8 Bookshelf Decor Ideas to Make Your Space Feel Expertly Curated

Treat Books Like Art

As architect Nicholas Potts was deciphering the best way to reimagine the Washington D.C. apartment he shares with husband and art curator Aaron Wile, one of the prevailing considerations was storing their massive book collection. “Fitting several thousand books in a 950-square-foot apartment was inevitably a fight against geometry," Potts says. "And because most of the collection is actively used for research, having a core reference library where the most-used books are all visible was a priority."

He found a solution in a cantilevered shelving support system that made clean lines of titles across large stretches of wall—simplifying their everyday scanning. The colorful book spines spanning the walls act as art in the otherwise minimalistic space.

Build Them Into the Walls

If you’re like Potts and Wile and have a large book collection, then you may be inclined to store them in every corner of your home. Instead of just putting up a bookcase and calling it a day, consider constructing built-in shelves.

“I treated this as an opportunity to sculpt the walls to do more than just divide spaces,” Potts says. The clean lines and contained quality of these shelves feel like a quick jolt of personality, and because the books go from floor to ceiling, they also make the room feel taller.

Treat Toys as Sculptures

Kids’ spaces tend to do a lot all at once: They’re often playrooms and classrooms, and if all goes well at bedtime, they also transition into havens of rest. When it comes to bookshelves in this arena, don’t discount toys as a source of aesthetic inspiration. When designer Becky Shea was styling the shelves in the room pictured above, she incorporated dinosaurs and building blocks into the fold.

But her styling advice can be applied to shelving in any room. “The trick is to balance your decor with a mix of heights, colors, and textures that play into the surrounding design, taking time to step back and observe in-between placements,” she notes.

Change Items Out With the Season

As Shea was putting the finishing touches on this bathroom’s shelves, she wanted to use items she knew the owners would grab regularly—like towels, naturally—but intersperse those with pieces that were more seasonal. By using bookshelves as a rotating display place for items like spring flowers and holiday candles, they’ll never end up feeling stale.

“I believe in working with a few transitional pieces that will give your home a seasonal refresher without having to reimagine an entire space,” Shea says. “It's always nice to see something new every few months, and this allows you to organize your objects in conjunction with the time of the year.”

Think Beyond Just Flowers

While it’s commonplace to fill in the blank spaces of a bookshelf with flowers and candles, as Shea has done in this bedroom, she also finished off one level with a surprising detail: twigs. This material, which is likely available right outside your door, adds height and texture to shelving, and happens to last much longer than any bouquet could. Look for dynamically shaped twigs throughout the year, particularly around the holidays, to add some organic visual interest to your decor.

Place a Painting on the Back Wall

Small paintings, whether they’re done by an undiscovered artist in your household or a professional, can be spotlighted perfectly on a bookshelf. Hanging or leaning one against its back wall can add a cool hint of polish, and it can also be changed out whenever a new piece comes your way. Designer Linette Dai hung this simple yet striking piece of art to act as a subtle moment of style, even in a corner.

“Hanging a painting on the wall behind the shelves is one of my favorite ways to layer dimension into the composition,” Dai says. And for one more styling trick seen in this image, she has this to add: “Rather than filling the entire shelf with books, try consolidating a stack of books on opposite sides of two shelves for visual balance.”

Utilize the Extra Storage Space

Books? Yes. Greenery? For sure. Art? Of course. Designer Alexandra Gater decorated bookshelves with all of these items, but she’s also used them to store her shoes.

“One of my favorite ways to style a bookshelf is by thinking of it as additional storage,” she says. “Make a display out of your cutest shoes, add in some decorative baskets, and ultimately have fun with the idea of making ‘function’ look stylish.”

Don’t Forget About Lighting

Since shelves will likely hold items you’d want to observe, and they're sometimes tucked into corners that may otherwise be dark, a good idea is to add a lamp. In this example from designer Emily Henderson, a round black lamp adds complementary structure and style to this look, but it also incorporates function whenever more illumination is needed.

On smaller bookshelves, the trick remains: A teeny table lamp can make a bookshelf feel cozy, adding ambient light to the surrounding area. Look for battery-powered options if plugs are out of the question, or even play with brightly-colored cords if you so choose. Either way, a bit of lighting will make your bookshelf shine.