Being a bookworm, I am in love with books and Bookcases.  In winter, there is nothing I like better than curling up by the fireplace with a hot cup of tea, my favorite throw, and reading.  The fact that my fireplace is surrounded by built-in bookcases adds to my enjoyment.  Bookcases are wonderful to own, especially if you love to read.  They add texture, drama, warmth and interest to a room, but, they can be tricky to decorate.  Too many books, inadequately arranged, can give you a messy or cluttered look.  Bookcases that are book-free, and used instead as place to hold decorative items, can look a bit odd without the item they were made to hold.  Bookcases can be found in formal rooms, offices, craft rooms, and just about anywhere else in the home.  Today, we are going to take a look at ways to make sure your bookcases look their best.

Here a formal piece of art dresses up the bookcase to go with the room.

In this bookcase, art is hung on the walls and the front of the bookcase.  Additionally, the owners adjusted the shelves to varying heights in order to add other decorative elements.  Last but not least, notice how they painted the back of the bookcases with the wall color, keeps it interesting, don't you think?

Brilliant here, is the use of color and organizing according to size. 

Color on the back of the bookcases compliments the colors shown in the organizational tools and dust jackets for the books. Balancing decorative items and decreasing the visual weight as you move up the case makes this work.
This bookcase is lined with a decorative wallpaper that adds elegance to the books and glass collectibles.


In this home office, the soothing blue background of the bookcase and the white wrapped books keep the space calm.  Again, the visual weight is on the bottom and it gets lighter as you move up toward the top.

Every so often, I would encourage you to take your bookcases apart and rearrange them.  Move your art and accessories around, if it looks good in the living room, it might look better in the den!  Playing with what you own and moving it around keeps things fresh and helps you appreciate items that you may not even notice now that you have seen them in the same place for so long.  Re-doing your bookcase with color or new art, books, and accessories is a great way to refresh your room without a big commitment.  So be bold, be daring and have fun!