bookcase styling is hard.

so guess what i learned today?

i learned that if you have a functional bookshelf [read: you actually use it for all your books] you can still make it pretty.

our bookshelves in our old house were always so jam-packed, mostly because we used them all the time.  both pi and i are kind of bookworms, so using our bookshelves for decor was always out of the question.  but i always loved the look of bookshelves that i saw in design mags and online - you know, the kind where each shelf has like eight books, an anchor and three picture frames. 

that just isn't practical for people who actually need to use their bookshelves for, you know, BOOKS.

so when pi the other day said he would start unpacking the books, i told him to hit the brakes and give me a day because i wanted them to look nice and not too packed in.

so here are the few rules i found helpful for those of you interested in styling useful but pretty bookshelves.

 1.  first sort your books by color, then by size.
this allows for books to be placed in color groups together, then then can be ordered by size later on the shelf.  sometimes ordering them by size takes a few tries.  line them up on the floor til you are sure you have the right size order. 

bigger books on the inside, getting smaller towards the end of the bookcase.

2.  then play with the the look. 
not all the books should be stacked up on their side neatly.  some of them can lie flat on top of one another [i find this especially useful for ugly books or ones you want to hide]. they can easily be hidden by a picture frame, or one nice book standing our front.

below, i have some smaller and unattractive books stacked up behind the etch of the saint.  

the picture and small book service to hide unattractive books behind.

 3. pick out some accessories in the same color family as the books for each shelf.
it's possible that you might have so many books not every shelf can have something pretty.  that's ok.  if you are like me, you own some pretty books you can stand our front or make the center of attention for that shelf.

a book of poetry, green vase and dark lantern go with the green books.

4.  use that extra space sparingly! 
i had little to no room for fun things like pictures - but by getting creative and turning books on their backs or putting the pictures in front of smaller books, i was able to let my sense of bookcase style stand out.

orange books get a gold frame and a a bright orange flower.

white books get a framed book page [my fave] and a stack of old books on top.

5. use the big bottom shelves for textbooks, coffee table books, and other big [or ugly] books you don't frequently need.
hide those nasty books with accessories out front. 


6. have a glass of wine and enjoy your fancy new functional bookshelf.

all this down time is leaving me with lots of projects - so tomorrow or this weekend i will share another diy. 

happy thursday!  til next time... :)