Apartment Hacks : Bookshelf Styling

annestuartteter
Dec 22, 2015
2 min read

In a 500 square foot apartment, there is little room for excess, and that’s why I love my bookcase. I’ve had this Ikea piece in my last three apartments and it has served me well. You can load it up with every piece of reading material you own (unless you have an insane collection...figure this out yourself) and still use it as an element of style in your apartment.

Little trinkets and a lot of Vogues.

I have used it as an office bookcase, but currently it resides in my living room - and takes up a good amount of room, but I don’t mind, as it serves a functional AND decorative purpose.

I think the first step to bookcase styling is selecting the right bookcase. I got mine from Ikea, of course, because 1. I’m poor and 2. they honestly carry everything you could ever need. However, there are tons of bookshelves out there that would look great in any home. I love this Crate & Barrel spotlight white one. A little different with the doors (to hide your naughty books?). I’m also super obsessed with this Arteriors gold beauty...in another life... And I’ve always been a fan of the wall shelves from Pottery Barn. The point is, there are tons to choose from and you can’t go wrong!

The second step is assessing what you have/want to go on your bookcase. For me books (obviously), some cute chotskies, and every Vogue magazine I’ve saved since 2007 (it’s my hoarding problem). Once you determine what’s going on the bookcase, you need to decided where each thing is going to go. You can categorize, colorize, sizeize (that’s not a word), etc. The point is - organize!

A close up of Stanley the octopus.

Next, make sure you vary the way you display your books and various other items. This isn’t a public library, have fun with it! Add in art, layers and levels. Once you are done, take a step back, admire your handy work and watch TV, because you don’t want to mess that up!

For additional styling advice and inspiration check out this artile from Domino.