How to Decorate Bookshelves

by Giorgina Devereaux

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.

We have a bust of Thomas Jefferson in ouroffice, 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

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, moiré 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.