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How to Stage Shelves
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »
I'm a total bibliophile. I have books coming out my ears, and thank goodness I have some fabulous built-ins that my brother made that can hold most of them. While I'm at it, I'd like to thank goodness I have a brother who is an excellent carpenter. Also while I'm at it, I fess up to having collections and magazines coming out the wazoo. Shelves handle it all with aplumb.
The following pictures have some great examples of shelves. Most are built ins, others are freestanding, bracketed, or floating. No matter which they are, all of them have a custom look. Pay attention to how they are built, the materials, how they are arranged, white space, filled-in space, the balance of the objects, and how they fit in the the rest of the room. You don't have to break the bank with a custom carpenter; you can achieve a look inspired by these pictures with a quick jaunt to IKEA.
Whether a shelf is used for books, art, collections or, I don't know, toilet paper, they are great space savers. So take a look around - if you are drowning in stacks of magazines or if you cannot get organized in your office, you need to shelf up. If you don't know where to start, take a gander at some of the following shots for inspiration!
The following pictures have some great examples of shelves. Most are built ins, others are freestanding, bracketed, or floating. No matter which they are, all of them have a custom look. Pay attention to how they are built, the materials, how they are arranged, white space, filled-in space, the balance of the objects, and how they fit in the the rest of the room. You don't have to break the bank with a custom carpenter; you can achieve a look inspired by these pictures with a quick jaunt to IKEA.
Whether a shelf is used for books, art, collections or, I don't know, toilet paper, they are great space savers. So take a look around - if you are drowning in stacks of magazines or if you cannot get organized in your office, you need to shelf up. If you don't know where to start, take a gander at some of the following shots for inspiration!
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Now THAT'S a library! Double ladders and great overhead lighting make these even more impressive.
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| OK, this room just rules. The lines of the shelves emphasize the perspective. |
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I love the way these shelves are hung from rods. Whoever arranged them knows the importance of white space, and thus they shelves are far from cluttered.
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Again, the white space here really helps these shelves from being hunkered down. Notice that they have alternated books with interesting objects on the shelves.
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I love the chocolate color of these shelves. It's very reminiscent of Albert Hadley.
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I imagine these shelves serve as storage as well as a loft wall. What's extra great about these is that you can wheel yourself over to whatever you may need in a hurry.
O.K., I don't even know how to describe what's in these shelves, but the collection and the structure work wonderfully together.
by Pierce Allen
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Why is every single picture from Pierce Allen so beautiful? I love the emphasis on the horizontal here.
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This shelf works for storage, as a bedside table, a console or as a bench.
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This clever little built-in displays art, covers the radiator top, and serves as a bedside table.
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The plasma television and a window peek out from these shelves. Perfect.
by Amy Lau Design
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The wood on these babies is simply gorgeous, and works so well with the rest of the room. The repetition gives them a custom look.
I love this assemledge of doors, open shelves, books and pictures.
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Here the built-ins just make the space. Beautiful!
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| Clear glass provides a more open feeling. The lighting here is perfection. |
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These are nice, but while I think backwards-facing (is that an oxymoron?) books give a more uniform look, I just can't get behind it. You have to love your books and want to be able to find them. Bibliophile rant over.
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They do look great close up or from afar.
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| This is such a great way to make a collection shine. |
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by Kerrie L. Kelly
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| Why not show off your favorite books and glossies like your house is a kate spade store? That's what I did with my purses, and even if the moggit girls make fun of it, I don't care... |
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These really maximize storage space in a beautiful way.
What a great shape! I think it's important that these are white like the wally behind them, so they aren't too trippy. I'm digging the honeycomb-like structure to them.
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| I'm always pulling this picture. I love the contrast of the rugged wood shelf next to the rectilinear metal shelves. |
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I love the way these are arranged. They almost look like paintings, don't they?
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Wow, I'm looking up at these shelves now and they are so much more full of stuff now. I love playing with the arrangement, but mostly I love that big-a** ram holding up my books
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By the way, the pine shelf was recycled from the attic floorboards, and the glass doors that you can barely see came from my grandparents' Arts and Crafts tudor house in Connecticut.
Ideabook updated on Nov. 9, 2012.
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