Your book collection says a lot about who you are as a person and what you value. How you organize your book collection says just as much about you – do you organize them alphabetically, by color, or by size? Or maybe you organize them by genre or topic to make it easier to find a book on a certain subject.
Ideally, your bookshelves should help you do all these things. It should enable you to organize your books however you want to organize them while also reflecting your personality.
If that sounds like you’re putting a lot of pressure on your choice of bookshelves, don’t worry. We have some tips to help you pick out the best bookshelves for you and your space.
Determine How Much Shelving You Need
The first step to getting the right bookshelves for your library is to determine how much space you need. If your books are starting to take over your library, you probably need as much shelf space as you can fit in there (or you need to consider getting rid of some books).
Even if you don’t have a lot of books, remember that bookshelves aren’t just for books. You can use them to display vases, family photos, plants, and more. Once you’ve decided everything you want to go on your bookshelves, you can determine how much shelving you need.
Consider Your Space
It’s important to remember that your bookshelves should complement your space, not dominate it. If you love your extensive book collection and want to squeeze as many bookshelves into your space as possible, consider how overwhelming that would feel.
By contrast, designating one or two walls for your bookshelves gives you enough space to display a substantial book collection without feeling claustrophobic.
Freestanding vs Wall Mounted
If you like to rearrange your furniture from time to time, you might want to get freestanding bookshelves so you can move them around your library (or even into another room) at will.
Wall-mounted bookshelves provide the sense of stability and security that most people look for in books. They’re also a great idea if you have small children running around, as wall-mounted bookshelves are less liable to topple over if your child decides to try to climb your shelves.
Get Colorful
You can go with the traditional wood finishes for your bookshelf, but you can also get more colorful if you’re looking to add a bit of whimsy to your space.
A great decorating tip is to make the back of the bookshelves a different color than the rest of the shelves. It can simply be a nice contrast to the rest of the bookshelves, or it can match a color from somewhere else in the room to help tie the space together. It’s a surprising look that is sure to delight.
You can always change the color of the back of your bookshelves as a DIY project. But the beauty of ordering custom bookshelves is you get to choose all the colors and the materials that go into making your shelves. Why limit yourself to what’s already been made for someone else, when you can have something made just for you and your space?
If you have any questions about our custom bookshelves, just reach out. We offer free consultations, as well as a complimentary design and quote. You don’t pay for anything until you’re happy with the design and we start building.