If your book spines lack visual flair, paint the surrounding bookshelves a contrasting color to add focus. In this living space, black built-ins stand out sharply against the mostly white decor on the shelves and elsewhere in the room. Flipping books so that the pages are facing out instead of the spine can also help bookcases stick to a more cohesive color palette.
Increase storage by tucking a bookcase into an unused space. In this banquette area, an empty wall was transformed into practical storage space thanks to a set of built-in shelves. Use books and baskets of frequently used items to decorate lower shelves. Save the upper shelves for ornaments or other items you don’t need to access often.
Modern shelving calls for a sparse look, so gather a small set of books that are all fairly uniform in size. Accessorize with streamlined vases and metallic decor, leaving plenty of open shelf space to let the accessories shine through. Give the entire shelf a pop with a colorful background of wallpaper.
To give office bookshelves an organized feel, collect a wide variety of collectibles. Place your chosen items between books, creating loose symmetry. If you have a picture frame or square shape on a shelf, mirror it with a collectible of a similar shape and size on the opposite side. In a wall of bookshelves like this, it is important to scatter books here and there to complete the look.
