The most significant yet neglected aspect of decorating any interior is giving it an identity through self-expression and reflection on who we are and how we live. But while you try to accord this personalized identity to your home, a balance must be the priority so that every single element or furnishing speaks with each other to narrate a story, a story of your living and creating special moments. So, there must be a sense of order and appropriateness while you fill it with a distinctiveness without creating ‘too much.’ I remember that when I watched Sonam Kapoor’s Mumbai house (covered by Architectural Digest India), I really felt that the house looked more like a museum instead of a comfortable home. It was because there was too much of everything, and by everything, I mean accessorizing your home. Now, this accessorizing can be done everywhere, from your walls to shelves or coffee tables, and even windows, for which I have written a series of articles that tell you how to do it naturally in a cluttered perfection. To continue this series, I am composing this read on how to arrange a bookshelf so that your bookshelves are not repetitive, but give a similar feeling- a feeling of heartly home.
One of the underrated things about accessorizing the bookshelf is that people flood it with books. One must know that bookshelving offers an opportunity to showcase the best collection, photographs, art, and accessories, and the key to doing so is creating the best placement instead of creaming too much on the shelf. I will tell you a three-step action plan to arrange bookshelves easily and practically. And trust me, once you apply them, you will find results you never had!
How to Use this Article?
Before I tell you some of the most insightful tips of the year on how to arrange a bookshelf, I would like to tell you how to use this article appropriately. Since you all might have different artifacts, objects, bookshelves, and book sizes, it is difficult to include every possible arrangement in this article but the tips I am telling here will help you to sort everything. So, the first part is to go through this article, create a list, plan to arrange things, and then use Pinterest for some inspiration.
Some of you might find Pinterest overwhelming and impossible to focus on and attain one of the looks. It is because it gives you a final look but the steps to create it are never discussed over the Internet, which is why the article. Once you know the logic to crack a look, you can use Pinterest to create anything.
Arranging Bookshelves in 3 Easy Steps.
1. Clean Up to Rearrange.
The first thing to make your bookshelf interesting is to pull away all your items and books from the shelves to start fresh. You don’t need anything for now because there is no plan to arranging bookshelves perfectly. Clean up our bookshelf after you clear off your shelves completely. Now, this is the time when you declutter. You might think decluttering is emptying things, which is absolutely wrong. Decluttering focuses on the simple process of picking things that you need.
Start sorting your books, weeding out the ones you have already read, and you no longer plan to look over, and it’s best if you donate these books. Toss out any outdated catalogs or magazines. Now, separate these selected items into piles, stacking them as per their sizes.
The next step is to select artworks you wish to incorporate into this arrangement. I have written an article on choosing an appropriate artwork, which you can refer to. The sole purpose of adding these artworks is to avoid a monotonous look, further adding color to this boring bookshelf.
To begin with this, remove the second shelf from the top (if you can) to accommodate a large artwork here. If you have a bigger bookcase, then you can remove the shelf of your eye level so that the larger art piece over it becomes the focal point of your display. You have to choose a few large colorful pieces for one of the new spaces if you have more than one column on the bookshelf so that it looks organized. Furthermore, you can add small artworks of different frames and types on each shelf at different locations (like one at the leftmost corner of 1st shelf, fill the third shelf with these pictures, and leave the rest free).
As you work from the top shelf down on each bookcase, stagger the placement of the framed pieces so they lead the eye on an interesting back-and-forth path. Similar to this, you have to position the pieces so that they can be related to those on the adjacent shelves. Once you have laid these paintings, it is time to move on next steps.
2. Adding Accessories Through Color, Texture and Shapes.
The second step is to accessorize these shelves through color, texture, and different shapes. Now, there are several objects you can utilize here, like vases, ceramics, clocks, boxes, or other kinds of things. But how do you choose them?
The first thing to do so is to make an interior color palette. Clearly, the colors must harmonize with each other, so what you can do here is take the colors in coordination through this order- Bookshelf Color, Accent Color 1, Accent Color 2, Wall Color, Balancing Color. Now, the two accent colors you choose will be the dominating colors for your objects. Also, you can add up to 4 accent colors. If you don’t know how to form this color palette, then you can refer to this article, as it tells you everything from scratch, including a few inspirations. Remember that a palette is absolutely necessary before you choose objects, as it will keep things in balance.
