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Learn · Designers and builders · Lesson 20 of 20

Fill shelves with books, board games or decor

You willChoose what stands on a bookcase or wall unit: books, board games, both, decor or nothing, and how full.
Time3 min
Why it mattersShelves dressed the way the family will use them make a render read as their room, not a showroom.

Try it in Plotlay → Opens an example project with this lesson beside it. Nothing to install.

Steps

  1. Open Library and search bookcase (or board game shelf, wall unit, styled shelves). Click one, such as Bookcase, tall, 900 x 2000, then click the plan to place it.
  2. Select it and choose All details… under its name.
  3. Choose On the shelves: Books, Board games, Books and board games, Decor (vases, plants, frames) or Empty.
  4. Choose How full: Sparse, Normal or Full, then Apply.
    All details for a bookcase: On the shelves set to Board games, How full set to Full, Arrangement 0, with the Apply button.
  5. Choose 3D to see it. Board games lie flat in stacks, the biggest boxes at the bottom, with a few stood on edge; a mixed unit varies shelf by shelf.
    Three oak bookcases in 3D: one with books, one with stacks of board game boxes and some stood on edge, one mixing books and games shelf by shelf.
  6. Two units side by side look the same with the same settings. Type another number in Arrangement on one of them to shuffle it.

Tips

  • Wall units with a TV, open shelves, bracket shelving and alcove joinery take the same choice. They start empty; a bookcase starts with books.
  • The boxes are plain designs in common sizes (square, long, card games), so a render never shows a real game’s artwork.
  • Photo render gives the game boxes a slight sheen, like printed card.

Common mistakes

  • Expecting the shelves to change every time you open 3D: the same item always builds the same way. Change Arrangement for a different mix.
  • Choosing Full on deep shelves for a clean look: Sparse or Decor reads tidier in a render.
Check yourself

Two bookcases side by side both have board games and look identical. How do you vary one?

Words in this lesson

Joinery (bench run)
Built-in cabinetry along a wall, such as a kitchen or laundry bench with base cupboards, drawers and handles. Plotlay draws it on plans, elevations and in 3D.
Library
Real-sized things to place, by category and subcategory: kitchen, bathroom, furniture, lighting, power, heating, stairs, outdoor, site, commercial, vehicles, plants. Search in your own words (GPO, countertop), filter, and star favourites.

Related lessons

Choose finishes and add fit-out to a roomSet a room’s floor tile and paint, and place a fitting such as a towel rail against a wall to the millimetre.5 minMake a photo render of a roomTrace the light in a 3D view to get a photo-like still: daylight through the windows, real glass and metals, soft shadows.5 minChoose a sofa style and its fabricPick a sofa, armchair or ottoman by style and layout, then its arms, legs, cushions and upholstery, or a fabric you photographed.4 min

Steps checked in the app on 19 October 2026.