Help me style my bookcases!

[peach]

Cause I suck at it.

I have tons of cool stuff that I love on my shelves, but I can not make it all look right. I want it to look styled, not like I just stuck a bunch of stuff up. And yes, I tried layering things, putting things on top of stacks of books, using the rule of 3s and making things in a triangle shape with different heights, all the tricks.

I don't know why I suck at styling bookshelves so much. I even try to copy photos of bookshelves I like, but mine don't turn out the same. 

I will post pics in a bit of all the stuff I have...maybe you guys can direct me ?? What things to put together? I think I did this a few years ago with these same darn shelves...I can style a tabletop or a coffee table, decorate for the holidays, but I can't seem to get my shelves right. 

[peach]

Also, I hate how dark they are. I am not ready to paint them --- I am probably going to cave and paint them white in a few years but not ready yet. I was thinking about putting a new backer board on them - getting beadboard and painting it a color, or white?? I think white will look weird. Should I do the wall color, it's a soft grey? Or a watery blue or green??? 

Halp!



I have two of these, with a tv stand in between. I took half the stuff off before I took the photo....
I need to keep breakable stuff OFF the bottom two shelves as much as possible for kids. The Coke crate was a new find, and the shotgun shell box was from DH's grandfather who passed away. It's hiding our DVDs.


Here are some things I have, along with books of course. I also have other stuff around the house I could steal like some blue mason jars, another glass cloche, a tiny blue iron bird, some random frames (all black though so they blend in with the back of the shelves and look dumb).


The pears are just random. The milk glass I love, the bust was from my mom. The blue seltzer bottle and harmonica are antiques that were passed down to me from DH's side of the family.


I have two of the glass hurricanes from PB I think. Old postal scale from our trip to the USA, random glass cloche I have no idea what to put under it.




The clock is just pretty, the glass float was found in some of DH's great grandfather's posessions and given to me, and the iron tower of piza was something my mom was getting rid of that I said I would take.









Like I said, I also have lots of books to work with - mostly paperbacks though but I like the look of books turned backward since these shelves are not my "bookshelves" they are just to look pretty. All my books I read and love are stored elsewhere, I just use books I won''t read again mostly anyway.

Any suggestions or ideas? And what to put into the white wire basket if you think I should use it? I have clam shells in a bowl in my dining room already, and I don't have any decorative balls or anything. I can make some I guess...was thinking about doing some with ripped up book pages around styrofoam balls??

[ssmjlm]

I would probably move the bigger crate lower. It sort of seems heavy that close to the top of the bookcase.

It's hard to really make a lot of suggestions w/o seeing some of it maybe on the shelves for scale? I would probably put some of the breakable lighter things higher up, both for weight and so they're not broken of course.

[peach]

If I move the crate lower, you can see into it and see all our "mess" it's hiding. I can try one shelf lower but I think it will reveal our DVD mess.

[ktzmoh]

Maybe put the crate higher then? It's just directly in the line of sight and I think you could do a more visially interesting grouping of your things on that shelf.

[TBM]

I would start by putting the crates on opposite sides of their respective shelves. They carry a lot of weight visually, so it would
be nice to have that balance, along with room for something other textures on the same shelf.

[magdala]

The second shelf from the bottom looks the best because you have a mixture of softer rounder shapes (the bird sculpture) against the angular lines of the books. I would add the softer rounder shapes of the pears (grouped together), the bust and the blue seltzer bottle to the mix of books on your shelves. I would put the pears on one shelf, the seltzer on another shelf and the bust on a third shelf. I think painting the back of the shelves in a solid color would look great. I would not use the wall color but would use an accent color...one that is already used elsewhere in the room. Either watery blue or green would work if that is an accent color elsewhere in the room. I think the bottom shelf with the crate of books is functional and would leave it alone.

[FoxInFiji]

Apr 24, 2013 9:43:54 GMT -5 peach said:

If I move the crate lower, you can see into it and see all our "mess" it's hiding. I can try one shelf lower but I think it will reveal our DVD mess.

Could you try moving the shelf to be right over the crate so there isn't enough gap to see in or at least not much?  I've done this with a very similar Target bookcase but I don't know if your shelves are adjustable.

[sierramist03]

I suck at organizing shelves but I wanted to say what if you put some foam board cover in fabric in the backs of the shelves to break up the darkness.

[peach]

they are not adjustable

[emoflamingo]

I would put the numbered basket thing on the third shelf. Move the DVDs up one and move it to the opposite side of the numbered basket.

I'd probably put the clock where the DVDs are now, add a few books and a small picture frame. I love that milkglass, so you could put it on top of the books instead of the picture frame.

Put something in the basket, to make it look like it has a purpose. I'm not sure what though.

[emoflamingo]

Oh, and I like the idea of painting the backs. I think you could do the wall color or a really pretty shade of blue, like a light robin's egg blue (because I know you like your shabby chic) and it would look pretty.