Designer-Approved Tips for a Clutter-Free, Chic Space
Photo by Callum Hill on Unsplash
Home storage solutions often focus on functionality over form, but with some creative tips, it’s easy to elevate everyday storage shelving and make it beautiful and practical. Behind every stylish interior lies a well-curated foundation, and your shelves are the base that sets the tone. Though often overlooked, how you dress your shelving transforms mundane storage spaces into captivating design features that express your personality.
Beyond simply organizing your belongings, shelf design is an opportunity to showcase what inspires you. Like a thoughtfully crafted outfit or a perfectly set table, artfully styled shelves have power. They introduce your personality and organization to a room.
Elevating those ever-present, often unnoticed shelves helps breathe new life into your home. With mindful, clutter-free curating and chic displays, you can allow your shelves to speak volumes about you. Read on for tips on how to style shelving that steals the show.
The Importance of Shelf Styling in Interior Design
Styling shelves may seem like a minor detail, but it has a significant visual impact on a room. The vignettes and shelf décor you display on open shelving tell a story about your style and personality. Just as an outfit can be pulled together with the right accessories, the proper decorative object or book collection on the perfect shelf can take a space from bland to beautiful.
Interior designers understand the power of perfectly styled shelves. Carefully styled bookcases or display shelves are critical focal points that add character to a room. Floating shelves highlight décor items and infuse color into a space. Even the most mundane shelving unit in a kitchen or bathroom can be personalized and turned into something intentional and stylish. Simply put, well-dressed shelves are the jewelry of interior design.
The Basics of Everyday Storage Shelving
Before decorating your shelves, it helps to understand some of the design basics, such as purpose, shelving types, placement, and coordinating with room décor. This foundation is crucial for creating a cohesive and functional design.
Understanding Shelf Purpose
Take time to think about everything you want to display on your shelves. Will they mainly be for housing books, showing off photos, or organizing collectibles? Maximizing function requires selecting the right shelves for your unique needs. Floating shelves can beautifully display small decorative objects, while large bookcases with adjustable shelves are ideal for organizing diverse books.
Choosing the Right Shelving
Measure your space carefully to find shelves that harmonize with the dimensions while still suiting your belongings. Delicate floating shelves compliment small vases and accent pieces, while sturdy wood bookcases prevent sagging under heavy books. It also helps to determine whether standalone or recessed built-in shelving works better based on location and usage. Recessed shelving or built-ins provide a streamlined look, while standalone shelves can add character and depth to any bland or mundane space.
Coordinating with Room Décor
Ensuring your shelving color and style complement existing elements like wall hues, furniture, and lighting fixtures is essential. For example, soft white shelving pairs nicely with light and dark interiors, while bold-colored shelves make better accent pieces in subdued rooms. Before decorating any of your preexisting shelves, it is vital to study the room scheme so your shelving acts as a coordinated design element.
Elevating Your Shelving
Thoughtfully decorating your shelves requires some creative techniques. From curating visually appealing vignettes to adding pops of personality, use these step-by-step shelf styling tips to take your shelf styling to the next level:
Gathering Your Decorative Objects
When you style shelves, limit your decorative items to a tight collection of complementary objects. The items should be scaled appropriately to the shelf size and not appear cluttered.
Aim for a mix of forms, textures, colors, and sizes for visual interest. Try using the rule of 3 to decorate your shelves similarly to professional designers. Grouping objects in mini-vignettes will have a more significant impact than sparse, unconnected items. Try pairing taller items like candle holders with shorter decorative boxes or bowls.
If you are looking for decorative ways to style books, try using bookends and bracket shelves to break up straight lines of books. Many designers have also begun organizing bookshelves in a color-categorized fashion by grouping a series of books or colorful covers for accentual pops of color.
Playing with Height and Composition
Creating a dynamic look is all about playing with height and depth. If displaying the same object type, vary the levels (a combination of tall vases and short candles, for example). Use risers, like acrylic stands, to add levels. “It should all work together but have depths, layers, and height differences,” says designer Stephanie Purzycki. “I always try to find sculptural pieces, a storage box, frames, jars, and candles.”
Mix in artwork, baskets, and trays to add depth. Try stacking books both horizontally and vertically. Or place small objects in front to break up the flat wall of books. Or fill the entire shelf, pushing items to the edge for a seamless look. Place larger artwork on the top shelf and smaller artwork further down so it can be seen.
It also helps to anchor taller items, like vases, towards the back. Floating shelves look fuller when objects are stacked closely rather than spaced apart.
Curating Color and Palette
When designing your shelfscape, opt for a cohesive color palette that complements your room. Contrasting but color-coordinated items have a more significant aesthetic impact than random colors and objects.
For a commanding display, go monochromatic with shades of the same hue. All-white shelving has a light, airy effect. For a playful pop, inject brightly colored accents like turquoise vases amid neutral items.
Color-blocking books and various objects in solid hues add modern flair. Yet, don’t be afraid to incorporate bold patterns for an eclectic vibe. Just adhere to the 60-30-10 rule: 60% solid-colored items, 30% different patterns, and 10% metallic accents.
Bringing Your Shelves to Life
Nothing perks up a shelf like authentic plants and flowers. Try incorporating succulents, air plants, or flowerpots for an authentic, lived-in feel. When incorporating greenery and plants into the space, avoiding plastic or fake greenery can help prevent the space from looking cheap or artificial. That being said, these days, there are many options for purchasing fake plants that look and feel natural. Just be mindful of their color and texture before making any significant purchases.
