Hey guys! I’ve mentioned a while back that I was hoping to update the space at the top of my stairs. If you’ve followed me for a while, you may remember that we had a console table and mirror there in that recessed space, but we had always intended to have a built-in bookshelf installed there since we didn’t have the budget to do it when we built the house. However, when I found a large, gorgeous bookshelf cabinet from Arhaus that would look amazing in that recessed space, I knew I had found the perfect solution.  I was able to use the cabinet to give this dark, nondescript space a bright and fresh new look for the spring!!

This post is sponsored by Arhaus and contains affiliate links for your convenience. Please see my disclosures and privacy policy for more info.

In this post, I’m going to take you step by step through my process of styling this beautiful rustic cabinet from Arhaus. I’m also going to show you how to create a cohesive look for your bookshelf by covering your old colorful (and not-so-pretty) books with white (or tan) kraft paper!

First off, can we talk about how unbelievably stunning this cabinet is? Arhaus has the most beautiful furniture, and the Chorus Theory Cabinet is no exception. I love that it has a vintage French farmhouse feel with its white chippy paint and rustic iron handle detailing.

If you haven’t already checked out Arhaus.com and their gorgeous home decor and furniture, you definitely need to. Their prices are so good for such high quality, substantial furniture pieces. This cabinet, for example, is on sale right now for $1280! Such an amazing price for a cabinet that is so huge (it’s 91″ tall and 55″ wide!).

Step by step Book shelf styling

Here is my guide to how I approach each bookshelf that I’m styling…

1. Decide on a design style: I chose to do a very farmhouse look for this cabinet because of its rustic and vintage feel. The design style you chose for your space will obviously dictate the type of decor as well as the colors and finishes of the accessories.

2. Determine how many shelves you’ll be styling, so you’ll know how much decor is needed to fill the space. If you’re starting for scratch, this should be easy! If you’re redoing a bookshelf that already has decor, I recommend removing as much as possible for the shelves to create a clean slate.

3. Purchase your bookshelf decor (or go shopping in your house!). One of my favorite ways to style a new space is to find items in other areas of my home and restyle them! If you need new decor and accessories, I would recommend buying one larger scale item for every two shelves you have to decorate, and a set of smaller decor items (these don’t have to be matching) to go on each of the other shelves. Pillows, vintage corbels and candle sticks are great”large scale” items. If you have a grouping of the same item, always try to place them in groups of three. You will also need a few additional decor items that vary in color, texture, and/or height to give the shelves visual interest. Finally. gather as many books as you can to fill in the gaps. Later I’ll talk about how to cover the books so they create a cohesive look on your shelves!

4. Start placing your decor on the shelves. Begin with the largest items first. Place the large items on either the right or left side of the shelves (you can also use one large item, placed in the center, as the only item on a shelf depending on the scale of the item and the bookshelf). Create a diagonal line from one large item to the next. Meaning….don’t have the large items place directly beneath one another. Do the same with your sets of decor and any other accessories. Space them out so that you could draw an imaginary diagonal or zig-zag line from each item as you move from shelf to shelf. Finally, use the books to fill in any additional spaces, leaving a few large areas for a set of books every few shelves down.

5. Stand back and edit as needed. This is where you’re design eye comes in. Adjust the items to make things work together. I probably change things around 3-5 times before I’m totally happy with it! Make sure that on each shelf you’ve used items of varying height, color, or texture to create a bookshelf that is cohesive, yet interesting to look at. Lastly, use one color to tie the whole look together! And don’t forget to add a touch of greenery for a pop of color and to make your shelves feel homey and fresh!

How to cover your old books for a cohesive look

1. Purchase light colored kraft or wrapping paper. Measure out the paper to be 3 times the width of you book.

2. Fold up the bottom and top of the paper so that it matches the length of the book.

3. Fold the other side of the paper over the book (there should be a couple inches of excess paper inside the book cover on each side) and create a flap inside the front cover. Do the same for the back cover, making sure that when you fold over the front and back covers of the paper and double check that  you can still close the book!

4. Tuck in the edges of the book cover inside the pockets made from the folds. And voila, a beautiful set of vintage looking books for your bookshelf! See below for step by step picture instructions!

I hope you enjoyed my bookshelf styling tutorial! And don’t forget to check out Arhaus for this gorgeous cabinet as well as their other beautiful decor, bedding, pillows, and furniture! I’ve included the links to some of my favorites from their website below! A big thanks to Arhaus for sponsoring this post!