How to Decorate Built-In Book Shelves
Built-in bookshelves are practical and very functional in most homes. In addition to displaying books, you can display almost anything from cute curios to costly collections. Make your bookshelves unique by placing interesting items alongside some of your favorite books. The trick to decorating bookshelves is to keep things looking somewhat organized and neat. The good news is that this is easy to do once you know the basics. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Empty your bookshelves to give yourself a clean start. Sort your books by author, subject, color or size.
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Add color to your built-in shelves by painting the back wall or placing wallpaper on it. Pull a color or pattern from something in your room. If you have floral fabrics on sofa pillows, you might want to find similar wallpaper that will coordinate with them. You can also paint the back of the bookshelf a color that matches something in your room, such as the green from a favorite painting.
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Place your books on the shelves in balanced arrangements. Balance will create a sense of harmony. Align your books in a variety of ways but keep shelves balanced. You may want one or two shelves with nothing but a row of books, but breaking up rows of books is easier on the eyes. Sort different types of books into different-sized stacks. For example, stack small books vertically to add interest to your shelves.
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Accessorize your bookshelves with items that express your personal style. Display some of your favorite accessories to break up the monotony of books. Vases, clocks, figurines and small picture frames fit nicely in between rows of books.
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Show off collections in your bookshelves. Many collections are pleasing on bookshelves because they stand out on shelves while they are enough out of the way to avoid risks of being broken. Give a collection an entire shelf or place a small collection next to a small stack of books.
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Tips & Warnings
To add depth to your shelves, place taller items, such as a vase, toward the back of the shelf.
Lean pictures against the back of a shelf for variety.
Avoid crowding too many accessories in one area. Too many items on one shelf will look cluttered and disorganized.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
