“Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.” – Dr. Seuss
I have never met a bookshelf I didn’t like.
Never ever.
You neither?
There’s a reason we’re all friends. š
So big is my love of bookshelves, that I’ve always dreamed of having my own little library somewhere in my house, but our house is pretty small, so shortly after we moved in Jordan gave me the next best thing and built those amazing wall to wall bookshelves in the living room you always see.
We drew a concept out on paper and then made some adjustments.
And then we taped it all out with blue painters tape on the wall to get a feel for how it would look in the room.
And then we made a few more adjustments.
And then he started building it in sections out in the garage.
And we primed and painted…and painted some more.
And we muscled each section into the house and installed them against the wall.
And then we painted some more.
And then finally I got to fill those shelves! It was a pretty great day. š
I kind of love when bookshelves are a little cluttered and random and not too perfectly planned out – which is probably a good thing because this wall of shelves is a total beast. It usually gets the best of me any time I try to get all decorator-like with it, and I end up saying “to heck with it” half way through. š
But lately I’ve been feeling like it was all looking a little shabby, and a little heavy, and just a bit neglected.
So I took every last thing off of allll those shelves and started fresh.
Did I give up halfway through this time?
No.
Did I want to?
Yes.
Wine helped. š
Would you believe I used the same amount of books, and nearly almost all the same accessories?
I did.
In fact, I even added quite a few things from my stash in the basement – and yet somehow it feels so much more open now. Or maybe it doesn’t and I was just ready for a change. š
Going in, I knew I wanted a little more “space” and a little more intention – but not perfect symmetry – and I wanted it to feel like more of the visual weight was held toward the bottom, so I tried to balance the top few rows with a good mixture of books, accessories, and empty space. The closer I got to the bottom, the more I lined and stacked the books across.
I also tried to bounce little pops of green and my favorite textures of wicker and wood throughout – you don’t need the same elements on every shelf or even in every row or section – just enough to keep things flowing and feeling cohesive from one end to the other.
And then I brought in just a scattering of things that carried a summer vibe to flow with the rest of the room too.
So how long will I be able to keep it looking this nice?
Well, that remains to be seen, but I am glad I put in the time – all 5 hours worth (did I mention wine helps? Or perhaps that’s why it took 5 hours…) – to give this wall a facelift. It needed a bit of sprucing up.
You can see more of my tips and tricks for styling open shelves here and here.
Happy Wednesday, friends!
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This looks great! A lot of work for sure. I love the before and the after! Did you change your sofa around? I can’t remember if it was in a different location.
Beautiful, every single thing!
Looks great Tonya! I was wondering the same as Tina…is it hard to find the book you are looking for? Those shelves are amazing! So cozy! I have built in bookcases in my living room on either side of the fireplace. I haven’t yet got them to look quite right. Thanks for the inspiration!
Looks great, wine helps the old creativity, just sayin……
Great job! I love the symmetry and weight… makes sense… I have no urge to reach out and fix anything and for me, that’s a good thing.
I deep clean my bookshelves every now and then… and I’m embarrassed to admit this, but a couple of weeks ago I threw away quite a few book jackets in order to make room for a couple of books. ummmm… I may have a serious problem….ha
I really love your shelves and how you have arranged the books,etc.! Your room is so beautiful, love the neutrals. I agree – wine helps every time and everything. I still miss the built in bookshelves and the window seat with storage space in my previous house. I changed those shelves seasonally, such fun. Thank-you for this post.
You had me with the title….shelves and wine….hello! And oh, my! I love these shelves and all your goodness!!! And my favorite thing is to take the time to play that way and have a glass….did I say glass…..of wine and the time flies and I am as happy as can be. I keep looking at every detail you shared and love it all, just like I knew I would.
I totally agree with Dr. Seuss! Books make a room look authentic, and warm. My hubby built us a similar wall of shelves a few years ago, and it has made such a difference in our family room. Ours houses the TV, and since it is on the fireplace wall, serves as the visual invitation to come in, and make yourself at home. It’s a great way to pop in a few seasonal accents without overdecorating in the room. Definitely challenging sometimes to arrange it, but like you, I have order and symmetry, with a few spots of randomness going on, and I just love how it looks. Enjoy the arranging, and yes, wine helps! Thanks for sharing.
Love the look. Wine does help.
I love the look of the books backward so you get all that neutral goodness. But how do you find a book you are looking for? Is there some order to the shelves or do you just have to go search?