Bookcases are fabulous for storage. They also can become the catch-all whereby instead of being an attractive way to display belongs they become a cluttered mess. When clients are selling this always becomes a discussion. Taming the clutter and make bookcases look as it was intended, a place to store items- attractively.
Here are four simple steps to take to revamp your bookcase.
First
Take everything off the bookcase this way you are starting with a blank slate. As you remove the items take a good look and decide if you truly use them. Consider dated photos, books that have no meaning, or books you know that you will not read again. Put those in a pile, and the items you know you do use in a separate pile. By organizing the clutter at this point will help when rebuilding your shelves.
Second
Start with the largest books first that you are keeping, adjust the shelf height if needed and add others that are of the same height. I suggest ordering by size, but you can take it further if needed and order within size by subject. Others might consider making the bookcase a statement in the room and order by color. Mix up the books by storing some vertical and some horizontal. This is where balance comes in and starts making the bookcase display attractive. The horizontal books can be used to add decorative items on top providing height.
Third
This where you make your bookcase shine by adding personality. Use decorative items you took off your selves prior. This might be artwork, decorative objects, photos or collections that mean something personal to you. Be choosy when you are selecting, as well as keeping balance in mind.
Fourth
“Less is more” is a good rule to follow unless you are using your bookcase for books alone like a library. Step back, does the bookcase look balanced? Does every item you placed there need to be on the selves or could you reduce even further? Think of color and texture also when creating your display in your bookcase. If you are using your cases like a library just for books, group similar color jacket colors together which can make an awesome statement in itself.
A bookcase is valuable real estate. They can really make or break a room depending on how the contents are displayed. Whether you are selling or dwelling review the contents and remove items you no longer use. Then add other objects to create a fresh look. The goal is to prevent them from becoming a storage catchall where nothing can be found, nor are they serving the purpose they were intended for.`
Other Ideas for your bookcases
Here Realtor.com asked me and a few other designers how to declutter books, it is a growing trend and one that should be considered when updating or refreshing a room. How to Declutter Books. You could also take it a step further if you have the means and hire a Book Curator or take the direction from a book curator to create a beautiful display.
