If you frequently find yourself admiring stylish bookcase vignettes on interior design websites, you’re not alone. While these beautiful shelves look effortless online, it can be much more difficult to create one in person. Here are a few simple steps for creating a designer-worthy bookcase — without giving yourself a headache!

1. Alternate books. Instead of lining your books up library-style, alternate their direction by also adding stacks of horizontal-facing books. You can even place a small paperweight or candle on top of those stacks to add more visual interest.
2. Organize books by color. If your bookshelf is filled to the brim with reading materials, make it look more organized by arranging the titles by color to create a rainbow effect.
3. Unify mismatched knick-knacks. If your collection of knick-knacks looks a bit shabby, unify the set by painting them all one color. Try a stark white, a bold primary hue, or a fun pop of neon.
4. Decorate the insides of the shelves. Give your bookshelf itself a makeover by adding a bright coat of paint or a layer of wallpaper to the backs of each shelf.
5. Add artwork. Instead of just using books and knick-knacks, turn your shelves into an art gallery. Prop up a frame or even hang a picture from the front of the shelves where their corners meet.

Bookshelf Styling Tips: The Basics and Beyond [HGTV]
Styling a Bookshelf: 10 Homes That Get It Right [Design Sponge]
10 Tricks for Styling Your Bookshelves [Style Me Pretty: Living]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/Kalle Schärlund

Opened in 2000, Olympia Hills Golf Course in Universal City is distinguished by both its unique topography and the facility’s use of modern technology. Designed by the Finger, Dye, Spann Design Group, the 18-hole public golf course features picturesque and challenging changes in elevation off the tee, as well as native Texas plant life that adds to the course’s scenic beauty.

Four sets of tees stretch the course from a manageable 5,534 yards to a championship length of 6,923, making it challenging yet accessible for golfers of all levels of skill and experience. The fairways and greens stay playable even in the most scorching south Texas summers due to Olympia Hall’s state-of-the-art “grey” irrigation system, which uses recycled water to keep the course fresh while saving natural resources.

Despite all this, duffers report that the course’s rates remain reasonable, making it a great value course for your weekly round with friends.

Olympia Hills Golf Course
12900 Mount Olympus
Universal City, TX 78148
(210) 945-4653
www.olympiahillsgolf.com/golf/course-information

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr Hernan Piñera

Going organic doesn’t end at the grocery store. In fact, there are a number of different ways that you can incorporate organic elements throughout your entire home. Here are just a few great ways to add a natural touch to the decor in your living space.

• Create a nature-inspired vignette. If you admire something beautiful on your morning walk, such as a unique branch or a particularly interesting stone, add it to a stack of books on a tabletop to create a flawless vignette.
• Create stone hot pads. Glue smooth, flat stones to the surface of simple kitchen hot pads to keep your countertops protected from hot pots and pans.
• Choose natural rugs. Soft, organic materials like jute and hemp look beautiful when woven into a rug, and they’re much friendlier on the environment than synthetic versions.
• Create organic centerpieces. The next time you host a dinner party, fill a ceramic vase with foraged tree branches or add pine cones to a clear bowl for a unique centerpiece inspired by the outdoors.
• Change up your drapes. One of the simplest ways to bring the outdoors in is by allowing as much natural light as possible into your home. Switch out heavy drapes with soft, sheer panels to maximize the light.

Decorating with Natural Elements [Better Homes & Gardens]
10 Simple Ways to Bring the Outdoors Inside [Freshome]
Decorating with Natural Elements from Natural Kitchen and Home [Pinterest]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr srboisvert