for the perfect styling canvas.
