How to Decorate a Bookcase
Furniture Source International can’t narrow down our favorite pieces to just one or two single items, especially when we regularly rotate through the furniture we carry on our showroom floor, but we love the concepts behind so many of what we have. This love is especially evident in the versatility much of our furniture has to be heirloom pieces for your entire family, for generations. The bookcases and hutches we design, build, and bring to you, are no exception. As if falling in love with one of our pieces wasn’t enough, we can help with all the extra little touches that will make it yours.
Items
Obviously, a bookcase can house your entire library of books, but it doesn’t have to hold all of them and can contain a number of treasures besides your favorite works of literature. For the books you do choose, consider different placements as you design your space, including stacked, leaning, or even turned with the spine to the back of the shelf. Other items to consider may be trinkets you have picked up from your favorite trips or found objects we carry on our showroom floor. Pictures of loved ones or places you wish to go can be strategically nestled into some of your spaces. Vases, bowls, and baskets of different types and sizes can hold anything from flowers to remote controls to additional decorative pieces, depending on what you want. You may even layer several pieces together, like putting a small object on top of a stack of books or treasured box.
Size
Mixing and matching different sizes is important to make sure your shelf space doesn’t look stale and cluttered. The size difference will help assist in you or your guest’s eyes traveling around the bookcase and back into the room. Having several inches difference in height between items, especially the closer they are, is best. You may choose a vase from our showroom, tucked to one side, with an item like an antique looking magnifying glass leaning against it to the front. Stand a few books to the other side of the shelf and you will have three different sets of items of different sizes for one of your shelves. By choosing around three items per shelf or cubby, depending on the type of bookcase you have, you can work in different sizes. Many of our bookcases and similar pieces of furniture have easily adjustable shelves to help accommodate your planning for size.
Shape
Similar to creating interest and helping the eye travel around your bookcase, mix and match the shapes you use as well. Any books and boxes will cover a more basic cube shape, but vases come in all sizes, from tall and cylindrical to short and round. Baskets come in various shapes and sizes and are practical, too. You may even find a piece you love on our showroom floor that has an unusual shape, with curves, angles, or asymmetry that can balance the straight lines of items you already have. When considering shape, you can also think about items you may not think of in certain rooms, like the tiered serving platters or decanters we have in our kitchen items may bring interest to the shelf in your living room.
Color
For colors, it will help to choose a palette that works together and with the room where your bookcase will be homed. While all items should not be the same color, they should complement one another, with the possibility of a pop or accent strategically placed in certain areas. Almost any color can be matched with different shades of a monochromatic color like beige, tan, or gray. Just as important as choosing a palette of colors is building interest with textures, patterns, and materials. By layering complementary colors in different hues and finishes, you will create depth in your design.
A great way to spend a day is to come amble through our showroom floor and see what items you could use on your bookcase. We can help you gather the perfect items to design your space. If you are in need of the bookcase or other furniture for storage, we can show you the pieces we love, too. Come see us, today.
