Beautifying A Bookcase

A classic bookshelf is an essential part of any stylish home — and not just to wrangle treasured volumes. When they’re organized with flare, they treat your prettiest books and memorabilia like art. But if the library space of your dreams is a jumbled mess in reality, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how you can organize your shelving with storage and style to spare.

1. Play with layers and levels. Variation is key to creating a unique and visually exciting set of shelves. First, try mixing vertically stacked books with horizontal piles, which can become platforms for your favourite decorative objects and sculptures. For a fun, layered look, you can also lean photographs or other art along the back wall with smaller objects in front.

2. Draw the eye up. If possible, try to keep your upper shelves curated and clean, as clutter will be far less noticeable on those bottom shelves. A good rule of thumb is to place the bulk of your storage below eye level and highlight upper shelves with your best showstoppers, like gorgeous art books or plants.

3. Conceal the clutter. Another way to deal with an untidy bookshelf is to use large, attractive boxes or baskets to hide the worst crowding. Place boxes on the tall bottom shelves and fill them to your heart’s content — or to capacity, whichever comes first! It’s the lazy trick to an enviably clean library.