7 tips for arranging, organizing and decorating bookshelves

Bookshelves do double duty as storage space for books and display space for accessories. These tips and styling ideas will help you decorate your bookshelves so they are both fully functional and pleasing to the eye.

1. Keep it simple.

For picture-perfect bookcase decorating, resist the urge to pack in accessories on every shelf. Keep a clean look by choosing a one-color or tone-on-tone scheme for vases and figurines, and make sure to mix up shapes. Every so often, step back to assess the overall balance of your arrangement. Place items off-center or try larger or smaller ones until you like what you see.

2. Go beyond basic bookends.

Use heavy, sturdy decor as a bookend to keep shelves neat and organized. Bookends especially come in handy for paperbacks and slimmer books that are less likely to stay upright. Bold-color accessories and picture frames make great bookends and help the decor stand out on shelves. To add interest to your book collection, alternate stacking books horizontally and vertically.

3. Remember that less is more.

Mod decor shelves call for a sparse look, so group together a small set of books that are all of fairly uniform size. Accessorize with streamlined vases and metallic decor, leaving lots of open space on shelves to let the accessories shine through. Give the whole shelving unit a pop with a smart-color backdrop.

4. Use some symmetry.

To give office bookshelves an organized feel, gather a wide variety of collectibles. Place your chosen items between books, creating loose symmetry. If you have a picture frame or square shape in one shelf, mirror it with a collectible of a similar shape and size on the opposite side.

5. Consider colors.

Carry your color scheme onto your bookshelf to give the room a sense of unity. For instance, choose accessories for the shelves that match the light blue of a nearby throw pillow. If your book spines lack visual style, decorate bookshelves by painting them a vibrant contrasting color to draw focus.

6. Create eye-catching arrangements.

For a display-worthy decorative bookcase, organize books and decor on staggered shelving. Shelves become even more interesting with uneven rows and columns. For a living room bookshelf, place the most attention-grabbing titles and artwork at eye level for guests to peruse.

7. Make shelves work for you.

Decor shelves are great tools to keep a workroom organized. Slip magazine holders on open shelves to hold loose papers. Storage boxes conceal clutter and can be a bold color to look more exciting. Use decorative containers and flea market finds to finish off bookshelf decor and plant containers.

This article is written by BHG.com from Living Space and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the Industry Dive publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@industrydive.com.