So you want to know how to style a bookshelf like a pro? Don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it looks! Whether you have a lot of books or very little, there is a lot of styling you can accomplish based on your needs. Having a styled bookshelf can bring a sense of studiousness to your home. There are a ton of design options to choose from, so let’s break down the method. Here are the three steps for how to style a bookshelf like a pro!

1. Think about what you want the space to do for you
2. Clear out shelving
3. Make focal points on your bookshelf

Think about what you want the space to do for you

Before you even begin, you need to know what you want the space to do for you. A bookshelf can help you not only store books, but hide items in a clever and unique way. Ask yourself questions like:

• Do I want to incorporate plants into my bookshelf?
• Are there authors or themes I want to show off?
• How will my bookshelf go with the rest of the design around my home?
• Do I want my styled bookshelf to draw attention or blend?
• Do I want my bookshelf to show off trinkets or photos? 

Answering some of these questions before you start can help you plan better. Even if you can’t answer any of these questions before beginning, they can help you later on during the process. 

Clear out shelving

As with most home designing, you get the best results when you have a blank slate to work with. If you want to know how to style your bookshelf like a pro you have to start with a blank slate, as mentioned by The Design Network in this video:

Consider buying a new bookshelf

One way you can know how to style a bookshelf is like a pro is to invest in a better bookshelf. There are some creative bookshelves that can instantly take your design to the next level. Incorporating a stylish piece of statement furniture like a creative bookshelf can easily elevate the style of your bookshelf and the whole room. 

Make focal points on your bookshelf

Now you can start to identify items that you want to focus on for your bookshelf. If you are a bookworm like us, that doesn’t mean you need to get rid of books. Instead, use horizontal and vertical stacking within your bookshelves. Place items of prominence, whether they be books, photographs, plants, or pieces of art at the center of center bookshelves. Not only can you showcase rare books or items this way, but the viewer is naturally drawn to those items with this design element. Make sure to place book spines outward. Kinda like this:

You’ll want to create levels to what your viewer sees, so break up your design pattern by each shelf. Don’t create horizontal stacking in the middle of each shelf. That can look boring design-wise. Try placing space in between different objects, and using a mixture of both horizontal and vertical stacking to create an interesting juxtaposition.

You can also consider shelve designs centered around:

• Shelves for certain themes or authors (ie. all fantasy books or Stephen King books)
• Shelves of similar colored books
• Shelves that accentuates photos or artwork

Use bookends

Bookends are a great way to style a bookshelf like a pro. They can help you add more design elements and even incorporate some personality and humor. There thousands of bookends to choose from so you can be creative as you like. For example:

Are you a bookworm and want to know more about books? Check out some of our other articles highlighting bookstores near Conroe. We also offer articles on book recommendations. If you want both design advice and more, consider subscribing to our email list and receive free content like this in your email!