Styling Your Bookshelf for 2021 

There are many ways to add a touch of style to your home if it is in need of a refresh. 

Although exciting, it can also seem pretty daunting – with so many rooms and spaces to consider. 

Luckily, the great thing about styling is, you don’t have to do it all at once. Starting small can often lead to the greater vision you have in mind, boasting more opportunities for inspiration. 

That being said, for anyone unsure where to start we’d suggest our earlier advice of starting somewhere small, like a living room bookshelf for example. 

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How to Style Your Bookshelf 

First, you’ll want to start with a clear and clean shelf, starting with a blank canvas will help to open up the possibilities. 

Depending how many shelves you have to work with, this can be a real opportunity to show off some of your trinkets and bring some dimension to your home. Bookshelves are for books, yes, but they can also become an interesting focal point in any living space. 

Begin at the top shelf to showcase artwork or large prints. You’ll also want to have a colour scheme in mind beforehand so that you can keep some kind of continuity. For example, if you have dark stained wood, accents of earthy hues will always work well. 

Decorative pots and ornaments could potentially pose a risk if you’ll need to get them down again later on, items like this will work best on the lower shelves for practicality. If you’re into prints, this might also be a way to add a touch of your personality to your styling. 

If there are boxes or decorative storage you’d like to use, not only do these space save;  but they will offer pops of colour here and there to sparse areas of your bookshelf – helping to boost and compliment other tones incorporated. 

Actual books, yes we got there eventually. If you’re intending to use your bookshelf for books there are ways to position your collection so that it doesn’t look like your local library.  

Try laying books flat and stacked in varying areas, this will instantly create depth and show off all of the fancy spines your collection has to offer. Book ends are also getting trendier too, there’s nothing like a bold book end to prompt a conversation with guests. 

For those of you that are lovers of all things green, small plants like Bonsai trees, various Fig plants and even cute Cacti will add some life to your shelf. Foliage draping plants might also work for those who intend to incorporate more plant life into their work. 

In order to keep things chic, experiment with item placement. Ultimately, your eye will be the best for your home – so it’s always worth positioning things in different ways first, taking a few snaps and looking back at which ones work best for your space.