Top Shelf Advice: 10 Quick Tips for Accessorizing Your Bookshelves

Top shelf advice:

10 tips for accessorizing your bookshelves

1. Stacked Books

Stack books bottom to top, largest to smallest, for a pyramid shape. Face titles out to show off your reading list.

For the top of the pyramid >

2. Smaller Works of Art

A perfect topper for a stack of books, or stand alone to make a statement.

Shop Artwork >

3. Low Maintenance plant

An effortless touch of greenery. Our personal favorites are aloe plants.

Find the perfect vase >

4. Round Shapes

Keep your decor well rounded with varying sizes of something with similar color and texture to create depth. The effect makes the eye move around your scheme.

Round up the best accessories >

5. Personal Photos

A true representation of you. Black and white or more tonal photos pair well with a neutral palette.

picture perfect frames >

6. Varying Heights

New heights are best achieved with candlesticks or vases. We love how these black candlesticks create a stark contrast against the bright white shelving.

Shop Candlesticks >

7. Sophisticated Storage

Put smaller belongings and things you wish to hide in beautiful storage boxes or baskets that complement your overall scheme.

Boxes & Baskets >

8. Curiosities

Items that serve solely decorative purposes can add interest, color and texture to your accessorizing. These different natural elements- wood, marble and oyster shells- create a dynamic vignette.

Curious for Curiosities? >

9. Special Collections

Pick something that interests you, collect it and create a display to show it off. For Nantucket Looms owner, Liz Winship, it's Doc Magee Lightship Baskets.

Collect inspiration >

10. Candle Votives and hurricanes

Illuminated or not, beautiful candle votives always imply warmth and ambiance. They also provide another opportunity to incorporate texture or a more architectural detail.

Add ambiance >

Beyond the Books: The Art of Styling a Bookshelf

May 07, 2021

We find that bookshelf styling should go beyond books and incorporate your favorite decorative items. From artwork to objets, plants and antiques- layers of these pieces with your favorite reads come together for a visual representation of you. Read on to see two of our favorite ways to style bookshelves.