22 Ways to Arrange Your Shelves
Real Simple Author
By Real Simple Editors Updated February 19, 2015
Picture frames on shelves
Credit: Sang An
Find inspiration for your own shelves and bookcases in these great photos.
Use empty picture frames to create visually striking geometric patterns against a wall.
Picture frames on shelves
Credit: Sang An
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A cleverly arranged bookcase can be as pretty as a window view.
Home office in living room
Credit: James Baigrie
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Borrow a trick from interior designers: Inside a bookcase, use paint that’s a couple shades deeper than the room color.
Bookcase
Credit: Monica Buck
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For maximum pop, try arranging the shelves with solid-colored items, like white ironwork or a vibrant vase.
Bookcase, table, and chair
Credit: Monica Buck
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Imagine living room shelves as display space for your favorite books, photographs, and family heirlooms.
Living room
Credit: Chip Cordelli
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Give bathroom shelves an organized look by grouping together like-colored towels.
Beauty products and towels on shelves
Credit: Jonny Valiant
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Use labeled boxes to house odds and ends without a home.
Colorful shoe boxes for storage on a bookcase
Credit: Antonis Achilleos
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Shelve items by type―pots on one level, books on another―for a systematic look to your kitchen.
Cookbooks on a shelf with pots
Credit: Justin Bernhaut
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A simple arrangement of classics has the order and stateliness of a library.
Books and vases in a bookcase
Credit: Sarah Maingot
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Style a bookcase with unexpected items, like an eye-catching antique or a porcelain statue.
Bookcase
Credit: Monica Buck
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Ordinary items collected in glass jars make an arresting still-life.
Shells and rocks stored in labeled jars on shelves
Credit: David Prince
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Organizing a colorful collection of found objects makes an offbeat (and inexpensive) alternative to wall art.
Hall makeover
Credit: Mark Lund
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Even just a few striking objects can create a visually interesting display.
Clocks used as bookends
Credit: Aya Brackett
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There’s no rule saying that everything has to match. Though these letters vary in look, they work together because they are alike in essence.
Shelves decorated with letters
Credit: Lucas Allen
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Want to make a bold statement? Let paint do the talking for you.
Repainted shelves
Credit: Mark Lund
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Open shelves and steel hardware give a room contemporary flair.
Coffee table and couch
Credit: Hallie Burton
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Whitewashed shelves and conch-shell book stoppers feel as restful and airy as the seaside.
Shells in a vase on a bookshelf
Credit: William Meppem
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Hang a chalkboard inside sliding doors for extra playtime fun (or to log your children’s TV time).
Media center
Credit: David Land
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Use a furry friend to keep your child’s favorite reads in place.
Stuffed animal as a bookend
Credit: Kathryn Barnard
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Use inexpensive baskets to provide catchall space for sundries.
Organized shelving
Credit: James Baigrie
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Divvy up cubbies among your kids and allow them to arrange their belongings as they see fit―so long as it’s neat!
Toys and books stored in cubbies
Credit: David Prince
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A smart cleaning strategy for drop-in visitors: panels that prettily disguise what’s on the shelves.
Decorated bookcase
Credit: Hallie Burton