Good morning! How can it be April already? Why is it some days seem so long, but then the months seem to fly by?! We are excited to be heading to Haley’s school this weekend to see the play she is currently stage managing. The school is also performing ‘The Little Mermaid” so we will be going to that one too. It will be busy, but lots of fun.

Today we are talking about bookshelves. Have you ever had a hard time styling your bookcases? Do you use all books or do you display other items as well? I usually do a little of each, but it depends on what room the shelves are in or what the shelves are used for. Here are some tips to help you out!

*Display what you love!

This is the most important tip! Always display items you love! About a month ago, I reorganized my closet that stores my display items. I pulled out the items I really love and used them on my shelves in my family room. I have many items I could have used, but it was easy to pick out the things I really love or have special meaning to me. I would place those special items on the shelf and then as I pulled out more, I would add them in until I liked the way the shelf looked.

*Power of 3…or 5…or any odd number

This is one of the major design rules-use odd numbers. Using odd numbers is pleasing to the eye. Of course, this isn’t a hard and fast rule. Sometimes, you can sneak in one more small item and the design will still work, but odd numbers just seem to work better.

Here were the same shelves last fall. You can see I used some single items and the other shelves have an odd number of items.

*Display items of different heights

Once you have picked your 3  or more items, make sure they are different heights. It is much more pleasing to the eye to have a place for your eye to travel. If some of your items are too similar in height, use books or similar items to lift one of your pieces. Also, when using books, use them both vertically and horizontally.

*Keep your items in similar colors

One more thing to think of is the colors you are using. Again, the shelves will be more pleasing if your items are in similar colors or in the same color scheme. I use lots of neutrals with little touches of turquoise. When using neutrals, you can use any color as an accent. If I took out the turquoise glass float below, I could add in any other color and it would still work.

*Use Baskets

If your shelves have to hold necessary items, but not necessarily pretty items, use baskets to store them in. Baskets are great for items like remote controls, games and game controllers, DVD’s, paperwork and so much more. the baskets will give the shelves a cleaner and more uniform look. If using several baskets, try to have them similar in color and size to create a more uniform look.

*Texture

One last thing to consider is texture. You can see lots of textures in my family room bookshelves, from burlap to twine to seashells. Texture creates more interest than having all smooth items would.

I also have open shelving in my dining room. Even here, there are different textures. There are starfish, wooden platters, and glass dishes with a raised design. Some of the dishes are smooth and some have a rougher texture. These shelves hold quite a few more items than my family room shelves,  but you can still see how I used different heights to create interest. I used pink as my accent here, but again any color would work.

I hope this gives you some help when you go to style your bookshelves! I wold love to hear how you style your shelves and if you use any of these tips!