Styled Bookshelves

If you know me, you know I'm a little bit of a highly organized freak girl.  Much like Monica on Friends, I believe everything has a place and needs to be clean.  Labels are this girls' best friend.  Are any of you like this?? 
Lately, I've been obsessed with bookcases.  Especially beautifully styled and organized bookcases.  They're such fun ways to display some of your favorite things in an artful manner.  Here are some styled bookcases that have recently caught my eye:

I love the shape of these bookshelves and the way all the china is displayed. Great alternative to a hutch or china cabinet:
via
Painting the back of the bookcase is the perfect way to add some color/pattern into the room. Cubbie hole shelves like these provide an easy way for kids to understand where each of their things go- especially if you have baskets for them, too!
Centsational Girl
This is a great example of how you can unify your bookcase with a dominant color.  This shelf shows how awesome symmetry can look!
via
Bookshelves in an office or den is a wonderful way to stay organized. Here, Megan uses the shelf has the feature for this wall.  Baskets and file boxes keep all her things organized without compromising style:
Honey We're Home
This is the sweetest shelf for a little girls' nursery.  I love all the baskets.  They provide hidden storage and add texture to the space.  This is a great example of how the shelf can be styled to seem visually balanced.  The large dark basket on the top left shelf is balanced by the other dark basket at the bottom right side of the shelf, with some white breaking up the dark on the middle shelf.
Dear Lillie
Martha, you've done it again. What a great idea, to hang pictures even between your shelves.  This goes to show that bookshelves are not only used to display books.  Get out your favorite vases, frames, pottery, and beach finds to show off!
Martha Stewart Living
Recently, I restyled my bookshelves in my room at home.  Here's how they turned out:





Here are some styling tips:
1. Start Fresh: take everything off and start from scratch
2. Favorites Only: only bring back things that you love and want to show off
3. Avoid Clutter: too much stuff with be overwhelming!
4. Start Big: begin placing larger items and fill in with smaller ones.
5. Balance: try to visually balance your items on the shelf.  Have some book stacked upward and some turned on their side, like you see on my shelf.  If  the top shelf has 3 items, switch it up on the middle and bottom shelf. {As seen above, intentional symmetry can work well sometimes, too.}
6. Personalize: include framed family photos, sketches you've done, greeting cards you love, framed hand-written notes, vases, plates, pottery, etc. 

Bookshelves are a fun way to accessorize your space. A little note: they're never finished! I'm constantly coming back and making small changes whenever I go home!

Do you have any bookshelves that you love? {Or love to constantly change?}

Love,

36 comments

  1. Every time I see that doll cake plate, I love it even more!!!

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  2. Nate was on Oprah de-cluttering homes once, and his tips looked a lot like yours. Therefor I think you (like dear sweet Natey) are a style genius.

    I am in love with the pictures hanging from the shelves... oh Martha how does she do it!?

    CarissaExplainsItAll

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  3. I love bookshelves! Sadly we don't have any in house except in Sterling's nursery. I would love to have a huge custom built one in our den. I love the ones that are "rainbow" organized.

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  4. i dont think ive ever seen the beauty in a bookshelf before this post! Loveee all of these but especially the first ones you posted!
    Hope ya have a great day!
    -Jess

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  5. I love bookshelves! All of these are great! Mine looks like the Honey We're Home one! Yours look awesome! I love the print on the backing of your shelves!! :)

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  6. Love those! Great tips :) Have a fabulous day! xoxo

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  7. I'm in the same boat as you. I love organization and I love bookshelves! Last night I could only watch 5 minutes of the Hoarders show on TLC and had to turn away. It made me really anxious and nervous watching people live like that!

    All of the bookshelf pictures are gorgeous!

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  8. Great tips! I love the first one and the Dear Lillie one! :)

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  9. Thank you Michaela, I have my bookcases on my to-do list for this week so I just got tons of inspiration from your post!

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  10. All great examples. I honestly think that they can make or break a room if done correctly. Yours look great and I love the backdrop paper you used.

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  11. I love the ladder-style shelves! Kinda really want some for my own room :)
    I'm always changing up my bookshelves haha And I love what you've done with yours!

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  12. Ahh, bookcases! I needed this. I've been searching since we bought our home in October for a nice big bookcase! I think I've decided on the ladder style like the first photo you showed, except in black. I want to put two next to each other as well. I can't wait to "style" my future bookcase!

