Styling The Burrow Index Bookcase

*This post was made possible by the generous support of Burrow, and features gifted product for testing purposes. All opinions are my own.

As you may already know, reading has become such a passion of mine over the last few years, which means that my book collection has grown like crazy. I know I could save a lot of space by going digital with my book collection, but there’s just something special about holding a real book in my hand. I also realize that I should be taking better advantage of our local library, but I enjoy investing in books that I can keep for the long haul. Call me crazy, but I love the way books look when stacked and displayed out in the open throughout our home. It’s worth mentioning that I do buy about 50 percent (or more!) of my books secondhand, and I’ve also gotten really into donating books I know I won’t reread to local lending libraries, so trust me when I say that I’m being as sustainable as I can with this hobby.

At any rate, my old book storage options had gotten sort of limited as my collection grew, and I knew that I needed to think long and hard about my bookcase situation. You may remember that I added a “big box store” bookshelf to my office back in the spring, and I genuinely liked it, but I also felt like I could do more when it came to design. I ultimately decided to swap it out for a shelf that had a more unique silhouette, incorporated more open shelving space, and looked less cookie cutter.

I eventually landed on the Index bookcase system from Burrow, and I ordered not one but two shelving units—one to replace the white one in my office, and a second one for our guest room. Today, I’m revealing the final styling that I landed on, plus sharing my tips for each. There are actually a few key things to keep in mind when styling these shelves in certain rooms, so here’s a quick rundown of what I did.

First, I wanted to share a universal tip for the Burrow Index bookcase system. Whether you opt for the tall bookcase version or the low console option, you’ll need to stock up on bookends. The sleek, beautiful shape of the Index shelf doesn’t actually have traditional enclosed sides, so books don’t have a place to rest against if you style them upright, like I did. To work around this feature, I used clear bookends to keep my books standing up straight. These are my favorite because they are mostly hidden and don’t add any visual clutter. I style them with the lower portion of the bookend seated underneath the books toward the end of the stack so that they are almost completely invisible. All you see of them is a thin flat plastic edge.

When styling guest room shelves, in particular, I would suggest including some kind of digital clock so guests can read the time in the middle of the night. I also popped a small bluetooth speaker on top of my Index console so visitors can sync their phones up to play music or listen to a podcast. As far as the actual books go, make sure you have a wide variety available for your guests to read in bed—non-fiction, novels, travel books, etc. And, finally, consider leaving some of the upper tabletop clear so guests’ belongings have a place to land temporarily during their stay, like tote bags and toiletries.

Moving into the office, don’t forget to leave room for desk supplies on your bookcase, like a printer and small storage boxes for nice pens and paperclips. Another thing I like to do when styling an office-specific bookcase is prioritize space for professional types of books, like time management titles, how-to books, and reference guides. You’ll see that this is where I now keep my art instruction books, some more serious novels, and non-fiction type titles. That’s obviously not a hard and fast rule (especially since my collection of professional books is limited), but I like knowing exactly where to go when looking around our house for a specific type of book. Finally, consider displaying things there that will inspire and energize you throughout your work day, like framed family photos and colorful art.

Isn’t the Index collection lovely? I’m so in love with the modern linear shape of these bookcases, and they were really easy to assemble by myself. Both shelving units arrived packaged in easily recyclable boxes, came with clear instructions, and the wood feels really substantial, like it will last a long time. This is our second major order from Burrow (the first was our bedroom furniture, which we still love), and I have a feeling that it won’t be our last. Leave your own shelf styling tips in the comments if you’ve got them—I know you do!

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