Shelf styling can be one of the most challening and most intimidating part about decorating your home. Whether it be built-ins, bookcases, or cabinets, decorating shelving can be tricky and feel like an unmanageable task. Over the years, I have learned some helpful tips and tricks while styling my own home, and it has become one of my favorite ways to showcase and highlight my favorite décor items and found treasures. There are ways to achieve that magazine-ready, designer look, and it is definitely something you can learn to do all on your own! Following these guidelines will help simplify the process and hopefully make it more fun and enjoyable along the way.
Blank Slate
The first step when tackling your shelving is to start with a blank slate. Clear everything out of the shelves so that you have a blank canvas to work with. It is much harder visually to work around things left on the shelves, and it will be more challenging to implement the designer tricks I am going to share with you.
Once your shelves are cleaned out, start by grouping décor items together by similarities. For example, put all of your sculptural pieces, books, etcetera into a group. When you start styling and go to pull pieces, they are organized and ready to go. This is also a great way to visually take inventory of what you have so that you can decide what you are missing and need more of. Before purchasing anything new, I always suggest shopping within your home first! This is a great way to repurpose items stored away and no longer in use.
Color Palette
Once your shelves are cleared out and you have taken inventory of your styling pieces, it is time to decide on a color scheme. This is the key to cohesive shelf styling and achieving that designer look. When picking a color palette, be sure to consider the color of your walls, shelving, and the surrounding décor in the space. You are going to want to choose a color palette that is complementary and blends nicely with its surroundings. Having a set color palette in mind will also help narrow things down when shopping for styling elements. Once you have decided on a color scheme, be consistent and stick to it. Now is the time to eliminate any pieces from your groupings that do not work within your color requirements.
Keep it Simple
This is my favorite trick to achieving designer styled shelves. Go minimal – do not try to fill every square inch of your space. It is important to leave some white space for balance and eye rest, especially within enclosed cabinets or built-ins. They can quickly start to look cluttered and sloppy if you try to display too much. Stick to the zone rules mentioned above, and when in doubt, less is more!
Add Height Variety
Be sure to add varying heights within your zones to keep the eye moving and to create some depth. Stacking books and other accessories is a great way to achieve this. Things like decorative boxes, frames, and candlesticks are all great styling options. Small accessories can sometimes get lost within a shelf. Stacking small items on top of books or on top of a decorative box is a great way to display it and will also help to add some height variety within a zone.
Styling Zones
This is designer speak for how you group and place items together on a shelf. You can have just one or multiple zones per shelf; it really just depends on the length of your shelving. Zones are an important visual tool that will help you create symmetry and balance as you style your shelves.
I like to stagger my zones so that the patterns vary and do not repeat directly above or below. This is why shelf styling can be so tough – you are decorating both vertically and horizontally. Finding the balance between styling along one shelf and also how items are placed above and below can be hard. This is where zones come into play and can help you strategize where and how to place items. When balancing and styling shelves, it is all about balance.
zones can also vary in length. You might have one large zone that takes up the entire width of a shelf – storage baskets, for example. Directly above that longer zone, you are going to want to center a smaller zone or two, leaving empty space on the sides (again, your shelf length comes into play here). This allows for balance and eye rest and is more visually appealing. How many groupings you have per shelf is up to you; just remember that it is the staggering of zones that is key here.
Rule of Three
Let us discuss how to group your items together within a zone. A grouping can consist of multiple décor pieces – for example, a stack of books, or a large vase with some wooden beads could be styled together to make up one zone. What kinds of items you pair together is completely up to you and your own personal style, but how many you pair together is what is important.
If you have never heard of the rule of three, it is a designer trick implemented when pairing objects together within a vignette. Items paired in odd numbers are more visually appealing to the human eye. Use this rule when styling your zones; this will help your shelves look balanced and clean. If a zone feels off when you are decorating, try adding in odd number groupings.
Mix Things Up
Keep things interesting by mixing in different textures, metals, and vessels. Just be sure they work within your color palette. Shelves that are full of just wood tones or ceramics will fall flat and look one-dimensional. This is why it is important to add in varying textures and materials within your zones to add dimension to your space.
When it comes to choosing metals, pick one to two and stick to them. Be sure to consider the finish of any cabinetry hardware or other existing hardware in your space. Do not be afraid to go big with styling pieces if your shelving allows for it! Larger items will help ground the space. I love using large baskets at the bottom of shelves, and they are also a great way to incorporate texture.
Take a Step Back
Keep things interesting by mixing in different textures, metals, and vessels. Just be sure they work within your color palette. Shelves that are full of just wood tones or ceramics will fall flat and look one-dimensional. This is why it is important to add in varying textures and materials within your zones to add dimension to your space.
When it comes to choosing metals, pick one to two and stick to them. Be sure to consider the finish of any cabinetry hardware or other existing hardware in your space. Do not be afraid to go big with styling pieces if your shelving allows for it! Larger items will help ground the space. I love using large baskets at the bottom of shelves, and they are also a great way to incorporate texture.
