It’s no secret that less is more, and it’s no secret that this mantra should apply to your bookshelves as well. While bookshelves are certainly meant for books —I mean, it’s called book-shelf, right?— they look much better when interspersed with chochkies, pottery, and fun little accessories.

When organizing my bookshelves, I didn’t really see the advantage of organizing by author name in my particular case. Instead, I chose to organize books by type and content. For instance, I placed my larger books flat on the shelf and stacked them on top of one another. I then placed little tchotchkes between that pile of books and the next, so my bookshelves look welcoming and manageable, as opposed to cluttered and overwhelming.

The shelves now serve as art statements in the entry way and their rich colors make my happy when I walk through the door!