More Decorating Tips

Book shelving is such a great way to gain extra storage space but it can easily look like a junk pile.

The first tip is to create like groupings, not a new tip but a fundamental one. For example I store my candles together. bottles and jugs together( for vases).

Now don't feel you have to take up every available inch, that will definitely make things look junked.

Remembering the principles used in Accenting on a Budget, create a shelf plan that allows the eye to glance easily over and be led through the displays. So we don't want soldiers of books down the left and soldiers of knick nacks down the right because the balance would be all off. These shelves are adjustable so I have been able to offset a couple for added interest.

The top shelves in particular should be minimal so as to not look top heavy. Again, apply the pyramid principle to keep a tight group. 

Another trick to make the books appear less cluttered is to colour group- roughly, a little imperfectly. You are not tying to achieve rainbow perfection here, that would be too contrived and a little child-like. Another thing I do is to push all the books forwards from behind so that they all appear to be the same depth, again, not too perfectly.

You don't have to buy "stuff" in order to decorate, even your everyday memories, vases, candles, books and seasonal touches (at the moment for us it's autumn branches, seed pods and pumpkins) in storage situ are your decorating tools.

There are some items that by nature are bitsy, so some inexpensive cane baskets and boxes hide those things. For example, in some of my baskets I store cables, cords and double adaptors. Another has spare light bulbs and tea lights. The shelves are also handy for folded rugs and extra cushions too.