How To Style Your Bookshelf Using What You Already Own

We (myself included) are often guilty of wanting new shiny things. But this year I’ve been practicing the art of “less is more” and getting creative with restyling what I already own into new vignettes. The exercise is actually quite fun and makes you see the things you own in a whole new light. Scroll down below for some design tips and the theory in action:

Color Coordinate to Create Cohesion.

Color coordinate your books starting with the darkest on the bottom and lightest on top for a cohesive and clean look that draws the eye up. Bonus points if you take off the sleeve on your hardcovers and display their beautiful canvas spines in all their glory, like I’ve done with all my hardcovers here.

Vignette Your Collectibles Together.

Whatever your personal collection includes, grouping elements together in a similar color family can make them feel less like clutter and more like objects of art.

Try putting them on top of a book that’s lying down, or on a tray in a similar color palette, like I’ve done here with our whiskey collection. Don’t take this exercise too seriously, styling should be fun.

Use heavy objects as bookend.

I’m not a huge fan of buying bookends. Usually, I find that they tend to look somewhat generic, and unless you own an actual library, you can get a lot more creative with how you prop your books up.

For example, on the shelf with the green painting, I’ve used a potted golden pothos on one end and an antique brass figurine of a sheep on the other. I love how my little sheep nods at the countryside painting behind him! On the shelf just above, I’ve used an old camera to hold books up too.

Next time you need a bookend, great creative and just try finding something heavy, like a vase, potted plant, old camera, or an antique brass figurine.