Bookshelf Beautiful....

In a world that has gone gaga for gadgets (Queue the iPhone 5 conversation) we are slowly losing what many of us grew up knowing…..video rental stores, actual artist albums and even books.  For any passionate reader, books are the saddest, but also the one people are most reluctant to make the switch against, simply because nothing feels as good as opening a book and turning real pages.

Still collecting them or want to show off your recent reads in the best possible way?  Designing your bookcase display with some flare can really add to the design of a room and catch attention of visitors (and possibly home buyers!)  Here are some great ideas for making the most of your literature:

• Back the shelves with colored paper or paint in a contrasting color to grab attention and make everything “pop”.
• Sort books by size and subject, remove books that are torn or dusty unless they are valuable.
• Begin at the bottom, placing the largest books there.
• Stack some vertically and some horizontally and on angles, leaving spaces for great little décor items.
• Use the horizontal books as “risers” for smaller pieces you want to bring attention to, and to stagger the heights of what is on the shelves.
• Fill the spaces with attractive ceramic pieces or vases, or better yet non patterned storage boxes (great for storing CD’s/photos/etc) The solid color will break it all up.
• Be bold and hang a framed piece of art or photo from the vertical molding between shelves.
• Use larger pieces to display small pieces (Try a large jar full of vintage photos or even crayons or wine corks)
• Try not to put 2 matching pieces opposite eachother, but on a diagonal instead.

Your home and it’s contents should continuously be a reflection of YOU.  A bookshelf is the perfect way to display things that you are proud of in a manner that will grab attention of everyone in the room.  Have fun with it, be creative and think outside the box for a fabulous display!!