Interior Designer Tips for Styling Bookcases

The quickest way to make a bookcase look professionally styled is to stop treating it as storage and start treating it as a composition. Interior designers work in layers: they fix the structure first, then group books in mixed directions, add a small number of objects with real presence, and leave deliberate gaps so the eye has somewhere to rest. Edit hard, repeat colours and materials across the shelves, and light the piece properly. Those few principles do most of the work.

What follows is the method we use when we style shelves for our own rooms and photography, adapted for the realities of British homes, where alcoves are narrow, ceilings vary and a single bookcase often has to serve as library, display and catch all at once. If you are choosing a new piece, our range of modern bookcases UK covers open, closed and ladder designs that respond well to the approach below.

Start with the frame, not the accessories

Styling cannot rescue a bookcase that is the wrong size for its wall. Before you buy a single vase, look at proportion. A tall unit in a room with low ceilings can feel oppressive unless it stops at least a hand span below the ceiling or runs the full height as if it were built in. A short unit on a long wall tends to look lost unless it is paired with artwork above or a second unit to create symmetry.

Designers also think about the finish in relation to the walls. A white bookcase against a white wall recedes, which suits small rooms and lets the contents become the focus. A dark or oak frame against a pale wall reads as furniture in its own right and gives the shelves a defined outline. Neither is better: decide whether you want the piece to disappear or to anchor the room, and style accordingly.

Think about the bookcase as part of the wider scheme too. It should relate to at least one other piece nearby, whether that is a matching wood tone on a coffee table or the same black metal on a floor lamp. Browsing our modern living room furniture UK sale with the bookcase in mind makes it easier to pick pieces that share a material or line.

Clear everything off and edit

Every designer begins the same way: empty the shelves completely. Styling around existing clutter only ever produces a tidier version of clutter. Lay everything on the floor and sort it into three groups: books you want on display, objects you genuinely like, and things that belong somewhere else.

The third pile is usually the largest. Chargers, paperwork, takeaway menus and spare keys migrate to bookcases because they are close to hand. Find them a drawer, box or cupboard elsewhere. A bookcase only looks considered when everything on it has been chosen.

Be honest about books, too. Paperbacks you will never reread, outdated reference titles and duplicate copies take up the space that gives a shelf its breathing room. Donate them, or keep them in a closed cupboard if you cannot part with them.

Arrange books in three directions

Rows of upright books from end to end look like a library, which is fine in a study but heavy in a living room. Designers break the rhythm by using three orientations.

• Vertical runs: groups of upright books, often bookended by a heavy object or a horizontal stack.
• Horizontal stacks: three to six books laid flat, which create a plinth for a small object on top.
• Leaning groups: a few books tilted against the side of the unit, which softens the hard edges of the frame.

Alternate these from shelf to shelf so that no two shelves directly above each other use the same arrangement on the same side. If the top left shelf has a vertical run, place a horizontal stack on the left of the shelf below. This zigzag pattern is the single most useful trick for making shelves look relaxed rather than regimented.

Decide how to handle colour

Book spines are the loudest element on most shelves. There are three ways to manage them, and each produces a different mood.

Arranging by colour creates a bold, graphic effect that suits playful or contemporary rooms, though it makes finding a particular book harder. Turning spines inwards so only the pages show gives a soft, neutral look, but it is impractical for anyone who actually reads from the shelf. The approach most designers favour is a quieter middle ground: group books loosely by tone, so warm spines sit together and pale ones sit together, then let the objects tie the palette into the rest of the room.

If you have a lot of bright paperbacks, consider placing them on lower shelves and keeping cloth bound hardbacks and paler titles at eye level, where they set the overall impression.

Choose fewer, larger objects

A common mistake is filling every gap with small ornaments. From across the room, little objects read as visual noise. Designers choose fewer pieces with more scale and texture: a substantial ceramic vase, a sculptural bowl, a single framed print propped at the back of a shelf, a trailing plant.

Look for variety in shape. Round objects soften the rectangles of books and shelves. Tall, slender pieces add height to a low shelf. Something with a rough or matt surface, such as stoneware or unglazed terracotta, balances the smooth paper and wood. Our collection of modern ornaments and sculptures UK is a useful place to find pieces with enough presence to hold their own on a shelf.

Odd numbers help. Groups of three objects of differing heights, arranged in a loose triangle, look natural. Pairs work when you want symmetry, such as matching vases on either end of a top shelf.

