I love bookshelf styling! But I must keep it real, I used to struggle so hard when styling our built-in bookshelf. There was this one time where it took me 3 hours to style this space!

I’ve curated some of the best styling tips to help next time you’re styling your bookshelves and added bonus, this is a great way to style your shelves for the winter/holiday season!

1. Select 3 base colors

Start off by selecting 3 colors you are going to use as your base. Since our home is mostly neutrals, I selected brown, black, and beige. This will help create consistency throughout your shelves.

Pro Tip: Select at least one achromatic color (white, black, grey), which will make it easier to select the other 2 base colors to work with. For example: grey, blue, and white OR black, cream, and green.

2. Compile your decor items and make sure they are of different shapes, heights, and widths

Having the base colors selected will makes it easier to find items to incorporate into your styling. Now, it’s time to have fun with the other items you’ll add and think about how many items you want to see on each shelf. This is really about personal preference. I like to see some type of balance while minimizing the busyness. Again, this is all about what you like.

Pro Tip: Source local antique or thrift shops for unique items to add to your shelves. I like using Yelp to find shops near me.

3. Rearrange until your heart is happy

There is no one size fits all for bookshelf styling. Rearrange, rearrange, and rearrange again! You’ll know when an item is in its correct place.

Pro Tip: Each time you rearrange items, take a photo. There is something about looking at your styling through a photo that makes sense. It also helps you remember where items looked good so you can refine your styling.

My favorite tip of all, have fun!