styling [floor to ceiling shelves]

Styling just a couple of floating shelves in the living room is hard enough, let alone styling floor to ceiling shelves. There are so many routes to go, but these are my favorite. First you can use the shelved wall as though it was an other wall in the room by placing a sofa against it or even hanging a mirror or on the shelf frame--all while still utilizing the shelves for storage.

Or you could add sliding glass doors over the shelves in order to add some framing and protection for the items inside.

I also love the look of books when they are stacked in piles versus upright. It also allows the placement of breakable items next the books without the worry of the books falling over on to them.

And they do look lovely when they contain no books at all and are just touched with a few lovely vases, pieces of china or leaning photos.


Although difficult there is something so clean about ones with a monochromatic color scheme .


And lastly, the style this is most like mine--a little bit of of all these styles all in mixed in to one bookshelf.


(images via i suwannee, melanie acevedo, hus and hem via made by girl, via velvet and linen, paul costello, aaron hom, michael del piero, steven gambrel, canadian house and home and furbish studio)
OK, that turned into a much longer post than I planned--but there are just so many options! So, what is your shelf styling style?