Designer Erin Gates On Styling Your Bookshelf

Photo Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

As an interior designer, one of the things that clients ask me to perform most often is organizing, decorating, and accessorizing their home bookshelves. People seem to be intimidated by the prospect of making these spaces look neat and interesting. When styling a multitude of homes for my book Elements of Style: Designing A Home & A Life, I found myself utilizing a series of rules when it came to working on the bookshelves. Here are five essential tips:

Photo Credit: Thinkstock

In order to do this properly, pull out everything from your shelves, wipe them down, and start from the ground up. When you try to reorganize piece-by-piece you get nowhere. Edit down to your most important books and possessions and group them by type on the floor.

Related: 5 Office Changes That Increase Your Success At Work

Photo Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

Before you start putting things back in, think about ways to dress up the space itself. I love applying patterned wallpaper or grasscloth to the backs of shelves to make them feel like a little jewelry box. An easier (and less expensive) method is to do a bold or dark color paint. These methods will really makes the objects on your shelves pop.

Photo Courtesy of Simon & Schuster

Dont limit yourself to just books! The key to making your bookshelves feel curated is to mix in accessories along with your book collection. Sculptural objects, bookends, vases, tchotchkes, picture frames, and art pieces all make fantastic additions. Another tip is to orient your books in different directions, with some spines vertical and some horizontal. On the horizontal stacks place an object atop it for perfect layering effect.

Related: The Pollan Family Tables Butternut Squash Soup

Read the original here:
Designer Erin Gates On Styling Your Bookshelf