10 Creative Ideas to Decorate your Bookcase, Cabinet or Shelves

Too often I have found when helping someone with their home decorating and redesign; they clutter their bookcases and shelves.  It’s a flat surface that seems to collect everything.  If you can, step back, and look at your bookcases, shelves, or cabinet – What do you see?  If you see a cluttered mess, it may be time to consider a new approach! 

Consider one of these 10 creative ideas:

1. Add Mirrors to the back of built-in shelving to give the wall depth.  Especially great idea for a small room or a room that may need more light.
2. Add a Graphic Print:  Using a herringbone or chevron print to the backs of a unit can add quite a “wow” factor to your room. This look can be achieved even if you are in an apartment by using removable self-adhesive wallpaper.
3. Multi-Purpose Shelving:  If you have a bookshelf that you can change up the format of the shelving unit you could potentially vary the height of the shelves creating openings larger than others. In that space, you could display artwork or treasured items, or it could serve as an area to hold special glasses and a bar area.  To create a bar look, install stemware holders, to hang your glasses.
4. Color Coordinate:  Could you imagine if you put all of your books together that were similarly colored in piles how impressive that display could look?
5. To add interest vary the height of the items that you are using to decorate.
6. Stack books for interest, as well as using them to raise smaller items so that they don’t get lost in the display.
7. If you want to accentuate certain elements, adopt the “less is more” approach.  Leaving open space allows the eye to see the art piece.
8. Create a photo gallery using similarly colored frames.
9. Use a paint color on the inside of the shelf that is a few shades darker than the room.
10. Group small collectibles such as shells in beautiful glass jars, vases, containers of any sort and use as a feature.

To view ideas in action; check out my Pinterest board where I have many of these ideas and others detailed.

If you find this process challenging and in need of a room redesign, give me a call 610-955-8202 or email.

By Debbie Correale, founder and owner of Redesign Right, LLC. Find her on Facebook.com, Twitter @RedesignRight, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Houzz. Feature photo owned by Debbie Correale.