Recently we were asked to stage a home that was vacant that had a lot of wonderful display cabinets and bookshelves. As I am someone with an abundance of collectables and endless books looking for items to use was not an issue.
However I must tell you how much better they look in a non- cluttered manner than being squirreled away in my furniture hidden from view. So this lead me to write this short note about Staging Display Cabinets.
The process of staging display cabinets is an interesting process for me. I enjoy bookshelves and display cabinets. When I see the British home magazines they are usually stuffed to the rafters with great interesting items. Some would say cluttered but I would say it is charming and welcoming.
I opened my huge German armoire that is in my sitting room to find items for the home. It was laden with hardcover books. I realized then that I needed to sell the armoire and build in bookcases so I could at least look at all these fine books. My hardcover collection of Doris Lessing, that I had spent a fortune on getting from England in the 70’s were begging for some love!.
Moreover, by bringing these items out into the open, you can enjoy their beauty every day. That exquisite vase, typically reserved for rare occasions, deserves the chance to dazzle more often!
As the house that was being staged for sale I pulled myself back from too much on the shelves or at least I tried hard not to.
I had just finished reading an article about how “A well styled bookcase can really make any room pop”. Seems color coordinated styling of books is very in vogue. That is not an easy thing to do ! Many other people may be not enthusiastic by this styling approach.
However when selling a home it is best to take advantage of the” less is more “approach.
For instance, these display cases primarily serve to showcase items, given the formal setting of the dining room. I find this notion delightful, as it imbues the space with an air of elegance and charm when hosting guests. Displaying mementos acquired during travels is particularly fitting, as they not only add visual interest but also evoke fascinating stories to share and reminisce about.

The Library Dining Room is what I call this. This photo is of a home that we sold last year and it made me fall in love again with the idea of display cabinets. In this case it is books but even though they are not “color coordinated ” they had a rather magical charm about them. It was very comforting to be surrounded by all these words. The big pop of color in the artwork ground and pull the space together.

Display bookcases in a Library Dining Room – Ottawa’s Golden Triangle
A lower level Tv / Familyroom with wall of bookcases warm the space.

Highlighting Bookcases in a Lower Level Familyroom.
Worth mentioning are theses Fine Book Stores ( just in case you need more)
Once you move in and you may need some fine books so I would share with you my two favorite places The Black Squirrel in Old Ottawa South https://www.blacksquirrelbooks.ca/ and the Perfect Books shop on Elgin St.https://shop.perfectbooks.ca/