How to style your bookshelf

So you’ve bought yourself a shiny new bookshelf, and are now faced with the prospect of decking it out with all of your favourite books and chic home decor picks. Kitting out a new bookshelf is an excellent opportunity to rearrange your book collection and transform your storage into a stylish display that will be the centrepiece of any room.

Here’s how to curate your prized possessions for pride of place on your bookshelf.

Declutter your collection

Before you begin organising your bookshelf, you’ll want to take stock of your existing book collection and declutter. Figure out which books you want to highlight and which ones you’d rather hide away. Donate the books you're sure you’ll never want to read again to charity or a bookish friend in need to instantly lighten the load.

While bookshelves usually consist of mostly open-shelving, some bookshelf options (like our Timber Bookshelf) also provide hidden storage. Shelves with sliding doors provide an easy opportunity to hide the books you might want to keep tucked away, like the dog-eared collection of Pokemon books you’re planning on passing down to your children.

Decide your organising style

Starting fresh with a new bookshelf is a fantastic opportunity to start organising your books in a brand new way. Ever thought about creating a 'gram worthy colour-blocked shelf? Now’s the perfect time to turn your dreams into reality.

Alternatively, if alphabetical is more your style, you’ll want to keep this in mind when it comes to allocating your books to their correct shelves. If your preferred organising style is by order of importance, or by genre, having a general idea of where things should go will make the rest of the process easier.

Read what you love

While it’s all very well and good to fill your bookshelf with impressive conversation pieces and aesthetically pleasing tones, the truth is, one of the best ways to curate your bookshelf collection is to simply include the books you love, and read, the most.

After settling on a method of book organisation, start shelving your most-loved books accordingly, with your least loved books being shelved last. This way, if you run out of space, you’ll know which books need to find a new bookshelf in your abode.

Big and beautiful

If you’re thinking of adding some statement coffee table books to your bookshelves, instead of choosing what appeals aesthetically, pick your books based on what interests you the most.

Source @paulpayasalad

Coffee table books are always an excellent conversation starter while also showing off your own personality and interests, and we promise, no matter the topic, you’ll be able to find a beautiful issue that will perfectly suit your home decor.

Leave a little space

The key to creating a visually stunning bookshelf is to make sure you don’t overload it. Leave some space to highlight your key decor choices like indoor plants and statement ceramics to prevent your bookshelf from appearing too cluttered. Our Kirribilli Bookshelf range features a stylish lip detail to keep all your bits and bobs in place and on show.

You’ll also want to make sure you leave enough shelf space to allow you to continue to grow your book collection as you continue to find more and more books to enjoy.

What are the best items to consider when decorating your bookshelf?

Luckily, we have a guide that on that too! Check it out!