How to Decorate a Bookcase With Gold Accents

Paint the bookcase a dark color such as midnight blue or black so that your gold accents stand out more.

Use stencils to add a decorative pattern to your bookcase. Choose a pattern that matches your decorating style, a pattern on your drapes, on the upholstery or on the carpet. This provides a visual tie between all of the decorative elements in the room. Add the stencil to the sides of the bookcase and the fronts of the shelves.

Put down gold contact paper or wallpaper on the shelves. The gold you choose will depend on your style. For example, a more country-style room works best with a yellow-gold paper whereas a European style would work better with a gold metallic paper. Choose the pattern based on your stencil or a pattern in the room.

Put up mirrors at the back of the shelves with gold metallic decorations on them. They'll reflect the room, your books and decorative items such as pottery on the shelves.

Set up a candle display on the shelves. Use a gold candelabra or set up a display with a variety of gold-colored candles. Make sure that the candles vary in height and put the taller ones in the back of the arrangement.

Add gold handles to any drawers or cupboard doors that the bookcase has. If the bookcase is of a more modern style, a simple style without much ornamentation is your best choice. For an elaborate style such as Renaissance, go with a handle that looks as if it has been carved from gold.

Look for some gold-colored bookends. Possible ideas include some miniature globes made from precious stones and gold, baby shoes that you've had cast in gold or some gold-plated tees and golf balls for the golf enthusiast.

Place family pictures framed in gold frames on the shelves. Create clusters of pictures with the tallest pictures standing in the back of the cluster. Vary the shapes of the frames, choosing both square- and oval-shaped frames.