Struggling with how to decorate a bookshelf? I’m sharing ten simple, tried-and-true shelf decorating formulas that work!
So many of you tell me that you do okay picking out furniture for your home but struggle when it comes to accessorizing. Especially styling shelves. While shelf styling is a bit of an art, I’ve turned it into a no-brainer that anyone can do well with ten simple formulas for how to decorate a bookshelf. So if you have any bare shelves that have been giving you the stink-eye, I hope you’ll find the inspiration and know-how to finally get them decorated! (post includes affiliate links – full disclosure statement available {here})
Before we get to my ten formulas, I want to share a few basic principles of shelf styling. (1) Instead of lining up a series of objects along your shelves, think in terms of groupings. For most standard length shelves, you’ll have two groupings of accessories. For example, on the shelf below, the books + decorative owl make up one grouping and the plant + frame + star pod make up a second:
Other basic principles are to (2) stagger the heights of your objects in each grouping and (3) vary colors, finishes, and textures to keep things interesting. And lastly, have fun with it! Shelves are a great place to put family photos, keepsakes, or just about anything that puts a smile on your face when you see it.
And with that, let’s get going with my formulas for how to decorate a bookshelf, starting with several that I used when decorating these shelves in our family room (you can see more details on this room in my recent post on mounting a TV above our fireplace):
Sources: Wallpaper | Oak shelves | Large faux coral – staghorn (similar) | Woven owl | White bubble planter | Fern art | Star pod | White candlesticks | White square frame (8.3″ x 8.3″) | Burlwood frame (11″ x 13″) | Elephant bookend | Decorative black & white box | Coral “topper” (similar) | Bust planter | Round basket
1. Tall Plant + Framed Print + Short Object
Formula #1 involves grouping three objects of varying heights, including a tall plant in a decorative planter, a framed print or photo, and a third accessory that’s shorter than the plant and frame. The objects at the ends should overlap the edges of the frame. You don’t necessarily need to use a horizontally oriented frame – you can use a vertically oriented or square frame too. What’s important is that none of the three objects are exactly the same height. Here’s that formula in action:
2. Books Standing Up + Books Lying Down + Topper
This is one of my simplest shelf styling formulas for how to decorate a bookshelf and one that I use all the time. You simply stand several books upright on the end of your shelf in order of height, stack two books laying down right next to them, and add a small decorative accessory on top. I call these accessories “toppers” because they’re perfect for placing on top of books and decorative boxes, both on shelves and when styling coffee tables too.
Any small object can work as a topper (your child’s latest clay art creation, a small framed photo, a small decorative bowl, etc., as long as it’s shorter than the shortest book standing up and narrower than the narrowest book lying down. I couldn’t resist the darling woven owl for my topper – so cute!
3. Candlesticks + Small Square Frame + Larger Rectangular Frame
It’s always nice to incorporate some family photos into the mix, and formula #3 is perfect for that! Layer a pair of candlesticks, a square frame, and a rectangular frame. You can tweak the sizing of the frames as long as the smaller frame is at least a few inches shorter than the larger one. On our shelves, I used a 11″ x 13″ burlwood frame and a white 8.3″ x 8.3″ square frame:
4. Books with Decorative Bookend
You can’t get any simpler than this formula that includes several books arranged by size plus a decorative bookend. The key is to have fun with the bookend by choosing something unique instead of a boring, basic one. I used vintage brass animal bookends on my shelves, but you can use just about any decorative accessory that’s the right height and heavy enough to support the books.
It’s a great opportunity to add something meaningful to you or your family. For example, I love horseback riding and have used my old stirrups as bookends before.
5. Decorative Box + Topper + Tall Accessory
Formula #5 is a no-fail favorite that you can use with a variety of different objects for an endless number of looks. It involves placing a low “topper” on a decorative box (or you can substitute a stack of books for the box) with a tall accessory next to it. That accessory can be a sculpture, a ceramic jar, a tall vase, or, in my case, a bust planter with faux florals:
Dress up your bookcases by lining the back of them with wallpaper! Check out my wallpaper installation tips along with other simple wallpaper ideas.
Now let’s move on to the other bookcase in our family room to share a couple of more formulas:
Sources: Large handled vase (medium size) | Cane wrapped vase | 12″ Square white wood frame | Coral | Brass pig bookend | Fluted white bowl | Faux succulents | Wood knot | Wood trimmed box – no longer available | White ginger jar (similar) | Stacked boxes | Landscape art | Blue planter – no longer available
6. Books + Filled Bowl
A filled decorative bowl next to a series of books is another super simple formula for how to decorate a bookshelf. I used faux succulents in a fluted white bowl on my shelves:
but you could use any type of bowl (wood, metal, etc.) and get creative with your filler. Ceramic or moss balls, pinecones, shells, faux flowers… just about anything can work!
