Before styling shelves, consider your taste and style. It can be overwhelming and tough but only because we overthink and complicate it. You can consider the location of your shelf, this will help you with the overall design.
Here are some simple tips you can use when styling shelves:
Pick a color palette
When styling shelves, you want to pick a color palette that’s cohesive with your overall home decor. You don’t have to use the same colors, you can get creative and use different colors at the back of the shelves. White and light-colored shelves have this airy feel and they tend to look more sophisticated and aesthetically pleasing as compared to darker-colored shelves. However, if you’re going for a moody feel in your home dark colors are the way to go. Feel free to experiment with different colors and go with what looks good to you.
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Books
Whether you love reading or not, books are quite essential when styling shelves. You can purchase a few favorites that you can use for styling. Having books on shelves makes it feel more natural. Group your books by either height or color. You can group by color if you have a wide variety of books. You can even use the books as platforms for art objects or picture frames. This will keep things
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Add Artwork
Invest in artwork that you can place on your shelves. You can add a touch of personality and creativity by having artwork placed in different sections of the bookshelf. Be careful not to overcrowd your shelves with multiple pieces of art. Your shelf will just look cluttered.
Add texture
One way of adding style to your shelves is by adding texture. Texture makes a shelf appear more appealing and alluring. You can add texture by having wicker baskets placed on different parts of the shelf. Display picture frames with wooden frames have clay bowls on the display as well. This will have your shelves looking great.
Add plants
Plants have a way of adding life to anything. You can add some greenery on the shelves by having small vases with plants placed in various sections on the shelf. You can even choose to add a pop of color to your shelf by introducing flowers. If you want live plants you can always invest in succulents. They need less attention and are still pleasant to the eye.
Don’t overcrowd
It may be very easy to get carried away when it comes to styling and decorating shelves. However, don’t overcrowd your shelf. You don’t need to display every book you own on your shelf or every piece of artwork you have on your shelf. If you have a lot of books you can always choose to display your favorite books or aesthetically pleasing books. If you overcrowd your shelf it just looks like clutter.
Varying Heights
When placing items on your shelf and arranging books, you want to be sure that you have varying heights for your objects. This has a higher visual appeal. You can start with larger objects then accessorize with smaller items. This creates a more elegant and contemporary look. Combine large books and small books to create a layered look.
Balance
When styling shelves make sure all your artwork, books, plants, frames, and baskets are balanced. Have the larger baskets or storage containers at the very bottom of your shelves. This arrangement is great for visuals. When styling your shelves make sure your arrangements are symmetrical. Have small decor items act as accent pieces on a stack of books. Have larger items be standalone. This will create a balance in your shelf style.
Healthy Mix
The beauty of styling shelves is the versatility that it comes with. You can add art, vases, sculptures, flowers, picture frames, and any object you would like. This also makes it very easy to overcrowd your shelf. Have a mix of everything displayed on your shelf. Don’t just have picture frames and books. Make a statement with art pieces and collectibles. Have a bit of everything displayed on your shelf.
Background
Depending on the color of your shelf, you can always change the background color to add a pop of color. This will even help draw the eye to the items displayed on the shelf. You can add any color, texture you wish. This will give your shelf a stylish edge.
Own it
Your shelves are just that, yours. Style them how you wish, be different. You don’t have to style them in a way that does not make you happy. Display items and objects that mean something to you. Add your own personality to your styling. You don’t have to display anything you don’t like.