Monica Buck Page 1 of 4

Organize Your Bookshelves

By Yolanda Wikiel

Decorate shelves around collections to bring order to them quickly.

If You Have Only a Few Books

1. Layer to create dimension. Prop picture frames off center behind stacks or rows of books and cluster collectibles, such as bud vases, to add visual punch. If you don’t want pictures and artwork to be obscured, place translucent, clear, or colored glass objects in front of them.

2. Pick a color to tie everything together. Here, the bright yellow frame, flowers, and vases complement the chair.

3. Balance the look. Make sure that a cluster of books appears on every shelf. “Line them up at or very near the edge so there is no trail of dust,” says Kari McCabe, an interior designer in New York City.

4. Paint the insides. This adds contrast and sets off the objects within. You can also cut pieces of fabric, wallpaper, or wrapping paper to fit and affix with glue or double-stick tape.

Paint color:
All-a-Blaze by Benjamin Moore
To buy: $36.50 a gallon, 800-672-4686 for stores.

Next: If You Have Books and Other Media

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