It’s about more than just looks.
Shelves packed full of knick-knacks, books and décor feel hectic and are hard to look through. “Taking the time to style a shelf the right way achieves two things. Your shelves won’t look cluttered or over-styled, and you can find the things you need quickly and easily,” says Kate Day, host of Showroom Steals.
Start with nothing on your shelves.
It might seem counterintuitive but starting with clear shelves makes the process easier. Begin by cleaning and dusting your shelves and their contents. Then prepare to do an edit of what you want and need on your shelves. Group items that might look good together on the floor, as a trial run. Look for similarities and for a color palette to emerge. Decide what you want to display and what can be tucked away out of sight.
Edit, ruthlessly.
What isn’t on your shelf is just as important as what is. A full shelf shouldn’t be the goal. Figure out what belongs in the living room, what you don’t need and what can live in another room. Think about whether you want your shelf to burst with color or feel more neutral and calming.
Shop your home for shelf decor.
To keep the design interesting, you want to vary the items on your shelves. Plants, pictures and interesting objects add dimension and personality. Look around in other rooms in your home and see if there are items that might be better suited for the living room. “I think that’s what makes any shelf feel more fun and it makes it feel more personal,” says Kate. “Maybe it’s a memento you got with your best friend on vacation or a keepsake from a first date. Choose an item with a personal connection that helps tell your story as opposed to something sterile. It creates a connection within your whole home.”
Add grounding elements.
Keep larger, heavier items toward the bottom shelves. Large, heavy books, baskets of blankets, boxes or bins of toys work better lower in a bookcase. It gives you quick access, helps balance the shelf and doesn’t add a visually heavy element up too high.
Find your color scheme.
It doesn’t always need to be hit-you-over-the-head obvious but pay attention to the colors you see repeating in the items on your shelves. “Go with colors in your room. If you have a big, bold style and you want to go all in with lots of bright colors, go for it. You can also pull out accent colors from your space,” says Kate. “We have subtle gray and blue tones in our living room rug, so we worked to include those colors in the shelf. The addition really brought out the richness of the colors in our rug.”
Embrace odd numbers.
From the number of objects to the groupings of elements, using an odd number just looks better. Instead of the visual symmetry even numbers offer, an odd number of items adds visual interest, inviting the eye to wander around a shelf, and by extension, the entire room. Varying the size, shape and texture of items, while keeping a unifying factor like type of objects or color also makes each item stand out.
Leave some space.
Try not to fill every square inch of space on your shelves. Leaving 30 percent of each shelf clear gives items breathing room and lets your eye rest. The result is a shelf that feels styled instead of chaotic.
Try out triangulation.
Another design-centric optical illusion to try is triangulation. Placing items that relate to one another, for example placing books that are roughly the same size and color on each shelf but arranged in a triangle shape, helps move your eye through the design. Each book acts as a point of the triangle. This technique makes each shelf feel loosely related without matching.
Mix in plants.
A home décor home run always, plants add color and texture to any space. On a shelf with solid accessories and crisp geometric shapes, a leafy plant adds a softness to balance. Just make sure you find a houseplant that will thrive in the sunlight your shelf receives.
At the end of the day, nailing your own shelf décor comes down to infusing it with your own special objects and keepsakes. “Know your own style and don’t just buy something because you saw it somewhere else,” says Kate. “When in doubt, a few well-placed vintage pieces add a ton of character. They’re a one-of-a-kind way to add a unique touch to your shelves.”