Corner Book Shelf

How To Arrange Your Corner Book Shelf

A corner book shelf is a convenient way to store your books and keep them off the floor, kitchen table, bed and everywhere else that books seem to end up! But bookshelves are more than just storage areas. They play an important part in the overall design and look of your room. A bookshelf that has been arranged with not only function but style in mind will enhance your room, and provide an aesthetically pleasing focal point.

But if your bookshelves are more of a dumping ground, take note! Here are some easy tips for arranging your corner book shelf, and all of your other book shelves, so they enhance rather than take away from your interior design.

1. First, clear all of your books from your shelves. This is a good opportunity to go through your books and decide which ones you want to keep, and which ones you could donate or give away. If you’re like most people, you’ve got books on your shelf that you have forgotten about, and that you never plan to read again.

2. Now, decide how you want to group your books. There is no right way or wrong way to do this. You can do it by genre, subject matter, alphabetically by author or title…really, any way that works for you. Make piles of your books on the floor, before you place them on the shelf.

3. Now, look at the piles you have and organize them by size, or hardcover and softcover, or even by color. Keep in mind that in your initial sort, you could have chosen to sort by hardcover vs softcover, or color…if this is the case, then now you may want to organize the piles by subject, genre, author or whatever order you choose.

4. Start placing the books back on the shelf. You can choose to line them all up with the spines facing outward, or vary the look by placing some of them vertically and stacking others horizontally, with the spines facing out and the covers facing up. Keep in mind that larger books look ‘heavier’, and heavier items will work best on the lowest shelves, since they add visual weight.

5. Some things to consider:
*books of the same basic size will look good when grouped together and placed vertically
*books of varying size work well when stacked horizontally, with the largest on the bottom and the smallest on the top

6. Keep the negative space in mind…the area around the books. Breaking the books up with other items, such as small vases or framed photographs, will add more visual interest and can also help you separate your books according to the groupings you have chosen. Try different groupings on your shelf. For example, fill half of the shelf with vertically placed books of similar size, and half the shelf with a small stack of smaller books. Then, place a framed photo on top pf the stacked books.

Arranging your corner book shelf is usually a matter of trial and error, and you will likely try several different groupings before you settle on the one that pleases you most. But if you keep these basic guidelines in mind, you’ll be able to get your shelves arranged quickly and easily.