Ready For a Shelfie!
/Ahhh, styling those shelves, it can often feel like a huge, daunting task. You see those pictures online, on tv or in a magazine, but somehow yours never quite look the same way. So what do we do, throw some items up on the shelves and call it a day because we are busy and have a million things to do before the kids get home.
When talking with my girlfriends before I started my business, I asked them what they would want to see on my blog and social media. What tips were they looking for when designing their own home? Unanimously, most of them said tips for styling shelves with décor pieces. And they all agreed they did not want to buy pieces that broke the bank. So today I am here to give you a few tips on how to style those built-ins, bookcases, or whatever you have in your home that could use a little TLC.
When you set out to buy items to style your shelves, I always like to overbuy and return whatever I don’t use. That way I have pieces to play around with. I also like to incorporate pieces I already own in styling shelves. If you have pieces that are important to you and tell your story they should be displayed. When looking for pieces to style your home with it doesn’t have to break the bank. I love to shop at places like Target (specifically brands Studio McGee, Hearth and Hand, Opalhouse, Project 62, and Threshold) At Home, Home Goods, World Market, and Amazon. If you find a piece you absolutely love that is more expensive go for it, but don’t feel you need to buy only expensive pieces to get a higher end look.
When styling shelves here are a few tips to keep in mind.
1. Stay Neutral
When picking décor pieces I tend to stay in a neutral color palette. This allows the décor pieces to work in any space and stand the test of time. Stick with pieces that are white, black, gray, beige, cream and natural wood tones to get that modern, organic feel. Neutral doesn’t mean boring, so use a variety of décor pieces to have fun and keep it playful. If you do want to work in color, which I absolutely love, keep it consistent with one or two colors that you repeat throughout the shelves. Try using varying shades of the same color weaved throughout to make it feel consistent.
2. Add Greenery
If you do not know what color to add into your shelves, greenery is a great way to do that. Greenery always gives shelves a nice fresh feeling. I tend to go faux with all the greenery in my home, because let’s face it, I have a black thumb not a green one. But if you have that green thumb, go for it and add in real greenery. Use a variety of greenery by mixing in plants, flowers or greenery stems. Greenery gives us that feeling of nature and creates a sense of calming that we all so desperately need sometimes.
3. Group Items
When organizing items to actually start decorating your shelves start with the large pieces first. Put those into place to see what works and what doesn’t. If an item is large and a statement piece, try putting it by itself. From there try putting pieces into groupings of 2, 3, 4 or 5. Mix items in those groupings, by varying heights, varying texture, and varying pieces. When using books, try stacking them and adding items on top if you are looking for height. Layer pieces on shelves to give it that “collected over time” look. Not all items will look together so play around until you find the combo you love. Be sure that the meaningful pieces stand out on the shelves because they tell people your story.
4. Use Variety
Remember the old saying, variety is the spice of life. I couldn’t agree more. So make sure to use variety when styling those shelves. I like to use a variety of items when styling shelves including: artwork, framed photos, vases, bowls, pottery, plants, flowers, baskets, bins, decorative objects, and books. Having a variety of items will make your shelves feel less constructed. Take that variety even further by using items that have a variety of texture. Don’t find pieces that are all the same material, use texture to create dimension and variety in neutral pieces.
5. Edit, Edit, Edit
Remember I said I typically overbuy pieces for my shelves, well that doesn’t mean I use them all. You have to edit, edit again, and then edit some more. Shelves should never feel packed. You want them to feel like a collection of items that you have accumulated over time, but don’t want it to look like you have jammed a bunch of pieces on the shelves. More is not better in this case. We all need space sometimes and shelves need space and room to breathe too. So live by the motto, LESS is MORE. Editing is a process, so live with the shelves for a little bit and then change out whatever is not working.