Tip No. 1 COLOR BALANCE
Bookcase restyling can be cathartic
as well as a simple, and beautiful way to
enhance your rooms decor
Removing absolutely everything from your bookshelves and starting fresh gives you a chance to accomplish things that feel, oh so good! For starters, you get a chance to review and edit items that are no longer either useful or joyful. You also get a chance to clean those shelves thoroughly (doesn't THAT feel good!?), group and organize items, shop other areas of your home for some new items to include, and plan a new look.
Creating Color Balance
My color rule (for designing rooms) also applies when redesigning your bookcases. It is the 60 / 30 / 10 rule. Sixty percent should be your dominant color, 30% a complimentary color and 10% an accent color. In the example shown, you'll see the percentages noted in the corner diagram. This is one of my favorite bookshelf examples...though I have tons more on my Pinterest page. (for more bookcase styling ideas click here)
Tip No. 2 LIGHTING
...And Some Ideas You Can Do Yourself
If you have read any of my other posts, you know what a fan I am of lighting. I think it adds absolute magic to any room. In a bookshelf, there are tons of options. You can add light pucks yourself or have wired lighting which is placed into channels in the underside of the shelves. You can also add decorative lights on the panels on the outside of the bookcase, or on either side of the outside walls if it's a book shelf unit. For those of us who are lamp lovers, you can, as I have done, put small lamps right on your shelves. You'll need to consider wiring in this instance. Your local lighting store is a great resource for options and ideas because new ideas are coming out almost weekly.
Tip No. 3 PAINT
Another transforming idea is to paint your bookshelves. Consider painting the entire book shelf, or paint just the back wall. Benjamin Moore has wonderful colors, like the very popular Hale Navy in the example. You may also want to check out Farrow and Ball for some unusual and trend setting colors. The great thing about paint is that for a relatively low cost you can make a huge impact. Just one more small style change that makes a big impact.
Benjamin Moore offers a wide array of rich, beautiful colors
Tip No. 4 GET CREATIVE
Displaying books backwards as shown in the Pinterest example above, while a somewhat frivolous and impractical idea, is a great demonstration of how breaking the "rules" can create an unusual and interesting look. I also enjoy seeing books stacked and turned at an angle. I would do something like this simply because books on my shelves are mostly for design aesthetics and not practical reading. Those more practical books, I confess, are stacked haphazardly next to my bed (not pretty!) All this to say, explore whimsical, rule-breaking ways to decorate your shelves to create eye-catching nuances that bring new life and a freshness to your room.
Tip No. 5 CHANGE OUT THE SHELVES
Another great and simple way to give a fresh, updated look to your bookcases is to change out the shelving. I love thick glass as an option, especially appropriate if you are going to make some of your shelves a display for glass or barware. Another idea is to change them from painted shelves to natural wood shelves.