For instance, if you have a white bookshelf, then you can use golden or black frames of pictures for step 1, covered with black and white patterned vases, a ceramic ball on a tray, a tall silver clock, and a red-orange-tall vase. These are the objects that will go but how to arrange them? For this arrangement, the tall vase will obviously go with the larger shelf (with a larger artwork), small vases at the top as they are just meant to give a look to your bookshelf, and the tall vase balanced by a large clock to the nearby shelf. The entire point is to balance which I have told you pretty well in my wall-decor article. Even if you have only one bookshelf, the walls nearby must be adorned to create a balanced look. I will tell you a few references as examples in the later section of the article.
The art of arrangement isn’t about choosing perfect things instead placing the objects with the greatest emotional importance regardless of their price tags. To group things together, you need to use the concept of creative clutter. Creating creative clutter means there is laziness in the interiors but it is still comfortable and cozy for your mind.
You can casually overstuff deeply personal photos and cards with ever-evolving sculptures set against the background of old books of your favorite poetry, and it will still give you pleasure or you can use black and white portraits with elegant black sculptures and leather-bound books. You can also use a vibrant collection of lithographs, artworks, and vintage oils to create a fun arrangement for your bookshelf.
It’s really on you to choose and experiment for a look. But you have to be clear that you are creating something you love instead of what other people do. Just a bit of balance, drama through lights, and your creativity can do wonders in arranging bookshelves.
3. Fill Up With Books.
It’s finally time to add the books now. You can always group them by their height and lean them against the sides of the bookcases. Stack a few volumes as pedestals, adding depth and interest to the display. To give a more immaculate and organized look, position these books at the front edge of the bookcases instead of just pushing them to their back.
Inspiration Looks For Any Bookshelf.
1. A Fireplace Wall Bookshelf.
Most of the homes that have a bookshelf near the fireplace can use this tip. Create interesting patterns as I told you but balance them with a good decoration over the fireplace. Candlestands, Small Vases, Paintings, and a few books with ceramic artifacts make a good combination.
2. Artwork at the Center of Attraction.
If you have English-style apartments or homes or you love to add texture and colors through good styling, then you can use an abstract frame at the focal point of your eye. You can always use colored Nordic wares or small sculptures to balance this artwork’s presence. Do not forget to add interesting artwork on your adjacent wall of the bookshelf to give a balanced look. You can also use this tip to make a reading corner.
3. A Sophisticated Living Room.
For the people who adore colors but still crave a more organized and tidy look, you can avoid using artwork on the bookshelf. A good tip is to use color palette theory while arranging those books. And use the simplest ceramics to give it a more personalized look. People who love to fill the space around their TV or couch can also use this tip. Remember to balance it off in the case of a couch.
4. More Identity and Less Books.
If you are someone, who uses a bookshelf to give a strong identity to your home instead of just showing off your intellectual book collection, then you can use this tip. The neutral color scheme homes can also use this. Combine blue pottery vases, sleek black statement sculpture, a wall light, candlestands, a linen box for texture, and a few books.
5. No Pictures Just Aesthetic Mid-Century.
For the ones who have a good book collection and do not want to mess with it with any personalized items, you can use a pleasing mid-century look with maximum books and minimum artifacts. One thing to make sure of here is the use of balance.
Final Words.
The key to creating perfect interior space whether a large living room arrangement or just arranging a bookshelf is allowing our personality to shine through the arrangements. Whether you want to add art, pictures, childhood board games, small travel gifts, or small lights, just blend them in balance with books and it will look amazing. Remember that a bookcase creates the most impact in your rooms as it acts as the perfect foil not just for books but treasures of all times, sizes, shapes, and colors. The key is to make sure that every single object speaks a story about the person who lives there.
Resource.
Featured Image: Photography by Anson Smart, via The Design Files.
Related Reads.
