How to Accessorize Bookshelves

Bookshelves are tricky. But I finally found a system I like for decorating them. And I thought I'd walk you through the two year process it took me to get there. First, an after:

All I knew when I decided the shelves needed work was that I didn't like bookshelves crammed with books. And Mr. B doesn't read for enjoyment and I try to use the library (except right now because I owe $0.80 and I hate the shame they make you feel when you go in to pay your fine), so we don't have a lot of books laying around anyway. But I also don't like shelves crammed with things.

How did I know this? Oh, it took trial and error.

It was a nightmare. I cannot believe I allowed people in my home just a year ago with things looking like this.

The first thing I tackled was the amount of stuff. My mom helped me with the organization piece last fall while I was unemployed. It is our study, afterall, so storage couldn't be ignored. We replaced the college plastic bins we still had with black storage boxes, assembled the chartreuse magazine holders and file boxes I already had, and mostly just pared down. Translation = toss the crap.

But I still didn't love our study. And the main reason for that was the bookshelves...which just pissed me off because we'd spent money on them (another reason why I'll never buy furniture without living in a new space for a few months first) and I'd spent all 2 weeks of unemployment trying to like them.

I had to love them again. And the only way I decided I could do that was if they worked together as a cohesive team - and not flanking the desk like I had always arranged them. Luckily, the little wall in our office was just the right length to accommodate the ladder shelves.

I promise you the only change I made before taking this photo was to remove a few dust bunnies - this new setup is totally liveable.

Then I reordered the shelves. The big black boxes and printer on the bottom shelf to blend in with the unit more. The lighter and less bulky pieces on upper shelves. And mostly, open space. Shelves need a little room to breathe.

So here's what I know about how I like my bookshelves:

1. Love where the physical shelves are. They need to work for you aesthetically as well as functionally.

2. Commit to your shelves not being a dumping ground - they serve both a useful and decorative purpose, find the balance and stick with it.

3. Figure out what that purpose is. Are these in your dining room? Maybe you want them to serve as decor and a functional drink station. Family room? You might need to work some entertainment electronics in. Study or Home office? Storage is going to be a big deal.

4. Don't fill every square inch - everyone likes room to breathe, even inanimate objects. Decide what you need to make the shelves work for your purposes and stick to the minimum. I needed two regular sized file boxes in black, the rest of the things I could pull from around the house.

5. I count 23 non book items on my shelves and 6 books. Math wasn't my major, but I think that's about a 4 to 1 ratio of non-books to books. Kind of sad for a girl who's major was English Literature, but that's a whole 'nother Oprah. I think this ratio could work better 3 to 1, but I have to go find some books for that.

6. Pick a theme. In the before pictures, I had just about everything - white, black, green, clear plastic. It was ugly. With black and green being the only two statement makers here the few things that don't match - like my beloved Maine shadowbox look eclectic and purposeful instead of thrown together.

7. Group like-objects together. The green magazine files would look less purposeful if they were spread out among each shelf, but together they make a color statement. And to take it a step further, I like groups of 3.

8. Mix it up - have some book stacked on top of each others lined upright. I don't really care about color groupings, but some people do.

9. Be patient, be flexible and be open to things like your husband's bachelor party golf photo taking up an entire shelf. Any photos of me asking a police officer to handcuff me at my bachelorette party framed in our office? I don't think so.

Any tips you'd like to add? What works for you?