22 Ways to Arrange Your Shelves
Real Simple Author
Picture frames on shelves
Credit: Sang An
Use empty picture frames to create visually striking geometric patterns against a wall.
Picture frames on shelves
Credit: Sang An
A cleverly arranged bookcase can be as pretty as a window view.
Home office in living room
Credit: James Baigrie
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
Imagine living room shelves as display space for your favorite books, photographs, and family heirlooms.
Living room
Credit: Chip Cordelli
Give bathroom shelves an organized look by grouping together like-colored towels.
Beauty products and towels on shelves
Credit: Jonny Valiant
Use labeled boxes to house odds and ends without a home.
Colorful shoe boxes for storage on a bookcase
Credit: Antonis Achilleos
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
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
Ordinary items collected in glass jars make an arresting still-life.
Shells and rocks stored in labeled jars on shelves
Credit: David Prince
Organizing a colorful collection of found objects makes an offbeat (and inexpensive) alternative to wall art.
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
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
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
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
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
Use inexpensive baskets to provide catchall space for sundries.
Credit: James Baigrie
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