15 ideas for shelf and bookcase decoration

Turn an ordinary bookcase or wall shelves into a stunning display case to showcase your favorite decor. Here are 15 useful tips from interior designers:

Exhibition of a collection of décor

Perhaps you collect small sculptures, seashells, souvenirs from around the world, or the like, so why not set aside a place of honor for them? Distribute your decor collection on bookshelves and enjoy the tempting effect of having different sizes, shapes, and shades of decor and books play off each other.

Hobbies come first

Why don’t you tell your guests about your hobbies, interests or passions? Or rather, don’t demonstrate it with your decor? Put the things closest to your heart in the foreground!

Grouping decor

One of the favorite design tricks! Decorate your closet or wall shelves by grouping items by theme, color, shape, texture, or material, and then those items will bring you the most value. For example, a grouping of white and matte decor will look simply stunning on dark wood or brightly colored shelves, while decor with colorful patterns can beautifully enliven calm, light-colored walls and furniture.

Functional décor

Functional decor always brings more joy than just pretty trinkets. Why not, for example, turn open wall shelves into a stylish bar? Notice how beautifully glass bottles and glasses combine with various metal details.

Large sizes

A group or collection of small decor can certainly look very interesting, but it will collect a lot of dust and make it difficult to clean up. So sometimes instead of lots of fun little things, it’s better to choose large, bold accessories that are easier to take care of. Tall vases, potted flowers, gift volumes of books, photo frames and artwork – choose anything that strikes your fancy and that you can see across the room. You can also give greater visual presence to various small objects, too, by collecting them in open or transparent containers, such as vases, jars or wicker baskets, etc.

Asymmetry in the decor

Instead of creating a mirror image of objects on the shelves, try decorating the shelves with an odd number of items and without establishing a visual center. This will help add a subtle element of surprise to the interior, while instead of symmetry, you can enjoy a perfect balance. For example, even if you have two similar or identical vases or framed paintings, it is better to place them diagonally from each other rather than on the same level, as would be more logical.

Shelf Lighting

Shelf lighting is the perfect finishing touch to cleverly accentuate all the beauty you’ve put up there. There are endless ways to light up your shelves and cabinets today: built-in lights, candles, LED strip, UV lights, garlands, sconces, etc. Choose the option that best suits the design of your room.

Playing with different sizes

Designers by no means recommend lining up differently sized décor by height. Instead, it’s better to gently mix different heights, contrasting high and low items with each other, and letting your eyes travel through each shelf with interest. When selecting decor, make sure you have enough medium-height objects that will smooth out the contrast between the highest and lowest items.

Books as coasters

Using one or more books as coasters is a simple and very effective trick for highlighting the most interesting, but not the largest, decor elements. Moreover, books not only draw attention to the decorations standing on them, but also give a beautiful relief to the whole composition of the decor as a whole.

More sparkle

Glass, crystal, mirrors and silver objects make wall shelves literally shine with beauty! Use them on open shelves either as a set or in combination with rough textured objects like antique wood, wicker, etc.

Different layers of decor

Different layers of decor will give your shelves a special depth and make your guests linger, discovering more and more new and interesting things. To that end, place beautiful trays, plates, and pictures in the background so they can act as a sophisticated backdrop for the medium and smallest decorations.

Minimalism in shelf decorating

While multiple layers of accessories work well in traditional and eclectic rooms, minimalist decor is more appropriate for modern interior design. Place several large objects on your shelves, each one attracting attention with its sophistication rather than them together with their large number.

Distribute the decor by color

If you have a large collection of books, video tapes or any other decor, you might like the idea of organizing them by color. The rainbow look of a bookcase or shelves is quite impressive!

Stylish sorting of books

Put individual sets of books vertically and horizontally, grouping them by style, color, or cover thickness – not only does this create a more orderly look, but it also gives a special, cozy, and romantic style to your bookcase as a whole.

Decorating the top of your bookcase or shelf

Don’t forget to decorate the top of your shelving unit or bookcase accordingly, unless of course it reaches all the way to the ceiling. Proper placement of objects on the top shelf will help to highlight the high walls or just provide a beautiful transition. For example, if enough distance is left between the shelves and the ceiling, it will serve you perfectly for displaying large works of art and tall vases.