Accessorizing Shelves and Bookcases

Shelves are one of the best decorating opportunities that you have in your home. Unlike paint or furniture, you can change things up easily, be creative and corral your collections. 

Some quick tips on making the most of your shelves or bookcases:

• Showcase your treasured items. After you've edited your collections, display your favorites.
• Group like items together. This is especially true of smaller items. Scattering small items tends to look like clutter.
• Avoid symmetry. With few exceptions, symmetry can be boring.
• Vary heights. See symmetry above. Your eye should travel up and down as it scans your shelving.
• Vary textures. Ceramics, plants, book bindings, cowhide, baskets, gilded accents and pressed tin all add interest through their textures in the example above.
• Add shine and sparkle. Glass (even an apothecary jar filled with M&M's as above!), mirrored items, or anything with a reflective quality adds interest.
• Create layers. Elevating accessories on books, stands, whatever gives them an interesting platform.
• Group your books. My homeowner above had great collections of cookbooks and gardening books. We grouped them by both size and subject for an interesting display and easy access.

One last tip (I can already hear the groans from the blogosphere!), start from scratch. Pulling everything out of your shelves and sorting before you begin will give you a clean pallet to start with and you'll have a great display in no time!