Seaside Inspired Bookcase

Hi friends!! How’s this week treating you?  I’ve got a little secret to tell…. I’ve been busy working on a launching plan.  Yep!  Something new is making a debut sometime this summer.   I can’t wait to share more details but it will have to wait a little while longer.

Last week I shared different ways I used nautical decor in our house during the Waterside Home Tours.  Today I wanted to share details about the Seaside Inspired Bookcase in our room.  It’s so much fun to show different transformations and before and afters.

We found this fantastic chinese eterege at a local thrift store shortly after we moved in.   It was under $100 which is fantastic because a lot of antiques and used furniture are way overpriced here.

Last summer I used it to display art and photographs.  It complimented our Blue and White Bedroom makeover nicely. 

After we had been here for a few more months,  I worked more on our bedroom styling, decorating “his” and “hers” bedside tables, and then restyled the bookcase.  This layout and styling was beautiful and one of my favorites. 

At the beginning of the new year, I decided to change our bedroom layout so the bed was on the opposite wall and off the window. The rest of the room came together quickly but the bookcase looked like this for awhile.  Not very pretty! 

Since the walkout patio in this room overlooks the Pacific, I went for more seaside elements in the next restyling.

Decorating tip: First step for bookcase styling is to gather any decor accessories around the house that fit your inspiration. Here’s my collection of house shopping goods.

For Spring and Summer months, I tend to use less for an airy, simple, and fresh look.  I do like to use a lot of texture and decorating accessories that vary in height.  A plant or two always fits in nicely.

Decorating tip: When decorating shelves, having something that trails or hangs, is a pretty way to make to make a connection between the open shelves.  My husband bought this shell hanging as a Mother’s Day gift and I’m happy it has a home in our bedroom!

I moved a Minted art print and sea glass decanter (that I found in a California antique mall) from downstairs to add to this sweet vignette.

All of the accessories are in light colors to contrast against the dark shelves.   One of my DIY coral bookends is perfect for keeping a few white bound books in place.

Decorating tip: A few other accessories are used as “fillers.”  I like a nice balance between nautical and everyday decor to keep it from being themey.

Dividing the shelves into 2-3 sections make styling easy and simple. I loved how our seaside inspired bookcase turned out.

To see more of our bedroom, click HERE and HERE. Make sure to check out my summer page full of DIYs, decorating tips, and printables for the season.

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