Decluttering and Styling Our Large Bookshelves

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The music room bookshelf was getting very cluttered. Here’s my process of decluttering and styling our large bookshelves.

Spring is in the air, it really is!

Today I went for a walk and saw the first robin of the year. As a kid growing up in Michigan, it was always a big deal for me when robins came back in the Spring. It meant my grandparents who were also snowbirds would be back home soon as well.

The red-breasted robin is our state bird and a welcome sign that warmer weather is close(ish). lol

For many of us wit Spring weather comes the need to clean out and declutter. Our music room shelves have been bugging me so I worked hard on them today and it felt good to do some deep cleaning.

Decluttering and styling our large bookshelves made a huge difference in how I feel about our music room.

Here’s my simple way of getting it done.

Remove everything from the shelves.

In order to help me picture what I want the new bookshelf styling to look like, I need to clear everything that is currently there off. This also is a good opportunity to dust!

Take the time to go through the storage containers that are on the shelves and see what you haven’t used in awhile. Sort, declutter and feel yourself getting lighter.

Several people have asked about these shelves. I found them several years ago at Big Lots, but haven’t seen them since. I’ve collected a few similar black standing shelves for you to see here, here, and here.

bookshelves affordable

Make a give away pile of anything you haven’t used in the last six months.

After going through everything we had on the shelves, especially the book baskets, I had a pretty good pile to give to thrift stores. I shop and donate to thrift stores. The circle of thrift!

Giving things away has gotten easier and easier for me as our family has grown. Freeing yourself from unwanted things only makes more room for the important things in your life to stand out.

Plus, allowing your shelves to breath a bit with space between objects is calming to the eyes.

Gather storage containers and large display pieces.

I shopped my house and used several pieces that I had been using on these shelves again for hidden storage. Then I went and bought several of these baskets. I’ve used them before and knew they would be the right price and size for the lower shelf.

I keep homeschool books that aren’t attractive in these baskets. They’re organized by subject which makes getting to them really easy, and the kids can clean up fast when they’re finished reading.

bookshelves baskets

Strategically place the storage containers and larger items on the bookshelves.

With empty shelves as my canvas I place large pottery and bowls from my collection, along with storage items like baskets and boxes on my shelves.

Experiment with color and texture to find just the right arrangement. Notice I have light and dark pieces on each shelf. I also attempted to spread out the woven texture evenly on the shelves as well.

It may take a couple of tries which is always the fun part for me. It’s like a puzzle and when you get it put together you win!

Decide where your books look best and place them evenly across the shelves.

We home educate and always have so we own a lot of books. They’re spread throughout the house for learning purposes, but also because I love the look of them.

However, some books are prettier than others. The books I like to look at sit on the open shelves. I color blocked these books for a clean look, but I like them mixed together as well.

Not so cute books, or books outside of my chosen color palette get put in baskets. Every basket here holds books and I have them labeled inside the baskets by subject.

bookshelves decluttering

bookshelves neutral colors

Fill in shelves with home decor items.

I kept the decor items light for Spring. I’m not a minimalist, but I appreciate curating tightly once and awhile. Today was one of those days.

bookshelves organizing

bookshelves storage

bookshelves budget-friendly

Decluttering your bookshelves is a great way to do start your Spring cleaning. You get instant gratification and a beautiful view to inspire you to more decluttering.

Do you have any Spring decluttering projects planned? I’d lover to hear about them.

Enjoy your day friends!

xo maria

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Welcome to Pure Happy Home! A home design and DIY blog encouraging and helping you to design spaces you love. Here you’ll find budget makeovers, design tips and creative ideas you can apply to your home. Follow along as our family of 7 works to make our home more beautiful and our relationships closer.

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