Bookshelf Makeover

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Are your bookshelves out of shape? Are they sagging from the weight of stuff on them, oozing papers and string, with random objects ready to poke any innocent passerby? Then it is time for a bookshelf makeover! When you have completed each of the following steps, your bookshelves will become such objects of beauty that you’ll sigh in contentment when you look at them.

Like in any good makeover, your bookshelves will need to be stripped to their bare bones. Yes, that means take everything off of them and preferably putting them on a table where you can do some sorting. Have a rag handy to wipe up the dust because, more than likely, you’ve been ignoring your bookshelves for too long.

Now it‘s time to see what you have been collecting and group like with like. If it seems like you have a hodgepodge of stuff, try thinking in broader categories. With each item ask yourself:

When was the last time I used this item? Could I borrow it from someone else if I need it? Am I really going to use it? Does it have to live on this shelf? This last question usually takes people by surprise because they are so use to it living there that they don’t even consider if it would be better off someplace else. Breaking away from your “but it has always been here” mentality will help immensely with this makeover.

Once you have sorted everything into categories, start to assign where you want them to live. If you assign each shelf a theme, you are more likely to find items quicker. Make sure you figure out if the shelves are spaced correctly to hold said items. If not, move the shelves before putting stuff back on them. Also fix any shelves that are missing shelf pins (those small round things that you push into the sides of the shelves that the shelf actually sits on) or replace shelves that have bowed so much, they will never be straight again. If you have a bookshelf that does not have adjustable shelves and you need to store something tall in it, consider replacing the entire bookshelf. An ill fitting bookshelf is not justifying its existence in your office space.

Every time I help a client with a bookshelf makeover, we are always surprised by how much room we find and how much easier it is to find items on the shelves (plus the items tend to get used more from that point forward). Feel free to send me pics of your shelf makeovers and I’ll post them in a few weeks.

Tagged as: Bookcase, bookshelf, bookshelves, organize, Shelf, Sorting