Celebrity decorating. It is something of endless fascination to Ms. Jeannie, mostly because the sky is big as far as budget, space and service, which yields a million varied possibilities.  But while some really incredible rooms can be put together when you combine a team of decorators, exotic materials and bold statement pieces, sometimes the overall effect, while pretty as a magazine cover lacks the personality and individualism of the dweller who lives there.

Famed 20th century decorator, Sister Parish often said “all good decorating is about memories.” That’s so true and so relevant to people who like to decorate with antiques. Today we are going to look at one sensational singer’s library and examine how she has mastered the perfect balance between style and sentiment.

Adele’s new album, 25 officially releases this week, but we are going to look at one of the videos from her past album, 21, which was filmed in her humble flat where she was living just as fame started flirting. The video gives a wonderfully intimate glimpse into her personal space and the style she calls her own. By utilizing a fireplace mantle, one bookshelf and the wall in-between, Adele manages to pack a lot of detail into a moderately sized space. Let’s look…

There are lots of odds and ends tucked into her shelves: pictures of her dog, a giant rubber band ball, a mini figurine of a man running, a horse marionette, sand art. Story and memory and intrigue wind their way up and down and across. The overall look is eclectic which makes it interesting, unique which makes it personal, and unfussy which makes it fresh. Sister Parish would have definitely approved!

Using Etsy as her shopping source, Ms. Jeannie recreated Adele’s library look with these following items  (click on each picture for more information)…

If decorating is a challenge for you, or you feel confused or uncertain as to where and how to begin to define your own interior style – take Adele’s lead and start with your book shelf. Like a mini room unto itself, bookshelves offer a vast amount of possibility when it comes to display and self expressionism. They can be changed and redecorated over and over again most easily.  They offer a great blank canvas to play around with and they have the most effortless ability to really anchor a room as far as a focal point.

Ms. Jeannie encourages you to get beyond the typical effort of just lining up some books in a row and calling it done. Go and explore the little loves of your heart and watch your bookshelf come to life! And of course if you are looking for any books to fill out your shelves, there’s always Ms. Jeannie’s shop to help in that department.

On a side note, in 2013 Adele moved out of her cozy flat into this big beauty in Surrey. Ms. Jeannie imagines there’s a few more bookshelves there in need of her good style sense!

Happy decorating dear readers!