Decorating a Bookcase

Happy Sunday! One of the biggest splurges when we moved into our house was to build two floor to ceiling built-ins next to the fireplace. The cabinets above house seasonal decorations and my collection of candles, and the cabinets below are perfect for media, board games, etc.

The task of filling out the bookshelves wasn't easy, especially since they ended up being a little larger than I thought. Though the bookcases could still probably use some tweaking they are full of pieces and things that I love.

Here are some helpful tips for decorating a bookcase:

1) Fill it with things that you love. The best part of traveling is picking up little mementos here and there - like the little green house made out of recycled lumber from an old house boat that we picked up in Amsterdam.

2) Don't overcrowd the space with too much stuff. A little blank space never hurt anyone

3) Pull colors from the room so that you have a cohesive look throughout the room - the willow pattern plates pull the navy blue that I've used throughout the house.

4) Layer pictures behind vases, stand up beautiful cookbooks or decorating books behind a stack to fill up space. 

5) Bring in fun elements - the wooden cat has been with me since I was in grade school and has fallen over a few times.... but I love it.

The books looked a little dated so turning them around provided a little height and a cool backdrop for a framed photo. A box of dominos became a quick and easy bookend.

The other side of the bookcase houses decorating books and a little bar.

The bar is a sweet little spot that houses my husbands collection of whiskey and some fun little cocktail glasses that I picked up at Anthro.

Hope you enjoyed!

Katie Elizabeth