• Dress up built-in shelving units to pull them into the overall design of the room.girls on shelves image by Cherry-Merry from Fotolia.com
  
  Built-in shelving provides storage space without taking up any extra room but also presents a decorating challenge. The shelves are permanent and as a homeowner you can't simply move them into a different location or position. Instead, create a new look by dressing up your shelves or covering up shelves that seem out of place. Regardless of which approach you choose, your shelves will better fit in with your overall design scheme and add a colorful touch to the room.
  
  

Coverings

• Not all home owners want the contents of their shelves on constant display. If your shelves function as closets without doors instead of decorative units, create an inexpensive yet attractive covering to hide the shelves and add a little color to the room. Curtains, either handmade or store-bought, take only a few minutes to hang. Use a tension rod along the top of the shelf and hang the curtain over it. If your shelves are flush with the wall and leave no room for a curtain rod, screw small hooks into the ceiling and attach curtain or shower rings to the top of your fabric. Hang the curtain from the hooks and tie it back with a decorative ribbon. For a quick fix without any installation, place a room divider in front of a shelving unit and slide it out of the way when you need access.
  
  

Accessories

• Turn your shelves into artwork by adding accessories. Consider bright colors, reflective glass or metal sculptures, or even items from your own personal collection. If you love collecting bowls, display them at the end or in the middle of shelves to hold up books and store small items out of sight. The books themselves can provide a boost of color if you have no room for more items. HGTV suggests arranging books by color, such as all red books on one shelf, orange on the next and so on. Soon your shelves will transform from a clutter of books into an eye-catching rainbow.
  
  

Storage and Lighting

• When you want to use shelves for storage but the items seem like a jumbled mess, add baskets and containers to sort your items and keep them out of sight. Choose similar containers for each shelf, or the unit as a whole, and avoid overfilling the baskets.
  
  To accent your shelves after your decorating make-over, HGTV suggests installing small lights out of sight above the shelves to create a spotlight affect on your collection. Depending on the type of shelf you may not have the space for this look. If not, consider placing matching lamps on either side of the shelves or adjust any swivel-head track lighting in the room so one or more lights point onto the shelving unit.