Category: Our First House

In keeping with our bookshelf theme, I’m back to share rules (more like tips) I follow that Cobi didn’t mention.

So, what are my rules?

1.  Turn ugly books around.  If you have ugly books, you have a few options to make them fit in with your aesthetic.  The easiest way is to simply turn the spines to the back.  Other options: place said books in a basket, magazine file or create decorative book covers using wrapping paper.

2.  Don’t keep all books in the same direction.  As Cobi said, place some books on their side to create pedestals.  I think it’s more natural to line books along the left side, but you can face the fronts to the right, too.  This will make it easier to balance the shelf and create visual interest.

3.  Use decorative pieces as bookends.  Put pretty, heavy objects to good use.

4.  Add art to create layers.  Place small art in front of books or hang art on the back of the bookshelf.

Find that adorable bird printable here.

5.  Hide ugly items behind books and art.  We all do this, why shouldn’t you?  It’s valuable real estate!  If you have ugly items that you need access to (not especially often), tuck them in behind a frame or books.

Yesterday, we shared Cobi’s five tips to create a beautifully balanced book shelf.  We didn’t share many photos of our bookshelf, with those rules in mind.  Until I saw our bookshelves featured on The Steven and Chris Show along with Cobi’s rules, I never thought about the reasons our bookshelves looked good.  I just knew I liked it.  We followed almost all Cobi’s rules.  The exception being adding height to the top, ours are built-ins.

So, here’s a pictorial example of each rule.

1.  Heavy items should go on the bottom.

Large storage boxes, magazine files,magazines, and encyclopedias fill the bottom two rows shelves.

2.  Add height to the top.  Again, we can’t do that.

3.  Use books to create pedestals.

This stack of books are topped by a silver cup (desperately needing a good polish) given to me as a baby.  I have another book pedestal with a simple IKEA vase.

4.  Stand back and look for balance.

Your bookshelf doesn’t have to be completely symmetrical to be balanced.  The easiest way to achieve balance is to create a zig zag pattern down your shelf of books.  Then, fill in what’s left with decorative items.

5.  Negative space.

This corresponds with rule number four.  Once you’ve placed all of your books, you can fill the remaining areas with decorative items.  In this example, I’ve placed two wire buildings and two candle holders in the open space.  Notice they are on opposite sides of the shelf to create balance.

If you follow us on Facebook, you have already read that our office bookshelf was featured on The Steven and Chris Show, a Canadian design/talk show.  To say I was thrilled is an understatement.  The downside?  The show doesn’t allow streaming outside of Canada, so I couldn’t watch it!  Recently, though, I received a dvd of the segment from a producer, so I’ve been able to bask in all the glory.  So, I guess I may be called an ‘expert’ on decorating bookshelves?  That’s pretty extreme, but here’s the photo that was shown, taken from this post.

Here’s the play-by-play on what was said about our bookshelves. 

Steven said, “This is well-organized.”  Chris (who is more minimalist) said, “To me, this is flawlessly done.”  Their guest, design expert Cobi Ladner, said, “That is beautiful because you’ve got your storage, you’ve got your books there, but it still looks great.  There’s a knack to that and there are certain rules that you can apply to make that happen.”

So, what are Cobi’s rules? 

1.  Heavy items should go on the bottom.  This isn’t limited to literal weight, but also to visual weight.  Boxes, baskets and large collections, such as our encyclopedias, should stay toward the bottom. 

2.  Add height to the top.  This makes a bookshelf feel more built-in, even if it’s not.  If you have a stand alone shelf, adding baskets to the top to fill the space between the shelf and ceiling will help the shelf appear built-in.

3.  Use books to create pedestals.  Don’t let decorative objects take up cupboard space, put them on display.  Stack larger books and top the stack with a decorative object, adding height and drawing attention to that object.

4.  Stand back and look for balance.  If you have one side that seems more filled or visually heavy, shift items around to make the shelf feel more balanced. 

5.  Negative space is usually what makes the beauty.  Don’t feel like you have to fill every space with books.  Adding the decorative objects with space on all sides will create a reprieve for the eyes.  Your shelf will also look less like a library or bookstore and more like a display with books mixed in.  If you have tons of books, don’t feel that you have to have every book you own on the same shelf.  Add a small stack to a coffee table, nightstand, or another bookshelf elsewhere in the house.  Create book pedestals there to display more decorative items, too.