Shelf Styling 101
Ah, the beloved #shelfie. Everyone loves the look of a flawlessly styled shelf, it just makes you happy inside! However, some people look at their empty or cluttered shelves in sheer panic and have no idea where to start. Styling for me is calming and comes second nature, but for some people it is so daunting! I live in a (tiny) DC apartment so I don’t have many spaces to style but I love having this etagere to accessorize! I use the bottom for storage, which I need, and have fun with the upper shelves! Even if you are just styling a small shelf or two, like I did, or a whole wall of built ins, the same rules apply. I have compiled a list of tips and tricks to make shelf styling a breeze and help you achieve the perfect shelfie moment in your home!
Take EVERYTHING off your shelves, yes, everything! If you are starting with new/empty shelves, then yay, you’re already on your way! Removing everything may seem like the worst task ever, but trust me it is essential. Use this time to look at your items and decide what you don’t want to use, want to get rid of, etc.
Once you’ve gone through everything on the shelves gather other items you want to use (if you aren’t sure keep reading, I have a list of items below!). Once you have everything laid out it’s much easier to group items and see what you have!
The last “step” before we get into the general tips is to start with the larger books. You don’t need to use books on your shelves but for demonstration purposes we will! So, start with your larger books and balance them evenly throughout the shelves. Put some vertical, some horizontal, have fun with it! Once you have added the larger books I would then add framed items, larger boxes/vases, plants, trinkets/smaller books, in this order! By putting in the bigger objects first you create visual weight (which I’ll talk about next) where it needs to be, then you fill in with decorative pieces and items. If you don’t have closed built ins on the bottom of your shelves you’ll want to put your heaviest items down there to “ground” your shelves visually.
Okay, now let’s just focus on some pointers! The biggest key to success while shelfie-ing is to make sure your shelves are visually balanced. If one shelf has a lot of “weight” on the left side, you would want to balance it out on other shelves. Once you start to fill in items you will be able to tell if something is too “heavy” in the space or if it needs to be adjusted to balance out the overall look more. They key to balance is to not look at one shelf individually, you have to look at the all the shelves as a whole and how they work together. It helps if you split each shelf into 2 or 3 sections (depending on width). Each section will have it’s own vignette, that way you can evenly display items and keep the shelves balanced.
The next tip goes along with balance, it is visual height. So, this ties back into doing some books horizontal and some vertical. You want your objects to follow suit. If you have a stack of books horizontal add in a taller vase on the other side of the shelf. You want to create a visually appealing look that keep the eye interested, by adding variation in color, texture, and object.
My last tip is to layer! My shelves were a little limiting in terms of size but don’t be afraid to have multiple layers of accessories! When I say this I mean put trinkets in front of art or vases, put boxes and objects on top of books. This will give your shelves depth instead of a 2D appeal. Just have fun with it! There is no right or wrong so just play around with it until it looks the way you want it to. A go to arrangement is a few books stacked vertically, then a few horizontal, with an object on top! This is fool proof and one of the first things I do on every shelf unit.
Okay, y’all! Now that you are ready to conquer your shelf styling you may be still wondering what to even put on your shelf. Other than books some of my favorite things to add are decorative boxes, candles, vases or ginger jars, bowls, trinkets, greenery, etc.! You can honestly put anything on your shelves, it is up to you have and what you have/want! Another one of my favorite additions to built ins or shelves is wallpaper. Wallpapering the back of your shelves adds an added layer of color and pattern that instantly elevates them. Obviously, this is more of an under taking than just rearranging your items but it is definitely something to look into if you have the resources!
I hope this post will help steer you in the right direction and make all your #shelfie dreams come true. Happy Styling!
There’s always Something to Style Over!
xx, Lea
