Your living room’s appearance can be easily improved through the presence and careful arrangement of items on a bookshelf. Books, read or unread, have long been used to enhance the appearance of a room, as their presence lends an air of intellectual refinement to their owner, as well as creates a cosy, comfortable atmosphere. Of course, the mere presence of books will not automatically spruce up your living space, and simply piling some books on the shelves in a haphazard manner will not help you achieve the desired effect. This article will detail a way you may employ a bookshelf to improve your living room. The first thing you will require is a bookshelf, preferably a tall one. It does not need to be anything fancy; something like one of the simple affairs you can buy from IKEA will suffice.
However, it is important to select a bookshelf that compliments the appearance of the rest of the room. You may want a wooden one that corresponds with the room’s trim for a more natural look, or you may choose to paint the bookshelf in colours that match or compliment the room’s paint or wallpaper. Install the bookshelf in a location where it can be seen and admired easily, but also avoid making the bookshelf the room’s primary focus. Additionally, it is important to follow the bookshelf’s installation instructions, some bookshelves need to be anchored to the wall. A pile of books and rubble that results when an unanchored shelf falls over will certainly not make the room look nicer. Once your bookshelf is in its proper place, it is time to start adding content. You do not want to cram the bookshelves completely full with books– after all, this is your living room, not a library. Rather, you should employ bookends to allow you to place additional items on the shelves. Framed photographs of family and friends are always a nice way to improve and personalize the appearance of your bookshelves.
Some other items that you might want to have on your shelves include things like vases with real, dried or plastic flowers, small statuettes or figurines, or maybe even some trophies or awards you wish to display. Mementos from holidays or travels abroad are also a good choice. You will want to place your non-book related items on the shelf first, and fill in the books around them, using bookends to ensure that the books remain upright. You likely will want to use your own books, but if you find that you do not have enough to fill out the shelves, you may want to find some interesting volumes at a used book shop. You might try several arrangements of books and items on the shelves, but you will ultimately light upon an arrangement that reveals that you have created a piece of furniture that is both functional as well as aesthetically pleasing.
