Bookshelf Styling: Showcasing Your Personality through Books and Décor

A well-styled bookshelf is more than just a place to store your favorite reads; it’s an opportunity to showcase your unique personality and aesthetic. Whether you’re a minimalist or a maximalist, there are tons of ways to curate a personalized and stylish display of books and décor on your shelves.  

Here are some bookshelf styling ideas and tips to help you turn your shelves into a visual encapsulation of your personality and style.  

Bookshelf Styling Tips 

Styling a bookshelf full of books and other decorative objects can seem daunting, but the key is balance. Begin by categorizing your books. You can do this be genre, author, color, or size – whatever makes the most sense to you.  

Mixing vertical and horizontal stacks breaks the monotony and adds visual interest and may even help you fit more books on your shelf is space is a concern. At the same time though, don’t be afraid to leave some breathing space on some of your shelves to avoid a cluttered look.  

Incorporating decorative objects, like miniature indoor plants, plushies and sculptures, or framed photos can also add to your dynamic display and show off elements of your personality.  

How to Style a Bookshelf 

When placing books on a bookshelf, variety is your friend. Alternate between standing books upright and laying them flat to create visual diversity. Plus, the books you place horizontally can act as platforms for your smaller decorative objects.  

If visual cohesion is your main concern, group your books by color or by size. This will add a pleasing visual element to your shelves, and will allow you to style the rest of your shelves according to that design.  

You can also incorporate the rule of three into your shelves, which suggests that grouping items in odd numbers creates a more balanced and visually pleasing display. When styling a bookshelf, apply this rule by applying your books and decorative objects in groups of three. For example, place a small stack of books next to a miniature indoor plant and a framed photo.  

Bookshelf Styling Ideas 

To help you come up with some quick ways you can style your shelves, here are some fun and simple bookshelf styling ideas to try:  

Theme-Based Shelves 

Curate your shelves based on themes. For instance, if you have a lot of fantasy books in your collection, add small figurines or maps as your decorative objects to complement them.  

Incorporate Personal Items 

Showcase items that tell your story, like family heirlooms, handmade crafts, or photos from special moments. These personal touches make your bookshelf truly unique.  

Artful Arrangements 

If you don’t want to add too many additional decorative objects, you can instead focus solely on how you arrange your books. Place all the books to form a rainbow, or turn some of the spines backwards to bring in the texture of the pages.  

Styling a bookshelf is an art that combines functionality with creativity. By thoughtfully arranging your books and incorporating decorative objects, you can create a display that is both stylish and reflective of your personality.  

To add the finishing touch, make sure your bookshelf itself matches your style as well. Shop our collection of bookshelves here.