How to Decorate Bookshelves

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How to Decorate Bookshelves

by Giorgina Devereaux

Knowing how to decorate bookshelves is an art, with books and decorative accessories among your many possible paintbrushes.

While a collection of books looks very academic displayed by itself, it may not be enough to achieve the decorative look you desire for your bookshelf.

You may be telling yourself that something is missing in order to complete the overlook of your bookshelf, but you can�t quite figure it out.

The look you prefer includes accessories that will add interest and a nice decorative touch.

This can be accomplished by incorporating various accents onto your bookshelf, which will transform it into a masterpiece that will literally speak volumes.

One of the problems that many people face when it comes to how to decorate bookshelves is not having enough books.

This is where creativity steps in. Instead of putting all of your books on one shelf, you can stagger the books throughout the shelves and use decorative accessories to bring balance and maximize the space.

I will give you some decorative ideas to help you understand how to decorate bookshelves and give them a nice makeover.

Bookends

Bookends are a great way to accent the books as well as draw attention to your bookshelf. They add a lot of beauty to the bookshelf and also serve the purpose of keeping your books in place. There are many to choose from to suit your taste.

List of Decorative Bookends to Choose From:

Acorn Bookends
Alphablock Bookends
Anchor Bookends
Atlas Bookends
Bear and Pine Cone Bookends
Cat Bookends
Cherub Bookends
Cigar Bookends
Corbel Bookends
Black Lab Bookends
Deadly Knights Bookends
Dolphin Bookends
Dragon Bookends
Eagle Bookends
Elephant Bookends
Executive Globe Bookends
Finished Torso Bookends
Fire Department Bookends
Fish Bookends (Rainbow Trout and Bass)
Fleur de Lis Bookends
Frog Bookends
Gargoyle Bookends
Golf Bookends
Hands Bookends
Horse Bookends (Bronze Horse and Tang Horse)
Kneeling Lady Justice Bookends
Lady Deco Bookends
Lighthouse Bookends
Marble Bookends
Medieval Warriors Bookends
Mermaid Bookends
Mount Rushmore Bookends
New York City Bookends
Peacock Bookends
Pineapple Bookends
Roman Style Bookends
Sailing Ship Bookends
Sea Shell Bookends
Scales of Justice Bookends
Scroll and Wicker Pattern Bookends
Stock Market Bookends (Bull)
Sundial Bookends
Surfboard Bookends
�The Thinker� Bookends

Decorative Busts

Decorative busts add interest to a bookshelf because art is interesting and inspiring to look at.

It will break up the monotony of your bookshelf and spruce it up.

Decorative busts look fabulous when displayed on the top shelf since it will immediately draw the eye toward it.

You can choose from classical busts, presidential busts, and historical figures.

My husband has a bust of Thomas Jefferson in his office, and the first thing people always say when they see the office is that it looks "Presidential."

That's what you want your bust to do: define your room and set the tone for it. The tone you choose is up to you.

List of Decorative Busts to Choose From:

Classical Busts

Apollo
Bach
Beethoven
Caesar
Chopin
David
Dickens
Hermes
Hippocrates
Ipocrates
Mademoiselle de la Danse
Michelangelo
Minerva
Mozart
Napoleon
Poseidon of Artemision
Roman Lady
Sapho
Schubert
Shakespeare
Socrates
Venus

Presidential Busts and Important Historical Figures

Ben Franklin
Ulysses S. Grant
Stonewall Jackson
Thomas Jefferson
John F. Kennedy
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Robert E. Lee
Abraham Lincoln
Ronald Reagan
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
George Washington

Faux Plants

A great way to welcome the outdoors inside is by displaying a faux plant on your bookshelf.

You can place it on the very top of the bookshelf, and if it is a cascading plant, it will look lovely as the cascades slightly hang over the books.

Another idea is to position the plant at the end of a row of books as a way to fill in empty space and add lush greenery to the bookshelf.

The fabulous thing about faux plants is that they are virtually maintenance free and you only need to occasionally dust them.

Some Faux Plant Ideas to Consider:

Banana Palm
Birdsnest Fern
Boston Fern
Cascading Silk English Ivy
Cascading Silk Grape Ivy
Cascading Silk Holland Ivy
Cascading Silk Pothos
Cycas Palm
Parlor Palm
River Fern

Faux Books

If you want to add to your existing collection of books, consider investing in faux book panels and faux books with a storage compartment. These are timeless additions and always look stunning on a bookshelf.

Faux Book Panel: Faux book panels possess a remarkably authentic appearance.

They can be used to help achieve the look of an entire antique library.

You can find faux book panels that are authentic reproductions made to mimic genuine antique leather books.

Generally, they are constructed from resin and then are gilded and polished. Also, to give it that extra authentic look, they are painted in a patina color.

To hold the panel upright, it usually comes with a L bracket, along with industrial Velcro.

Faux Books with a Hidden Storage Compartment: You can find faux books which feature a hidden storage compartment that is lined in velvet in different sizes, colors, and styles.

Other faux books are manufactured with two books of varying sizes stacked on top of one another with the book on top serving as a lid that opens into a secret compartment.

It is a great way to decorate your bookshelf while having a place to store your valuables.

Leather Books: Leather books have an elegant beauty about them and add sophistication to any bookshelf.

You can find leather books bound in genuine premium leather and are available in a burgundy, green, gold, or black color. The more elaborately made leather books feature a hubbed spine that is accented with 22 carat gold, moir� fabric endsheets, acid-neutral paper, gilded page ends, and a permanently bound-in satin ribbon page marker.

Miscellaneous Accessories for the Bookshelf

Some other ideas for accessorizing your bookshelf include the following:

Clock: A great way to always know what time it is while having a nice decorative piece on display is by accenting your bookshelf with a clock. Consider including a mantel clock on your bookshelf because it isn�t too high in height, which will enable you to comfortably fit it on the bookshelf. Also, these clocks are available in different finishes.

Decorative Storage Box: For a varied look, consider incorporating a decorative storage box on your bookshelf. There are many shapes, sizes, styles, and colors to choose from. It will look fabulous displayed on your bookshelf.

Figurines/Sculptures: You can include figurines and sculptures on your bookshelf as a nice decorative accent.

One idea is to position a book lying flat on the shelf or two books of different sizes stacked on top of each other and then place a sculpture of a dove, for instance.

Other great sculptures to consider are cherubs, spheres, a Tang horse, and any other interesting piece of your choice. Your bookshelf will look spectacular.

Globe: Displaying a globe will add sophistication to your bookshelf. You can find globes in a small size that will fit on a bookshelf. It is the best of both worlds.

Picture Frame(s): Add personal touches to your bookshelf by displaying pictures of loved ones and treasured moments captured on camera.

Ship: A ship will look majestic perched on your bookshelf.

You can find ships that are built of exotic woods, with a hull that is accented with authentic rigging, hand-stitched fabric sails, and faux brass guns and ports.

Another kind of ship that you can display is made from hand-blown glass. Every detail is intricate and delicate. The ship is complete with furrowed sails that are emblazoned with the cross of colonial Spain. The quality of this ship is very impressive.

You now have enough weapons in your arsenal to never ask yourself again how to decorate bookshelves. Get creative, put on your decorating thinking cap, and bust out the busts!

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