DIY Network

Organizing Bookshelves From "Ask DIY" episode ADI-710

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Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G

Q: The bookcases in my home office are jammed with books, pictures, and knick-knacks. It's really not a pretty sight. Do you have some ideas to create a nice display?

A: (Bea Pila, DIY interior design expert) It's a common occurrence for bookshelves to become cluttered over time (figure A). Here are a few suggestions and guidelines for creating a bookshelf display that's more visually appealing.


Consider these basic principles when organizing your bookcase:

• Start by organizing the larger objects, then move on to the smaller ones.
  
• Use the entire bookcase.
  
• Arrange your objects using varied heights.

• If you have a lot of unsightly paperbacks on your bookshelf, consider an alternative method of storing them to free up space on your shelves for more visually appealing objects. You might consider keeping paperbacks in a lined basket (figure B) or similar container. Store them with the bindings facing up so you can quickly scan to see the titles.
  
  
  
• Start arranging your shelves with the books -- which are, after all, the visual focal point of bookshelves. Start with the larger books. You may want to place the larger books toward the center of the shelves, and come up with a neat, arrangement that's appealing to the eye. Rather then shelving them upright, you may want to stack some together horizontally, allowing them to serve the same function as a bookend. You may also want to consider incorporating a decorative piece in with your books (figure C).
  
  
  
• Some people prefer to remove the dust-jackets from hardcover books before shelving them, as they feel that this gives the books a more sophisticated look.
  
  
  

• Book-Collector's Note: Removing and discarding the original dust jacket of valuable books greatly reduces their value as collectibles.
  
  
  

• If you store photo albums on your bookshelves, chances are you have a visual hodge-podge since most people buy photo albums at various times. You can cover the spines of your photo albums with an attractive contact paper (figure D) to give them a more unified look.
  
  
  
• Once you've given them a uniform look, select a location for your photo albums, and place them all together. You might pick a decorative item such as a vase to bookend the albums (figure E).
  
  
  
• Consider carefully the placement and orientation of larger decorative objects. For the decorative box in our demonstration, the side of the box was angled outward so that the bold color on the side made the piece more eye-catching (figure F).
  
  
  
• A well-chosen houseplant in an attractive pot brings life to a bookshelf arrangement.
  
  
  
• Lastly, you may want to place one or two of your favorite photos, displayed in attractive frames, onto your shelves in carefully chosen spots. Avoid overcrowding with too many framed photos.

Recap

• Place larger objects first, then fill in with smaller objects.

• Use the entire shelf space, but avoid clutter.

• Vary heights of displayed objects.

RESOURCES :
Organizing From the Inside Out
Model: 0805056491
Author: Julie Morgenstern
(September, 1998)

Owl Books

How to Plan & Build Bookcases, Cabinets & Shelves
Model: 0897210883
Author: Craig Burgquist

Bookshelves and Cabinets
Model: 0376010886
Author: Stacey Berman