The internet is full of beautifully styled shelves these days. From HGTV’s Emily Henderson to Young House Love’s Sherry Petersik, there are enough drool-worthy photos and tutorials to make a gal want to clear every shelf in her house just to replace it with fun and engaging new arrangements. (Note — when I say “gal,” what I really mean is “womyn,” as I am a true-blue, card-carrying, flag waving feminist.)
Anyway . . .
The shelves surrounding my fireplace were just itching for a re-style. And you all know that my favorite home decor projects are those that cost nada, zero, zilch. (Note — when I say “nada, zero, zilch,” what I really mean is “nothing,” as I am a true-blue, card-carrying, flag waving cheap-o.)
Anyway . . .
Here are my shelves before I started the project.
Left side:
Right side:
Nothing terrible, just kind of stale. Definitely ripe for a makeover.
First thing I did was to remove all the books, bookends and stray doodads and wipe everything down. I then sorted the books by color and vintage-ness and gathered my bookends, vintage bowls of marbles and some smaller vases and pottery. The shelves are not at eye level, so it was important to keep sight line in mind. I strapped on a library audio book and got to work.
Red books and doodads here, blue books and doodads there.
The first incarnation looked like this:
And this:
Better, but too literal in their symmetry. I wanted a balanced look without the confines of type-A symmetry.
I got back to work, angling the books, gathering more doodads and looking up my original Pinterest inspiration photos. Stepping back, stepping away and then rearranging a little more.
Here are the shelves in their final stage:
There are two individual shelves that I like the best. The blue one because it features the”What Katy Did” and “Nurse Against The Town” books, as well as a star of David:
I also like the yellow shelf because of the The Little House books and the smiley face mug. My decorating style often leans too far into the Grandma’s Living Room camp, so I try to inject at least a small amount of humorous and contemporary stuff.
I will likely continue to tinker with the arrangement, as this kind of project is never really done.
So, what do you think? Was it worth the effort? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Katy Wolk-Stanley
{ 48 comments… read them below or add one }
Beautiful! Definitely worth it!
Personally, I like the before look better as the books are all easily accessible. And the following pictures make my minimalist self have a visual panic attack lol. I do like the color coordination though! Take my opinion with a grain of salt…as my version of interior decorating is a single painting on a wall and getting rid of things 😉
Luckily, I am no minimalist. Your empty house would make me feel twitchy.
Katy
Oh I think it looks better, so colorful and artsy. But one of the shelves didn’t get any doodads? I love all the marbles. I’d view your house like a museum of sorts…. I don’t have any stuff but I enjoy seeing what others do with theirs.
It’s pretty!
I really like the colour co-ordination idea. My favourite is the first incarnation, very pretty.
I like the colour schemes a lot, Katy! You make me look at my shelves and think “Ugh! They need some T.L.C.” I think we need a solution to the wool/yarn stash in my house…storage ideas? I’m a little tired of it hanging out in plastic bags under the day bed.
I’m loving the blue color scheme especially!
Please come and redo mine. Nice change.
I’m on my way! 😉
Katy
Is there glass on the doors so you don’t have to dust? All I think is dusting when I see doodaddy shelves.
I like the second incarnation – the first was too matchy matchy for me. Shelves trying too hard 😉
We don’t get all that dusty. No carpet and no dogs. 🙂
Katy
Lucky! I feel like all I have to do is breathe and my home is covered in dust 🙁 of course we have a dog, toddler, carpet and chickens….
You know, I’ve never thought of styling my bookcases and I’ve just realized why…they’re too crammed with books for any rearranging to happen!
I now have a lot of books to put into upstairs shelves. And my husband insisted that his old photo books from college stayed.
Katy
Love it!
I really like the orange shelf, I love the colour and the overall shape of the whole thing.
I would never think to put a mug on a bookshelf but it looks so cute. Shows me I have to get out the box! This has sinpired me to tackle my cluttery book shelves but I don’t really have book ends to play with. Any suggestions for other sneaky things lying around my house to use like the mug?
I use heavy vases, other books (on their sides), and nice rocks that I have found (we have a lot of quartz chunks around here). In the past I have used a piece of birtch log that I drilled some holes in and fit for candles- although that was only for the big hardcovers that stayed up mostly on their own because the log wasn’t very heavy.
Ah.the beauty of a styled shelf. Sighhh… This will NEVER happen in my home. My husband has so many books and is so particular about his shelves. We can never break them up with decor and every book must be standing up and pulled right to the edge of each shelf. A girl (womyn) can dream though.
Absolutely worth it! My husband got me another bookshelf for Christmas, and I spent a good chunk of time rearranging our collection. It was fun, and I loved how that small project really made a difference in the room.
I love those pink bookends!
Aren’t they cute? I bought them for 99¢ from Value Village.
