A Bookshelf in Progress

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Sometimes things come effortlessly to us. Other times they take blood, sweat and tears. And self-help. And wine. And tissues. And chocolate.

Learning how to style bookshelves is one of those things.

Really, the title of this post should be phrased in the plural, as I have not one but three bookcases of bookshelves in progress. A few years ago I fell in love with Ballard Designs’ Tuscan Media set. But at $3k (plus taxes) that was never going to happen. I came across Target’s lines of bookshelves and I immediately fell in love with the Threshold Carson line. What innocently started as the need for a new TV stand in our new house turned into an opportunity to replicate Ballard’s media set at a fraction of the cost. Hollaaaa.

Queue the angels singing.

You may remember my post not too long ago about our black + white living room. Black and white is the base of the living room, but neutrals like green plants and metallics were also thrown into the mix. However, since starting The Decor Fix Bookshelf Styling Class (seriously worth every single penny!) I added in an accent color: B L U E.

Why blue, you ask? For me blue is relaxing. It reminds me of the sea and the lull of the tide’s ebb and flow. I can almost smell the salt air when I see certain shades of blue, so it was a no brainer for me. But most importantly, when my husband and I were honeymooning in Italy, we bought two Murano artisan glass pieces of art. The gorgeous blue vase below is one and I just knew I HAD to display it in our bookshelves! The other is a blue plate I’ll share with you once I finish styling the bookcases (and finish the self-paced bookshelf styling class!).

On the shelf below the Murano vase is another little memory of our travels. When we went to Spain last June we visited the setting of Cervantes’ Don Quijote: La Mancha. Manchego cheese, anyone? The windmills of La Mancha are breathtaking, and I insisted on taking back a little souvenir of them.

Most of the bookshelf décor you see is from Target, like the succulents, ram bookends, ferns, white vases, and gift boxes. Others, like the urchins, globe, and agate, are from HomeGoods. I scoured several GoodWills for books and covered them in white craft paper from Michaels. I still need a few more items (and more books) to finish off the look.

Wondering How to Style Bookshelves?

While taking Heather’s bookshelf styling class I kept oohing and ahhing at the points she made. They just made sense. Every single shelf of these bookcases is using one or more of her tried and true method of decorating bookshelves. To be honest, their arrangements have changed countless times, and each time I get closer to the look I want. (They’ve already changed since I took these photos!) It’s truly exciting to style them as I’ve never had bookshelves to decorate before.

Brian said I’m “cute” for putting so much thought into something that I’ll want to completely change in a few months. Maybe it’s time to change husbands? I kid. I really do have a bad streak of “loving” something one day and “hating” it the next. That, or changing my mind and learning the “error of my ways.” That means I’m an evolving human, right? At least that’s what I tell myself.

Do you have bookshelves to style? What’s your method?