Leave space on purpose

Negative space is what separates a styled bookcase from a full one. As a working guide, aim to leave around a third of each shelf clear. Not empty shelves, but gaps between groups. That space makes each grouping legible and gives the whole piece a calmer feel.

If your collection genuinely needs every inch, consider adding a second unit or moving overflow to closed storage. Our shelving units and storage UK range includes designs with cupboards at the base, which let you keep the open shelves above for display while hiding the practical overflow below.

Work from heavy to light, bottom to top

Visual weight should generally sit low. Large books, baskets and solid objects belong on the bottom shelves, while lighter, more decorative items go higher. This keeps the unit feeling grounded and is also the safer arrangement physically.

Lower shelves are a good home for woven baskets or lidded boxes. They conceal games, cables and remote controls while adding texture. Keep the baskets consistent in material and colour so they read as one element rather than several.

Mind the dimensions of your shelves

Shelf depth and spacing determine what you can display. Shallow shelves suit paperbacks and small objects; deeper ones can take art books, vinyl and larger ceramics. If your shelves are adjustable, set a few with more height so a tall vase or a stack of oversized books can sit there without looking cramped. Our guide to display cabinet heights, depths and shelf spacing for UK homes covers the measurements that apply equally well to open bookcases.

Add art and layers at the back

Propping a framed print or small mirror at the back of a shelf, with a smaller object in front, creates depth. It stops the shelf reading as a flat line of spines and introduces a different shape. Keep frames simple so they do not compete with the books, and choose artwork that echoes a colour already present in the room.

In alcove bookcases, painting the back panel or the wall behind open shelves a slightly deeper shade than the surrounding walls adds the same sense of depth without extra objects.

Light it well

A bookcase that sits in shadow will never look its best, however well arranged. A small table lamp on one shelf adds warmth and a focal point in the evening. Picture lights fixed above the unit or slim battery strip lights under each shelf highlight the contents. If neither is practical, a floor lamp angled towards the shelves does the job.

Think about daylight as well. Books, prints and some textiles fade if they sit in strong sun every afternoon. Rotate items on the sunniest shelves now and then, and keep anything valuable away from direct light. Our article on protecting collectables from fading in UK living rooms explains which items are most vulnerable.

Bring in something living

Plants soften the geometry of a bookcase like nothing else. Trailing varieties look lovely spilling over the edge of a top shelf, while a compact upright plant adds height to a lower one. Choose plants suited to the light available, and use pots with saucers or inner liners so watering never damages the shelf.

If the bookcase is far from a window, good quality dried stems or preserved foliage give a similar softness without the upkeep.

Keep it secure and practical

Tall bookcases should be fixed to the wall with the brackets supplied, particularly in homes with young children or pets. Heavy books and objects belong low down, and glass or fragile pieces should sit back from the shelf edge. If you rent, ask your landlord about wall fixings or choose a lower, wider unit that is naturally more stable.

Refresh with the seasons

Once your shelves are styled, small changes keep them feeling fresh. Swap a few objects in autumn for warmer materials such as wood and amber glass, and bring in lighter ceramics and fresh stems in spring. Moving just three or four items is usually enough to change the mood without starting again.

A well styled bookcase is less about owning beautiful things and more about editing and placement. With a sound frame, a disciplined edit and a few pieces chosen with care, any set of shelves can look as though a designer has been at work. When you are ready to update the piece itself, you can explore our full collection at Furniture in Fashion, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.

Frequently asked questions

How many objects should go on each bookcase shelf?

Most designers aim for two or three groupings per shelf, with roughly a third of the shelf left clear. A grouping might be a run of books with a vase, or a horizontal stack topped with a small sculpture. Fewer, larger items look calmer than many small ones.

Should books be arranged by colour?

It depends on how you use them. Colour blocking looks striking but makes books harder to find. Grouping loosely by tone, with warm and pale spines kept together, gives a cohesive look while staying practical.

How do I style a bookcase with very few books?

Use the books you have in horizontal stacks to create plinths for objects, add framed prints propped at the back, and include baskets on lower shelves. Plants and ceramics fill the remaining space without looking sparse.

What is the best way to stop a bookcase looking cluttered?

Remove anything practical that does not belong on display, leave deliberate gaps between groups, keep heavier items low, and repeat a small number of colours and materials across all the shelves.