Bookshelf Decor | How To Style A Bookshelf

Today on the blog, I’m super excited to share with you my tips for styling a bookshelf using affordable bookshelf decor!

I’ll be honest, I used to really struggle with this but with practice, it has become one of my favorite things in the world of design! In the last few years, I’ve found some awesome tips to make styling a bookshelf (or any space in your house!) a lot simpler. My tips will help you show your personality through your home, on a budget without compromising your style.

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Three Tips to Beautiful And Useful Bookshelf Decor

Tip One: Use bins and baskets to store like items. On the top shelf, I used  a filing box that I keep important documents in.

Tip Two: Go green. I used this cute little Aloe Vera and this tiny little cactus to add some life to the space. Plants and flowers add interest, texture and life to any space and I especially love them on bookshelves. The faux plant is from Target and the cactus is set in a cute little gold votive from Target.

Tip three: Stack books in a unique way. Bookshelves are for… well, books! I love colorful books and having them stacked and showcased in different ways adds interest and keeps your bookshelf looking great! I’ve seen (and love!) books organized by size and color but I love to stack mine in different ways and add an accessory, like a plant, candle, figural or small home accent to the top of my stacks to dress it up and show my style.

The black and gold sea urchin is actually a 3-pack of wall decor that I decided to use a different way. The figurals are a really fun way to express yourself in your decor. Find something fun and quirky that really speaks to you when you’re shopping. The best part is, figurals are usually $5-$20 from Amazon or Target. Great accent pieces for a great price!

How To Choose Bookshelf Decor:

• Choose a variety of colors from your color palette in the space. Use varying shades of that color helps create interest and balance.
• Choose a variety of shapes and sizes of decor. 
• Use what you have on hand and shop to supplement. 

The Zig Zag Trick for Bookshelf Decor

The triangle or “zig-zag” trick is the simplest way to achieve a balanced look on your shelves. The idea is that if you start with a tall item in the top left corner, the next tall item should be placed in the opposite corner on the next shelf below. Stagger shapes, sizes and textures of items to add interest and personality to the shelf. 

This isn’t an exact science. As long as you are diversifying your shelves in color, height, texture and number of items your bookshelf decor will be golden!

Adding fun and interesting bookshelf decor pieces to items you already have is a really simple and budget friendly way to style your space to reflect YOU! Your home should be an outward expression of yourself and this is a really fun way to achieve that.