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Styling A Bookcase

“So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookcase on the wall.”
– Roald Dahl

We have some lovely built in bookcases in our home.  They are one of the many period details that make our home so charming. BUT this bookcase was NOT styled at all.  I unpacked the boxes when we moved in and left my design books, gardening guides, old theater scripts and picture albums where I placed them .

Styling a bookcase with found items

You guys probably have never seen this bookcase, huh?  I usually crop the photos of the mantel so my messy bookcase isn’t on display.  Ha! Ha!

Then I found out Matthew Mead was coming….

Yup, I HAD to do something with the bookshelf.

BUT I also wanted to keep my books.  SO I turned them around.

A Built In Bookcase and How to Style It

Before the spines were all different colors – hot pink, green and not the usual “time worn” look I love.  So now the books (with the pages facing out) give a more neutral backdrop that doesn’t draw the eye to them.

I shopped the basement and brought up all sorts of mementos.

On the top shelf is binoculars that belonged grandfather, whom I never had the chance to meet.  He passed away in the 1960s at a young age due to complications from breathing in asbestos. When I was just a little girl my mom would take them out  and we’d look through them  trying to see nature in the trees and the sky.  I’m glad they have a spot on this shelf.

As I told you before, this rocking chair was my mothers when she was a girl and Conor’s doggie has been resting there since Christmas.

cherished dog

Books and galvinized metal

Other shelves have ribbon and burlap, galvanized tin and the sea glass bottles I made last year with a lone pussy willow.

I put all our family albums in a vintage milk crate I found a few years back:

Vintage Milk Crate

The blue stein was from my Junior Year Abroad and the one thing I bought in Munich when I travelled across Europe with friends.  Boy, did  I love that year and fell in love with so many cities.  You can also see my, much loved, book of Shakespeare and all the bookmarks from college.

This photo of Conor was taken by my friend Egle at his 3rd birthday:

Rustic Frame

I love that image of him.  He is looking at all his friends running around and laughing. You can almost see all his dreams reflected in his clear, blue eyes.

I’m so happy I can now share this little corner and shelves full of memories with you. Even my favorite image from our wedding (in the rain).

A corner of our living room

So nice not having to crop it out when I take a beautiful picture of flowers:

Spring Flowers on the Mantel

What about you?!? Do you have an styling tips for bookcases?

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Lynn
Lynn
9 years ago

Read this post because I’m about to paint and fill a china display cabinet and need tips. Your description of your son in the picture of him made me emotional-particularly as my own son turns 3 in a months time.

Julie
9 years ago

I’ve never thought of turning the books round, although I’m not sure I’d ever find what I am looking for again! I always used to come back from a trip to Ikea wondering why house doesn’t look like their cute little fake rooms then realised my book don’t all match (not the only reason but you know what I mean) I did try a little shelf styling a while ago and put matching books together, some piled up, some in a normal upwards position and added some ornaments and other bits and pieces. It looks better but not quite as… Read more »

Carin
9 years ago

I so need to start turning some books around. My bookcases are a mess and haven’t been styled at al and they’re in plain view as soon as you walk into the house. I’m going to try it.

Alison- The Pink Tumbleweed

Great post! It’s challenging for me to style shelves.