NOVELS (AND OTHER BOOKS)

Everyone has a stash of books in their house, so instead of clutter, use it as décor. If you like color, try organizing your books by the hue of their spine, which can become a focal point in the room. If color coordination would drive you (or anyone in your household) crazy, then just make sure the books you keep are the ones you really love, and organize them in bookshelves that will enhance them as part of your design. Some homeowners even flip all their books around so just the page edges are showing.

INSIDER TIP: You can DIY your own built-in bookshelves. Simply install basic bookshelves like those from Ikea, then add molding to the tops, baseboards to the bottoms and trim to the vertical edges.