Katy
Nice find at an amazing price!
I spy nancy drew!
Or, at least what looks like nancy drew.
Our shelves are a massive storage unit for our apartment. They’re not going to look super pretty.
YET.
I think you have done a wonderful job with your shelves.
Thank you. It was fun to do!
Katy
It looks very nice, Katy. I’m stealing your marbles in a bowl idea, since we found my hubby’s marbles:)
I think they look awesome! Truly. Worth every moment of effort!
I like the look, but I personally think it would look better to still have a few shelves that are full of books. Mix it up even more. Books are so warm and comforting, and a non-arranged shelf (like in your “before” pictures) invites you to grab a book and read.
I will continue to tinker with the configuration, and I think more books will definitely find their way back onto the shelves.
Katy
Your shelves look great–I love “use what you have” decorating and as I take my Christmas things down (hey, it’s not Epiphany yet!) I think I need to change up my “doo dads” a bit. I have a tendency to create an arrangement I like and then it stays that way–for years. I think the last time I really changed things was when we cleared the entire living room and dining room for new wallpaper, paint and carpet which was five years ago. My bookshelves would be tough, though–they are loaded with books in spite of a major purge last fall, and I admit to being very type A about them, fiction by author, nonfiction by subject. My inner librarian would have a stroke if someone came and arranged them by color!
I love it! They look so pretty now, all color-coded. And since I sell children’s books on Ebay such as Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys, I enjoyed seeing those books displayed.
Ha ha — Katy, your opening paragraphs made me laugh out loud! (Note: And when I say “laugh out loud,” what I really mean is… well, you get the picture.)
But I must admit that I don’t really understand “styling shelves” — like some other commenters, I also thought your shelves looked nicer before — lots of neat and tidy books, waiting to be read or re-read — plus a few special mementoes… done!
But they are your shelves — so I’m happy if you’re happy. 😉
I love it! And am inspired to go rearrange something now! 🙂
Very nice! I also love the blue shelf best.I like the book holder in the FIRST incarnation, the one that looks like it is holding paperbacks on an angle?Where did it go???
I also enjoy a bit of clutter in my house, it makes it feel cozy.. no minimalist here,either. I can’t live without a slightly messy bookshelf in the middle of my living space either!!
Really pretty job Katy!!!
I like both your “before” and your “after” pictures! You really have a knack for decorating. It’s always fun to change things up a bit.
Looks great! If i had built ins it is how i would like them to look!! I love homes of that era.
I’m in the camp of less is more and you would be twitchy in my home too! When I think of book shelves I think of having to dust. Glad to hear that no carpet means less dust, because we are putting wood laminate floors in very soon. I do have a dog but of non shedding variety!!
To balance the stuff in the shelves, the mantle is almost completely empty.
Katy
By the way, I should have mentioned that there is always furniture in front of these shelves, so they’ll never be 100% visible anyway.
Katy
I love the “Katy” version! Unfort. I live in Florida (w/doggies! but no carpet, yay) and could dust practically daily (I don’t but I could, lol) so a shelving unit like that would scream “Dust me!” But you did a great job & I love the color groupings, very pretty.
I love what you did. Would not work for me because we have too many books (is there such a thing as too many books). I need the space on the shelves to store all of them.
I had room in a bedroom bookshelf, so I stashed the leftovers there.
Plus . . . I have a small bookshelf in the living room where I keep all the books that are in current rotation.
Katy
Is that a McCoy Smiley Face mug? I have been wanting one of those for EONS. I keep hoping to happen upon one at a garage sale or goodwill or something. So far, no dice. The ones I have found at antique stores or fleamarkets have been out of my price range for a knick knack. I do have a pier one smiley mug that the Princess gave me for Christmas a year ago, and I LOVE it, but I’m still trying to find the treasure of a McCoy — for CHEAP!
katy – i love your new book shelves. they look beautiful!
i have been trolling pinterest for styling ideas and what i’ve always come up against is the amount of books we have. it never occurred to me to split them up and keep books in all the rooms of my house.
that simple tip, just got my creative juices flowing, so thank you!
Lovely – I tried to do something like this in my office, but I have too many books. Actually, that’s the case throughout the house! Plus, I dislike dusting. Doodads = dusting. But your shelves look wonderful, in both incarnations. I’m inspired to at least shuffle some things around!
Bravo – well done. Love the colour shelves and accessories, especially the phone. Thanks for sharing.
Your shelves look wonderful. You’ve inspired me to perk up my bookcases. Thanks!
I love the aspect of the fun of it all! You seem to have had fun with the project and, of course, it’s a blast for the reader to spy and compare.
I love the re-do, grouping by color. What a fresh look to the shelves.
Love those funky bookends- do you know who the maker is? LOVE!