There’s nothing like spending more time at home to make you scrutinize your own displays and decor. But there’s one room element that when done right can really make a great impact in creating a cohesive room scheme, and that’s styling a bookcase well. If you need a modern bookshelf or wall unit first, browse some solid MCM and retro inspired options in our roundup. If you already like your modern bookcase and its decor, well, you’ll be surprised how much it can change the feel of the room when you have some fun restyling it.
Here are our top tips for properly styling a mid-century bookcase or any kind of display shelf.
Clear the Clutter
The first step to styling a Mid Century Modern bookcase properly is to clear away unnecessary items and edit down your collections. Whether you like it or not, bookcases are a visual magnet in a room pulling the eye with its myriad lines and multiple levels. So it’s important to make sure that your bookcase is not overruling or distracting from your room’s overall design scheme. Sometimes a library collection of tomes adds to the eclecticism of a sophisticated and collected space. Other times a full bookcase is more chaos than curation and can make a clean space feel jumbled. Decide which fits your space and be judicious.
Break up the Spaces
If you’re wondering how to style a bookshelves, the keys are to arrange them with dynamism, variation and visual breaks in mind. Arrange your books or objects alternating between stacked and lined, large and small or filled and sparse. When you’re styling a mid century bookcase, the idea is to give the eye a moment of rest in between shelves and areas. This not only adds more interest, but it keeps your bookcase looking and feeling light and interesting rather than heavy and weighed down.
Create Layers
A great way to add interest to your bookcases and other open shelving displays (such as bathroom shelves or open kitchen shelves), is to arrange your items in layers. Treat each section as its own vignette and think about layering a mix of sizes, colors, textures and direction. Face some items that are usually stacked, like books and records, outward instead to break up the look, for example. Or style a modern bookcase with alternating layers of full and sparse to keep the visual dynamic and interesting.
Arrange By Color
Want an easy failsafe way to get a polished look every time? Organize your bookcases by color! It can instantly make a collection feel more tidy and curated. Plus, it’s a fun way to tap into your creativity and play around with your arrangements and get the hang of the previously mentioned tips.
Play up Repetition
If you want your bookshelf to visually recede, keep it simple and choose items that are similar in color, shape or texture. Think about the elegance of a bookcase filled with a satisfying repetition of ceramic vases or the simplicity of a display filled with all-wood sculptures. The overall feel of a display which plays upon repetition and consistency is almost always calming and artistic.
Looking for MCM books to display on your bookshelf? Check out 23 Good Reads for Your Mid Century Library. Don’t miss the Atomic Ranch book, Remodeled Marvels. Get your copy here! Next up, now that your bookshelves are in order and you’ve got reading material, learn how to create a cozy reading nook!
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