We asked you all this question, and it was split 50/50! Half of you say pretty bookshelves and half of you say functional. So, what do we at Teal & Scott think?

In this blog, we will explain how we like to style our bookshelves. The answer may surprise you! We think it’s comparable to the steps it takes to cook a delicious meal (say whaaaaat?). That’s right! Follow along as we teach you the Teal & Scott recipe for an amazing bookshelf.

*In our Dosch Road Project, the client did an excellent job of merging both curated styling with personal objects, making their bookshelves a meaningful display of their lives.*

For some people, cooking comes naturally. Perhaps you were introduced when you were young by parents or grandparents, or maybe you just stumbled upon the enjoyment of it through recipes. For those of you who cook, you know it’s a process. You find a recipe (or start with baseline knowledge of a recipe), get your ingredients, throw them in a pan and BAM, the results are an amazing dinner.

In this blog, you will learn how to cook up the perfect, how-to-style-your-bookshelf recipe, along with some of our go-to objects for the completed, styled look. But first, I’ll tell you about my cooking…

For me, finding a recipe feels like WORK. Going to the grocery store I find ANNOYING and a waste of time. I always over-cook, stress about under-cooking, and find the technicalities impossible for my brain to handle. I also hate reading directions. The hot, cold, hard, soft – all of the variables overwhelm me. Needless to say, I avoid cooking like the plague.

But if I really think about it, styling is the same as cooking:

You get inspired
Grab some props or shop for new ones
Throw them on a shelf
BAM, you’ve got an amazing display!

All of the people in my life who have made fun of me for not cooking, always saying “it’s so easy” – who is laughing now? ;)

The point here is this. For me, styling is relaxing and comes easily. For others, it may not. But hey, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, right? Mainly, if we find things that we enjoy, even if our skills are nuanced at best, that enjoyment creates motivation.

Whether it’s cooking or styling a bookshelf, breaking down the process into an easy, step-by-step recipe is what turns motivation into action. So, let’s channel our inner stylish chef and get started:

GET INSPIRED

The first step requires us to start paying attention in our everyday lives. Whether it’s friends’ houses, restaurants, local stores, Pinterest, or Instagram, start to notice what gives you that little spark. Take stock of what inspires you! What is it about a bookcase that you like? Is it the simplicity? Is it the color? Is it modern? Is it messy? Take note of the use of objects, what colors they used, and how the bookshelf makes you feel.

FIND YOUR OBJECTS

First, let’s start with what you have. Shop your home for books, art (remember you can reframe or frame anything!), objects like little sculptures your kids made, or that random clay figurine you purchased when traveling overseas. We always encourage clients to celebrate and display personal items THEY love. So, if anything sparks joy and you feel it could work in your space, let’s show it off!

PRO-TIP! Remember you can take the covers off books to see what beautiful solid colors and textures live underneath.

Figure out what you are missing and go shopping! Vintage stores, the cute neighborhood home decor store, online, etc, and find things you love. Remember that varying heights will help the overall look come together and keeping everything in a color palette will help as well. Give yourself a budget for what you’d like to spend. We suggest not getting everything from the same place so it looks curated and styled for your unique personality and home.

START TO PLACE THEM ON THE BOOKCASE

Imagine your bookshelf is divided into 2-3 sections. Within those sections, you will create moments. Usually, in each moment, I will have larger and smaller items paired for variation. This could look like:

A few books (larger) with a bookend (smaller).
A plant (larger) with a picture frame (smaller).
A book lying horizontally with a small vase and photo on top.

Don’t forget about mixing textures for an elevated look to make your bookshelves feel complete! This could mean:

Mixing shiny book covers with textured bare spines.
A glass vase with a marble picture frame.
We also love mixing framed art with layered construction paper art (if it’s more of a working bookcase – thinking with kid’s art you can easily rotate)!

Zones can be broken down by how you live your everyday life. From the top to the bottom, we curate zones by how often we're accessing those books and objects. The top being the least used, the bottom being accessed often.

ZONE ONE is where we get creative, and where the styling is considered the "least functional." Because of its height, this zone is not for everyday objects. Zone One is your opportunity to style in a highly-curated manner, as the accessibility doesn’t allow for much functionality.’

ZONE TWO is where form and function begin to merge. This is where we like to place more personal objects, whether that means family photos, meaningful souvenirs from traveling, sculptures, etc. Here, things are both pretty and functional, with those aesthetically pleasing items placed at eye-level for easy viewing. It's also where we store items that adults may want to access semi-often but keep out of the reach of children.

ZONE THREE has full functionality. It includes a record player, kids' books and objects, as well as photo albums. It's a zone where you don't mind kids or others picking things and exploring your curated bookcase.

STAND BACK AND ASSESS

You always want to get to work, and then stand back and assess. Ask yourself these questions:

Are the colors working?
Is it too busy (or too simple)?
Are there varying heights of tall and short?
Is there room for the eye to breathe so it can take in all of the curated moments?
Is it personal?

The unfortunate news is I am never done styling my bookshelves, so you probably won’t be either. I go through phases where I want them more simple and neat, versus busy and messy. At times, I will change a featured piece of art to see something new and exciting. Just like some of you reading this may cook from a recipe and then evolve your own dish over time… that’s how I like my bookshelves: to be my own work of art that evolves.

In summary, we strive for function and beauty in everything we can get our hands on! We hope these tips will help you in your book-styling journey.

So what can you do to elevate your bookcase? Check out some of our favorite items that we’ve used in our projects!

SHOP THE BLOG

Happy bookshelf styling!

Wendy

HELPFUL LINKS

Ready to add a burst of color to your home? Head over to our YouTube channel for a vibrant tutorial on styling a rainbow bookcase.
Looking for some artistic inspiration? Take up Teal on some tips on how she chose art for her home in our blog!
For more tips on styling, check out our blog, ‘Styling, The Cherry on Top’