7. Stacked Boxes
A group of 2-3 stacked boxes not only looks great as shelf decor, but it can be useful storage space too! You can mix and match your boxes or use boxes with the same design but different sizes, such as I did:
8. Single Standalone Item
Don’t underestimate the power of a single standalone accessory, and don’t be afraid to leave some empty space! If your shelves aren’t very wide, or you have a situation like mine where there’s an arch over the top shelf, a single sizable accessory can do the trick. I used a large white handled vase on the top shelf of one of my bookcases and a large piece of coral on the other:
9. Tall Object + Round Tray or Basket + Short Object
If you have a round tray or shallow basket that you’d like to include in your shelf decor, this formula for how to decorate a bookshelf is for you! Start with a round tray, mirror, or shallow basket (such as one of {these}). It should be the tallest of the three objects in this grouping (if it’s not, placing it on a stack of two books does the trick!). On one side, add a plant or other tall object that’s slightly shorter in height than your round piece. On the other side, add a decorative object that’s the shortest of the three.
10. Plant + Tall Vertical Frame + Smaller Horizontal Frame
Formula #10 for how to decorate a bookshelf is perfect when you have a lot of height above your shelf. It includes a plant and a framed horizontal print or photo layered over a taller vertically framed print or photo in the center. It’s a great way to bring some favorite art pieces into your space, such as these that I used on our family room shelves in our previous home:
You can tweak the frame sizes that you use to choose ones that best fit for your space, but just as a point of reference, in my bookcase the center frame is 18.5″ x 24.5″ and the smaller horizontal frame is 15″ x 12″.
By using all ten formulas (or just picking the ones that work for you), you’ll have all of your shelves decorated in no time!
Room Sources: Rug | Rattan chair | Tripod lamp | Block print pillow | Sectional (similar) | Acrylic coffee table (similar) | Coffee table tray | Bookcase wallpaper | Cabinet pulls | Oak shelves | All bookshelf accessories are linked earlier in this post
To make shelf styling even easier, I created a printable cheat sheet as a subscriber-only perk that can be accessed {here}! It has the diagrams for all ten formulas that you can refer to as you decorate (the password to access it is in your latest DBD email). Want to become a Driven by Decor subscriber to be notified of new posts and get this and other subscriber-only perks? Subscribe for free below:
What other helpful decorating formulas would you like to see? Table centerpiece formulas? Entryway console decorating formulas? Let me know!
XO,
Kris Jarrett says
Yes, I think the previous owners were a bit bookcase happy – along with the ones in our office and family room, we have another big built-in upstairs and the built-in hutch in our dining room! I’m not complaining though – they’re great to have and fun to style up! Thanks so much for having me as part of the Project Design group this month!
Kris Jarrett says
Thank you so much! Enjoy your weekend!
Kris Jarrett says
You are so sweet – thank you! That is Hope’s favorite little spot – as soon as she sees me setting up the camera in that room she knows I’m going to be in there for a while and she snuggles on in. 🙂
Kris Jarrett says
Thanks Julie! I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
Kerri says
I only had a few minutes to scan this post, but had to tell you I found it so helpful! I love me a good formula and this is styling gold! I can’t wait to read the whole post later, but for now, I have taken note of the formula and pinned it for future reference! Thanks for sharing!
Kris Jarrett says
I’m so glad that you found my post to be helpful – thanks for your sweet comment!
Janelle says
Hello Kris, Thank you so much for sharing your brilliant design formulas! Couldn’t have come at a better time since I just installed two new bookshelves this week. Although I have a fairly extensive book collection to display, I love the way you’ve so artfully placed placed your decorative items and I’m going to incorporate your ideas!
Kris Jarrett says
Thanks Janelle – I’m so glad you thought the post was helpful – have fun redoing your shelves! 🙂
Elizabeth says
thank you so much for this post! I have lots of shelves and struggle to dress them up. I like to switch things out seasonally and it takes sooooo long to get an arrangement I am happy with. Can’t wait to put these time saving “plug and play” formulas to use refreshing my shelves for spring! You rock girl!
Kris Jarrett says
I’m so happy you found it helpful!!! Good luck with your spring refresh!
Christin says
I love formulas! Something about the openness and freedom of a bookshelf that makes me have a mini panic about getting it to look right. These ideas are so straight forward and doable. Thanks so much for putting this together.
Kris Jarrett says
I’m so glad you found the formulas to be helpful!!!
Diane says
I would love to see something like this for decorating consoles and coffee tables. I just bought a huge console and coffee table from RH and do not know what to do! I want to leave flexibility for holiday stuff on there but what to do everyday is killing me. Also, I need the coffee table to be kid friendly. HELP!
Kris Jarrett says
That’s good to know Diane – I will definitely put it on my list for future posts – great idea! In the meantime, this post has some styling ideas that might be helpful: https://www.drivenbydecor.com/coffee-table-styling-essentials-how-decorate/
Kris Jarrett says
Kat, since grasscloth is a lot more challenging to trim than regular wallpaper is, I actually cheated and cut out my pieces with scissors (it took several times for each strip to hold them up and see where I needed to cut more) and then glued the finished strips up with wallpaper paste.
