Want to feel like an expert interior designer just for a day? Do you have a bookshelf at home that you’ve been dying to clean up? Is it about time to decorate your home office but you don’t know where to start? Are you the obsessive-compulsive type who just wants everything in order? If you said yes to most of these questions, then read on!
Bookshelves perform dual roles both as storage space for books and a display space for accessories, gadgets, office supplies, and anything else that can fit. However, beyond their practical role of storage, bookshelves can also be a product of your creativity and your inherent need to organize stuff. We came up with tips on how to organize your bookshelves so that it may turn out not just appealing to the eye, but also practical and economical.
First thing’s first, because it is so much easier to start with a blank slate, remove everything and empty them your bookshelf out. Next step is to sort the books by subject or size but I suggest sorting them out by color if you’re more interested in setting harmony in the room. If you’re more interested in function, then you might also want to sort the books alphabetically. Get rid of books that that you never read, books your children have outgrown, and books that you are not interested in keeping. I suggest setting them aside so that you can donate them to local charities or you can also sell them on-line tas well. Doing this helps your bookshelves remain clutter-free and in addition, you may have also helped someone else in need by providing them a book to read!
Look for trays, vases, wooden boxes, candles, picture frames, and the like. Remember though that you should try to maintain a clean look by choosing a one-color or tone-on-tone scheme for vases and figurines, and make sure to mix up shapes as well. Carry your color scheme onto your bookshelf to give the room a sense of unity.
Return your now organized objects to the shelves. Start by alternating the stack of books horizontally and vertically, placing the biggest ones on the bottom shelves and smaller ones up top. Another option is to vary the heights and create interest by stacking books horizontally to use as platforms for displaying other objects. Remember that symmetry is important and every so often, step back to assess the overall balance of your arrangement. When placing the books on the shelf, make sure that all of the book spines are facing towards you too. Add smaller objects such as boxes, candles, and vases to the empty spaces. Bold-color picture frames make great bookends and help photographs stand out on shelves too. After all that, if your bookshelf is still looking a little plain, give it an attractive look by adding some plants or photographs of families and friends.
After organizing your bookshelf, you will notice that there is actually a lot more space for other stuff to put in. Remember to keep it simple though and add objects meticulously. Have your bookshelf cleaned at least once a week so that your arrangement will look constantly new.
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