How to Style Bookshelves & Tips For Using Thrifted Items

Today I'm going to share some tips on how to style bookshelves in a beautiful, aesthetically pleasing way. So whether you have built-ins or whether you are working with one or two little shelves in your room, these tips for styling bookshelves apply to anyone. We’ll even discuss how to style bookshelves with lots of books on them. Let’s get started.

1. Choose a color palette

Choosing a color palette helps to keep things looking cohesive and very organized.

3. Consider height and symmetry

I tend to use books and other objects to sort of balance each other out. I create highs and lows to bring the eye right to that shelf.

4. Observe your work

Pull back and make sure that you are observing your work. There's nothing worse than getting through your whole project and then you step back and it's still not to your liking.

Sometimes when we are close to something it looks great but when you pull back, that's when you see the whole picture. So make sure that you're taking frequent breaks so that you can either add or take away items as you see necessary.

1. Crystal serving dish

This is a beautiful crystal serving dish. They probably used this sometime in the 1950s and 60s. It's a really pretty catch-all, so you could store tons of different things in here. And when the light hits it just right, it looks so beautiful.

2. Large crystal bowl

I love the little round shape of this crystal bowl. It's super small, but it's really heavy and durable. It would be a great piece to put some rings in here or maybe some lipsticks.

3. Crystal candle holders

These are crystal candle holders. They're super heavy and they may or may not work in my bookcase. However, with the holidays coming up, they will definitely find a place somewhere in my home.

4. Small crystal bowl

Here is the small crystal bowl I found. Stacking it inside the large crystal bowl looks so cool, so I could not pass this up.

5. Black bowl

This black bowl is an authentic 1950s piece from Haeger, a very well-known and well-loved pottery maker, and this piece does not have any chips in it.

You could use this bowl to put a beautiful plant in there or fill it with soil and add some succulents to it. I'm pretty excited because I love the shape of it and the glossiness. I think it's going to create a nice pop of color on the bookshelf.

6. White wicker basket

I really like the shape of this white wicker basket. It has a weird cylinder dome shape. Again, you can put a plant in here or some succulents. I may even put some dry flowers in it as well.

7. Brass seashell decor

This brass seashell decor is so pretty. It’s real metal and it’s made by the Bombay Company. I'm totally into the seashell shape and this would look so great lying on top of some books.

8. Marble decor

I found this piece of marble in the shape of a flower pot. I think it would look lovely laid flat with other items strewn on top of it. It is really heavy and is a great dupe for marble decor I’ve seen at Anthropologie.