NO SPEND SUNDAYS:
BOOKSHELF AND TABLETOP STYLING
Designer: Phillip Thomas Inc, Photo Credit: Eric Piasecki
Every Sunday, we're sharing one way to make your home feel more like you — without spending a dime. This week: styling your bookshelves and tabletops.
BOOKSHELF AND TABLETOP STYLING
A bookshelf is never just for books. A table surface is never just a place to set your coffee down. Both are prime real estate — styled right, either one can be the best-looking thing in the room.
Let’s start with what doesn’t work.
IDENTIFYING WHAT DOESN’T WORK
Anything that doesn’t say something about you. If a book or object doesn’t tell a visitor — or remind you — who you are, it belongs in a cupboard, not on display.
The overly staged shelf. Color-coded spines and perfectly matched objects read like a showroom, not a home. Balance beats perfection.
General clutter. If every inch of every surface is covered, pull back. Negative space is doing more work than you think.
Source: Unknown
NEXT, LETS WORK ON SOME TIPS:
Remove everything from your shelves. Yes, take it all off. Start from zero. Take everything off your shelves — all of it — and give them a real clean while they’re bare.
Decide what you want to say. Your shelves are a window into who you are, for guests and for you. Let your favorite, most interesting pieces lead.
Clutter works sparingly. Find a tray to put your knickknacks. Anything that doesn't fit, lose it or put in storage.
Play with your stacks. Mix it up: vertical stack, object, horizontal stack, repeat. Or rest a small object on top of a stack of books.
Vary the height across all objects and book stacks. No two stacks should feel the same.
Fun objects can break up books. Let personality interrupt the books. A good pencil holder, a framed photo, something slightly odd — the pieces that don’t “match” are usually what makes a shelf feel lived-in.
Box up the leftovers. Everything that didn’t make the cut goes in a box, out of sight. Open it again in a month — if you haven’t missed anything, that’s your answer. Donate it.
Source: Prospect Refuge Studio
WHAT NEXT?
Still have some empty shelves? It’s technically still No-Spend Sunday, but if Monday rolls around and you’re ready to spend a little - call it Moderate Monday - here’s where it’s worth it:
ThriftBooks and AbeBooks are goldmines for coffee table books, and a little wear only helps. Search for the photographers and artists you already love.
Amazon has genuinely good ceramic vases for a fraction of what you’d pay elsewhere. No one will ask where they’re from.
Print your personal photos. It’s the easiest thing to skip in a digital world, and the fastest way to make a shelf feel like yours. (Frames deserve their own post — coming soon.)
Until next time,