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  13. i love the look of painting the back of the bookshelf! your re-styled shelf looks great!!!! :)

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  14. you're speaking my language...LOVE bookshelves...stop by my blog today for a fun activity!

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  15. Ah yes... I am a type A too!!! haha
    Great job on the bookshelves.

    Have a nice day, C.

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  16. Love all those bookshelves wow!

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  17. I love all this bookshelf inspiration! Just gorgeous! And the tips are great too..I'm still learning! :)

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  18. thanks for the tips! I so have a problem styling my leaning shelves, which is why they're cropped out of my pictures here ha

    Urban Cozy

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  19. I saw an article a couple of years ago in InStyle about displaying books on shelves by colour. When I finally got a place of my own, I did just that. I love book cases for displaying the things I love. great post :)

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  20. Organization is key! I love built-ins for any room, but for your living room would be best. That little nursery shelf is so precious. I'd want one of those if I ever have a girl!

    Great tips too.
    xo

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  21. Pictures like this make me want to STOP everything and go tidy up all my bookshelves! I keep them pretty organized with baskets, etc. I can't stand clutter so whatever is ON the bookshelf has to be purposeful or beautiful.

    In my kids' playroom, I took two dark wood bookshelves from Target, flanked an armoire with them and filled baskets with all their toys (armoire hides toys, too). To make the baskets pop off the shelves, I took foam board cut to the size of the back of each shelf area, covered them in a cute fabric and popped them in the back of the shelf. At any time, I can easily take it out and switch the fabric. Easy, peasy!

    Great advice, Michaela. I think bookshelves are one of the hardest things to "get right". Cluttered, disorganized and distracting vs. artfully styled and functional.

    Sophisticated Steps

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  22. I love these pix! I recently just redid a bookshelf in my family room - it is a built-in made out of 80's oak. I have two others to do that are flanking the fireplace, but I started out with the smaller built-in first. Paint makes such a difference!

    You can check them out on my blog. Love your blog - read it every day!

    ~alicia
    proof-of-love.blogspot.com

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  23. First of all, I want to say I'm a lot like you when it comes to things being clean and having their place. We have a tiny apartment and lots of stuff and sometimes it's hard to keep it all put 'in its place'! (:

    I have to say that I'm really feeling that bookshelf with symmetry! I had no idea it could look so good. I usually don't like things too symmetrical but I think the combo of colors and photos makes it less obvious. Looks great! (plus the blue and orange makes me think of football... Denver Broncos! haha)

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  24. So glad you did this post. The two major furniture peices in my living room are bookshelves and I have no idea what to put on them without making them look cluttered! I like the Martha Stewart one!

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  25. i love that one for a nursery. definitely bookmarking for future use :)

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  26. Ummmm. Are you my hero or are you my hero??? I was looking at a shelf I bought last summer from Ikea and sadly, a lot of it is bare and I was staring at it last night try to think of ways to fill it up and decided to try and tackle today. Now I have inspiration!!! Lots of it! Thank you! The first one is what I hope to have someday for my kitchen/dining area. It's so clean and perfect!! x

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  27. I've always wanted a big set of cubby-bookshelves in a home office! Love the idea of using a neutral color with pops of one bright color!

    xo! Lauren @ tickled.

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  28. Love the new look you gave your bookcases! I love bookcases!! We have them in our family room, library, and soon I will have my new expedite in my new office. That for all the great inspiration photos!!

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  29. It turned out so fantastic and those are some ingenius tips...I'm pretty sure I need that book "50 shoes that changed the world"...holy crap what a great title...I'm off to google it! (c:

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  30. bookshelves are the way to my heart.

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  31. Your bookshelves look great-love the background! I've been reworking my living room cabinets, so this post is perfect timing. And thank you for the mention!!

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  32. Love the tips...thanks for sharing with design challenged people like me! I love the wallpaper in your bookshelves!

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  33. looks fantab chick! and those are some awesome tips!

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  34. I like the leaning shelves with dishes look but couldn't do it because I have dogs and I'd always be dusting. I can't wait to have a few years without dogs...

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  35. Wow, these are all so beautiful! I was drooling over the first few and then so surprised to see ours. Thanks so much for featuring our bookshelf next to all of these other fabulous ones.

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Thank you for stopping by! If you have a specific question, please email me at hello@michaelanoelledesigns.com. I always reply to emails! Have a blessed day! xoxo

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