Here are some decorative bookcases that I copied for my clippings file. I wish I could remember who it was that posted these so I could give them credit. Hopefully they'll see them and take ownership of their handy work. I don't know if these photo's will be of any help, hopefully they will.

This thread has some great suggestions that you might like to take a look at:

Here is a link that might be useful: arranging bookshelves

Thanks nanny, I'll check it out. B., I do like the small picture on the shelf, I hadn't thought about that, but now I'll be searching for one to go in that area. Thanks!

I've seen them done well when all the dust jackets are removed from the book and they books are loosely arranged by color. Some are standing in a group and some are stacked top of each other. Vary the heights of the stacks. Leaves some space between the stacks and add some interesting objects preferably with a similar shape or style. Don't add too many additions but just the right amount to balance out the books. They eye likes to have empty spots to rest. Good luck.

The bookcases here in our study are constantly getting "uglified" by DH piling things up on them, so I don't have any decent pictures. But, we have a LOT of books and they're not matched sets we've bought for their looks, but books we read and love. I do like to take the dust jackets off of them when I can, though. I also like to intersperse a line of books with a short stack. I tend to try and keep any knicknacks in there large enough to make a visual impact. I think it's important to vary the visual weight from shelf to shelf if you're going to add in a lot of other objects. I also like using good, low wattage small lamps, small framed pictures and paintings on easels or just propped up, pots with or without greenery. I never use real greenery on a bookshelf, though. The chance of water damage to books concerns me too much. We're serious book lovers here! Here's a view of just one of the four in the study here that's semi-decent to show. Please keep in mind that these are bookcases we use for our books, art, photos, music and, in the study, things DH wants to store close to where he works. These are definitely NOT staged for pictures! If you look close enough, you'll see the dust ;^P

And here's one small corner of our living room where I was able to squeeze in a bookcase. I keep some of DH's family photos here along with small group of Western paintings. Not as many books here at the moment, but see how I've tried to balance the weight on the second and third shelves? On the second shelf, the weight is on the left with the run of books. On the third shelf, the weight is on the right with the old oak radio, while the first (top) and fourth shelves have a solid weighted look to them across the entire shelves.