Donna says
Beautiful designs! Do you have any tips on styling long shelves? The builtins in our living room are each about 6 feet long without any dividers. I’ve removed a shelf in each one so there is more vertical space, but it still seems to get very busy. Any suggestions would be very appreciated! Love your style! Thanks
Kris Jarrett says
Long shelves are hard! You can still do these same groupings but do 3 of them per shelf instead of 1-2. I think that in general, post people try to put too much on long shelves to fill them up so try leaving them with a little more blank space and see if that helps a bit!
Annie says
I love your shelves and these tips are super helpful! I have a question…do you have any tips for styling an etagere? The open sides provide an additional element. Some of your tips will definitely work but wondering if you have any specific suggestions for shelves with visible sides. Thank you!!
Kris Jarrett says
Annie you’re so right – those make styling a bit harder! In that situation I just try to use more things that look good from both the front and sides (plants are an easy one!). Also using two bookends with books sandwiched between and open bowls filled with something pretty work well!
Jo dial says
This was awesome. I loved that you broke it down very specifically. I needed that. I think I can decorate my own shelves now. Thank you!
Laurie says
This is a great detailed post and thank you for helping us learn the tips and tricks to styling, as well as all the links to the beautiful pieces.
Cynthia says
I have been looking for direction on how to decorate my bookshelf above my desk for a long time and found your decorating bookshelves above desks tips and ideas. They are perfect and I now feel able to decorate my bookshelves. Thanks for the great tips.
Cynthia
Teri says
I have been looking for something to help me decorate my many built-in shelves for years and it’s been overwhelming to me. This formula will definitely make it easier. I like to change things a bit with seasonal decor so now I can have a formula to use to interchange a few things without having to re-do the shelves completely. I was so excited when I came across this post. This is invaluable to me and I will use this over and over again. Thank you so much!
Tracey says
Thankyou for this post! You have provided me with the perfect solutions for my office bookshelves which were custom built to fill up the back wall. I have quite a few books and have done a major purge and now have some lovely space to add beautiful pieces – just have to find them now!
Cindy says
Thank you, this is so helpful. We just built a house and will be moving in next month. We have two built in bookcases with a mantle in the middle. I was so overwhelmed with how to decorate the book shelves. I will use your tips and tricks. How would you suggest decorating the mantle in the middle? Thanks so much!
Patri says
Thank you for such helpful tips. I have a bookcase tgat has been empty for months bc I need to paint and decorate and dreaded to do it. I’ll use your ideas and tackle it once and for all!
Andrea says
I find your tutorial very helpful and a great guide for updating the look of a bookshelf or bookcase. I find it very interesting that bookcases cases really don’t hold many books anymore. I guess that’s a result of a digital age we live in.
Barbara says
I love your decorations for your bookshelves–you have a wonderful gift and make your formulas easy to follow or adapt. Although I have hundreds of books, you’ve inspired me to donate some books that I know I will never read again to reduce the overly dense look of all books and create a space for decorative objects. Thank you for your great tips!
Kandace says
So helpful. I’ve never read such an easy to understand way to decorate (anything). No guessing with this. Thank you for making it easy!
Karen B. says
Kris,
This post was very helpful. Thank you. Is the picture over the fireplace your TV? If so, how did you get an image that looks so much like a print?
Karen B.
Rose says
Hi Kris—I need help in accessorizing end tables. I’ve heard you should use odd number of items but do you count a lamp as one of the items? Should all the items be grouped together or can you have 2 items on one side of the table and one other item on the other side of the table? HELP!
Christy says
I love these formulas, but I don’t think they’ll work with a new piece we just bought. Help? It’s a cane console from a favorite place with the initials BD and the shelves are very short and not adjustable. If the height of your shelves doesn’t allow for a lot of variation, what’s a good formula to use? All suggestions appreciated!
Sue Henry says
I love the ideas for shelves & have used your suggestions for my mantle. What about a sideboard in a dining room & a long table behind the sofa? Do I use the same groupings there? A future post covering those areas would be very helpful! Always look forward to your decorating ideas!
Samantha says
Adding to the chorus of thanks! I was just starting to play around with switching over to more Spring decor, and although I was having fun – it just wasn’t coming together. Your tips – complete with real life examples – are ever so helpful. Now I’m excited to try again!
Just wanted you to know how appreciated you are – for sharing your expertise and for all the time and effort these posts take!!
Anonymous says
I absolutely love your home and how you style everything! You’ve got real talent in design as well as instructing. I wanted to throw a tip out there for anyone who loves the coral decor but can’t afford pottery barn: check out your local pet store! They have all types of decorative coral, as well
Brianna says
Accidentally submitted my comment before finishing! So aside from coral decor (it can be spray painted to your liking), pet stores also carry beautiful driftwood pieces for aquariums. I love coral and driftwood, and these options are super cheap at Petco, etc.