In our last house, we had built-in bookcases on each side of the fireplace in the family room. One of my favorite projects was dressing those shelves. That's right, dressing them. It's fun and easy to make shelves interesting by adding a variety of elements other than books.
Okay, here are some tips.
1. Empty the shelves of their contents. Now is the time to clean or paint before beginning.
2. Search your attic or other rooms for interesting objects that you may want to use. A bookcase is not only for books. You'll want to add a little sparkle with brass or glass. You can introduce form and color by using interesting objects.
3. Sort books by subject and/or size. Place them on the shelves, leaving some blank spaces for your objects. Stack some on their sides, and place some vertically.
4. Now begin to place your objects in the spaces you've left. Attractive baskets or boxes can offer convenient hiding places for extra storage.
5. Then add the sparkle with ceramics, brass, silver, family photos, etc. This will personalize your bookcase.
6. Hanging framed art on the front of the bookcase adds the unexpected.
There you have it - a beautiful focal point for your room. Give it a try. You'll be surprised by what you already have in you home that will add warmth and individuality to your shelves.
photo credit: Annie SchlechterPhoto Source: House Beautiful
No comments:
Post a Comment