When incorporating plants, place them in complementary pots that relate to the color scheme. Use plant stands at varying heights to add levels alongside books and objects. That said, be selective with florals. A few small arrangements go further than cramming in tons of blossoms. And regularly prune leaves and petals to prevent a dusty, cluttered impression. Your shelves should feel curated, not chaotic.
Infusing Your Personality
Make sure your shelves reflect your personality. “When styling a shelf in your home, ultimately, you want to use an eclectic mix of objects and accessories to create a personal space that reflects your identity,” says Homes & Gardens’ Editor in Chief Lucy Searle. Include favorite photos, trip souvenirs, quirky artwork, and thrifted objects. Style practical kitchen shelves with personalized elements like cookbooks, unique spices, and custom ceramic pieces.
Floating shelves are ideal for displaying mementos. Integrate meaningful pieces like trophies, figurines, or photos of loved ones. Just take care not to make the styling too sentimental. It should still feel put together, not like a random collection.
Styling Different Rooms
Approach decorating shelves differently based on the specific room. Tweak displays based on room function and the overall ambiance you want to create. Here are a few tips for styling shelves in every room of the house:
Kitchen Shelving
Maximize vertical storage space in kitchens with shelves flush against walls, stacking items by frequency of use. As an alternative, built-ins are also increasingly common shelving options for kitchens and are simple to create yourself or have specially built.
Whatever shelving you choose, accessorize by incorporating pretty glass jars of staples like pasta and tea bags. Propping open cookbooks creates a lived-in vibe while organizing spices alphabetically adds visual harmony. Finish with fresh flowers, herb plants, or ceramic oil cruets.
Living Room Shelves
Living room shelves demand an airy, minimalistic look. “Styling a shelf with minimalism in mind allows for key decorative pieces to be fully appreciated — and is also a great option for smaller spaces,” says expert Jennifer Ebert. Conceal clutter in storage baskets and boxes while highlighting decor pieces in cool hues for a relaxing vibe. Add warmth with wood tones, monochromatic book collections, and trailing vines. Finish with sculptural objects like stone bookends.
Bedroom Shelving
Bedroom shelves require a soothing, Zen aesthetic. Try adding some thrifted bookcases in addition to vertical shelving solutions. This will give your space a clean and organized feel while still having warmth and character.
Afterward, adorn your shelves with candles in calming scents like lavender, meaningful artwork, and ceramics in tranquil blues and greens. Organize jewelry in decorative boxes and flowers in simple white vases. Add soft lighting for cozy vibes. Keep styling minimal with clean lines.
Bathroom Shelves
Bathroom shelves should evoke a spa-like environment. Neatly fold plush white towels and display amber glass apothecary jars with cotton balls. Place aromatic candles, woven baskets with fresh flowers, and ceramic soap dispensers. Aim for serene, simple décor with light colors and plenty of empty space.
Implement Constant Evolution and Creativity
Shelfscapes shouldn’t remain stagnant. Gradually evolve your shelf game by adding new decorative finds and switching out spent flowers and books you’ve read. Rotate items to keep up visual interest and inspiration. “You can easily create your unique look with favorite pieces, then swap out items seasonally to create a whole new feel whenever the mood takes you,” recommends style editor Anna Morley.
Play with unconventional materials like driftwood, antlers, or leather-bound books as statement objects. Repurpose everyday items like mugs or fruit bowls as charming accents. Approach shelf styling with an experimental mindset.
Shopping for the Perfect Décor
Searching for that perfect decorative item or vintage collectible to make your shelves shine often requires digging beyond the usual mass-produced home goods. Consider buying secondhand for quality finds that add character at affordable prices.
Browsing secondhand shops allows you to discover one-of-a-kind pieces like antique cameras, embroidered pillows, or retro cake stands to mix into your shelf display. The thrill of the hunt makes styling your shelves so much more rewarding.
Consignment shops offer well-curated collections of chic, lightly used items. Search for artwork, woven baskets, or decorative objects to blend into your shelves. Quality pre-owned items bring depth and personality to your style.
Keep an eye out at antique shops and flea markets, too. The beauty of vintage is that you’re adding items with history and character instead of cookie-cutter décor.
Display Your Style with Artful Shelves
Elevating basic shelves into an artful display that expresses your style requires tapping into your creativity. But the effort pays off beautifully.
Taking the time to curate and style your shelves mindfully results in a space that feels uniquely yours. Your collections and cherished belongings are presented in harmonious vignettes, adding character to your home.
Rather than just storing your things, artfully styled shelves become a decorative focal point. They provide a canvas to showcase what inspires you. Your shelves reflect the colors, textures, and objects that hold meaning.
Curate Chic Shelves with Kaiyo
At Kaiyo, we know how important it is to showcase your style throughout your home. That includes artfully styling your shelves.
As a leading online destination for buying and selling secondhand furniture and home décor, Kaiyo offers a treasure trove of high-quality pre-owned bookcases, shelving units, artwork, and décor to fit your space and vision perfectly.
Rather than settling for low-cost, fast furniture, our gently used shelves made from solid wood and other premium materials are designed to last while bringing character to your rooms. Our wide selection allows you to find just the right shelves to suit your needs.
Kaiyo makes shelf styling effortless and eco-friendly. Because sustainability is at our core, we not only support the circular economy, but we plant a tree with every Kaiyo order, too. Visit Kaiyo today to find shelving and décor that expresses your style while positively impacting the planet.
