Simple + Good: Styling Your Bookshelves

March is just around the corner, and we’ve got spring fever. It’s time for spring cleaning and the chance to refresh those tired spaces in our homes. One of the things we are most often asked about is how to refresh and style bookshelves. Here are a few of our favorite tips!

No. 1   Start with a blank canvas.

Take everything off your shelves and give them a good wipe down. You have a blank canvas and can selectively add only the things you really love.

 

No. 2   Grab your accessories—all of them!

Make a big pile of all the things you might want to add to your shelves. Take a look at your items and see where inspiration strikes and where you may have gaps.

No. 3   Start with the large items first.

We typically begin styling shelves with vases, coffee table books, baskets, boards and bowls—those larger objects that anchor the space.  Working from there, we add in accessories like picture frames, small potted plants and objects that hold personal meaning.

 

No. 4   Create layers!

Stack up big coffee table books with pretty spines to add height and interest; or, place

framed art at the back of a shelf and layer smaller objects in front of it. Create groupings that balance colors and finishes. We find that plants, geodes, metals and driftwood all add texture. Lastly, don’t be afraid of white space; you can always add more items as you find them on your travels or say, on a girls’ weekend in Fredericksburg (wink)!