Western Living Magazine
7 More Fireplaces That Have Got Us Fired Up
A Whistler Cabin Designed for Real Mountain Life
This Light-Filled Victoria Kitchen Used to Be a Bedroom
3 B.C. Wines to Pour This Holiday Season
6 Soup Recipes to Make on Repeat This Fall
Recipe: St. Lawrence’s Chez Solange Brown Butter Mocktail
Basking in Banff: Inside the Reimagined Rimrock Hotel
3 B.C. Getaways for Skiers, Slow Travellers and Food Lovers
Sun Peaks Winter Getaway Guide: Ski, Après, Stay and Explore
Elevate Your Sleep with an Upholstered Bed Frame
7 Stylish Nursery Pieces You’ll Love for the 2026 Holiday Season
The Homebody Holiday Gift Guide: 29 Stylish Finds for Every Room
PHOTOS: Party Pics from the Western Living Design 25 Finalists Reveal Party at Vilnora
Vote Now in the 2027 WL Design 25 People’s Choice Awards
Announcing the Finalists for the 2027 WL Design 25
PlaidFox's Ben Leavitt shares his top tips for stacking your favourite books and knick-knacks.
Japanese bowls, Haitian statues and a faux dinosaur skull from Drumheller: these objects line the shelves of Ben Leavitt's bedroom bookcase. The founder of PlaidFox, Leavitt works in both interior and industrial design, a job that takes him overseas often. Most times, he returns with another piece for his already full bookcase. I'm definitely not a minimalist, he laughs. I never switch things out, I just add more.
That's because for him, a bookshelf should show who you are and how you live. Really, it isnt about the books, he says. It's an opportunity to tell a story.
READ MORE: 9 Genius Ways to Style a Sideboard
Of course, styling a bookshelf to tell that story is no easy task. It's one of the hardest things to teach people how to do, Leavitt says. But luckily for us, he was willing to take on the challenge. Below, we count down his seven top tips for how to style a bookshelf.
If you've a little bit reserved, a bookshelf should be the place you go crazy, Leavitt advises. But don't just go to your local home decor store and buy a whole bunch of things. Instead, he recommends curating meaningful objects from all over your home. Who says dishes just belong in the kitchen?
A well-styled bookshelf forces the eye to move aroundand that, Leavitt says, is a game of balance and contrast. Place a small lamp on one shelf, then an unusual accessory on another to create visual interest and to keep that eye roving.
Of course, you don't want anyone's eye to land on unsightly wires. In Leavitt's bedroom, a thick cord runs up the back of his floor-to-ceiling bookcasebut youd never know it, thanks to some strategically stacked books.
READ MORE: Ben Leavitt of PlaidFox’s Minimalist Meets Maximalist Condo
Bookshelves need not be a case of go big or go home, says Leavitt. What makes you want to get close to a bookcase and really inspect it are all the little tiny accessories that you mix in there.
Leavitt suggests removing the sleeve from hardcover books for a more sophisticated look. Or spin your stacks: turn the bound spine toward the back of the shelf so that the book's paper edges are displayed instead. It looks very French!
For a pretty but functional display, keep folders piled in neat stacks or arrange pencils in a gorgeous vase. You don't want to look for a piece of paper and have to open five different boxes, says Leavitt. The reality is nobody lives like that.
Your bookcase should be like dunes in a desert, says Leavitt, always shifting, always changing. don't be afraid to switch up your styled shelves or add more mementos. It should never be static!
Are you over 18 years of age?
Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox 3 times a week.
