Often when our clients buy a furnished home or even custom design a home, they find themselves in possession of a bookcase that they don’t know what to do with. Cramming all your books and knick-knacks into every last inch of shelf space is one way of filling a bookcase, but what if the effect you’re after is something altogether more stylish? Here are my tips for making your bookshelf a thing of beauty and a joy forever…
1. Decide on your style. Do you want to highlight artwork, use a combination of accessories and books, or create a library-type effect? I am a big, big fan of books, so I really love the old-fashioned library style, with a shelf packed full of all kinds of books, like in the picture below. Even with books of different sizes stacked clumsily on top of each other, the overall look is charming and cozy rather than chaotic.
2. Create a ‘focal point’. One of my favorite approaches is to work around a focal color, using objects and ornaments like vases in the same shade to create a cohesive, stylized look. See how the unusual shade of the bookcase below is offset by carefully-chosen pieces in deep chocolate and earth tones?
(Source: House Beautiful, Feb 2011)
3. Assess your purpose. Are you looking to create extra storage for your books and knick-knacks, or simply hoping to add a stylish design feature to a particular room? If your purpose is the latter, you can afford to experiment with a range of shapes and designs that draw the eye and make a style statement, like this elegant, little nook filled with a neat assortment of colorful Continue reading
