When styled the right way, bookcases can be a high-impact way to show off your favourite knick-knacks, collectables, and framed memories—in addition to the household book collection! That being said, arranging all those items onto shelves can get a little overwhelming (to say the least). To help you conquer the task ahead, we’re here to share a few of our best tips for styling shelves in any room of your home.

First, add some items that aren’t books to break things up. Pick anything you like, keeping in mind that whatever you do choose will be on display. Decorative boxes, quirky bookends, photo frames, and ceramic jars all work in most spaces around the home. However, you might consider room-specific accessories for your shelves, too. Cast-iron teapots, pretty fruit bowls, and glass decanters, for example, are great for breaking up piles of cookbooks in kitchen and dining areas.

Next, stack books horizontally as well as vertically to make the most of your space and avoid monotonous, repeating patterns. You may find that the thinnest books in your collection, along with any magazines, are easier to deal with when neatly stacked in piles. This will help you avoid instances of vertically-oriented arrangements spontaneously toppling over the minute someone closes a door or breathes too hard.

Our final tip is to consider how much visual relief can be created by leaving a few empty spaces in your bookcases. You might even choose to leave some shelves totally empty! Experiment to see what works best for you. By embracing these negative spaces, you’ll find the whole room feels instantly cleaner, tidier, and more relaxing to be in.

Here at 1825 Interiors, we design every bookcase in our collection to be practical, durable, family-friendly, and beautiful. As we specialise in furnishings for the family home, our goal is to always ensure that our bookcases can take the knocks and scratches that go together with family life, but still look fantastic for years to come. Discover our gorgeous range of bookcases at any one of our stores across Sydney, Canberra, or regional NSW.

Check out the best bookcases Sydney has to offer. To see, feel and personally test out our gorgeous range of bookcases and home office furniture, be sure to visit us in-store. Our friendly and experienced staff will be happy to help you create a beautiful, functional workspace that you can enjoy for years to come.