If you want to give your home a refresh, look to your bookshelves! By swapping out an item here and changing up a vignette there, you are able to completely change the way the entire room looks. Your bookshelves allow you to play with different colors, textures and patterns. Here are five elements every bookshelf needs in order to look amazing.

Books

If you have a bookshelf, it’s only right to have some books on it! Books are great standing on their own, leaning against something, or giving height to another decor piece. We typically opt for white or cream-colored books because they blend well with the other decor pieces on your bookshelf. If you’re looking to add some books to your collection, thrift stores like Goodwill or Salvation Army always have a great selection.

Vases

Vases are another key element that every bookshelf should have. They add so much visual interest to a bookshelf because they come in all shapes, sizes and colors! You can put florals or greenery in them for even more height, or let them stand on their own.

Trays & Bowls

Another must-have when decorating your bookshelves are trays and bowls. Trays are great because they can ground several different objects that would seem like they were floating and disconnected otherwise. You can also lean a tray against the wall like a piece of art! If you have a pretty bowl, either stack a couple of books on top of one another to give your bowl a nice display or use the bowl to hold plants or decorative beads!

Plants

Every bookshelf should have some life in it (or maybe some faux life for those of you that don’t have a green thumb)! Plants are a perfect addition to any bookshelf. You can get plants meant for hanging that cascade down your bookshelf or small plants to help fill in holes in your bookshelf.

Baskets, Bins & Boxes

Bookshelves don’t have to be all decor, they can act as additional storage too! To get some functionality out of your bookshelves we recommend hiding away the not-so-pretty stuff in baskets, bins or boxes. You can find baskets that go with the style of your bookshelf decor and they will make sure your bookshelves stay clutter-free and beautiful!

Ready to start decorating your bookshelf? Just remember to have fun with it! Play around with decor pieces, step back, take a look at your bookshelf and adjust from there!