11 Styling Tips for Shelves You'll Love
A Few Balancing Acts Turn Your Shelving Unit Into a Mini Gallery
I'm a freelance writer and design enthusiast who believes the best design is collected, not decorated, and that homes should always be as comfortable and functional as they are chic. In addition to writing for Houzz, I work as the Head Copywriter for Layla Grayce and Zinc Door.
I'm a freelance writer and design enthusiast who believes the best design... More »
It’s true that shelves primarily came about as a means of storage; however, the decor world has slowly but surely morphed their functionality. No longer are they home only to dishes and books, now they support chic displays filled with knickknacks, jars, artwork and more. Regardless of what’s topping your shelves, the key to transforming them from a simple holding spot for household goods to a stylized design feature lies in the balance (quite literally). Without a sense of balance, shelves can appear overloaded, spare, or like a hurried afterthought. However, once balance is achieved, your stylized shelves may be on their way to stealing the show. Read on for some tips on getting the balance right in your shelves!
by HUISSTYLING
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1. Consider your shelf setup. Before you even begin filling your shelves with objects, take into consideration the setup of the actual shelves. Strike a sense of balance off the bat by installing them at varying heights and widths atypical to your standard bookshelf. It prevents a staid appearance and will help to maintain balance as you begin adding items.
2. Add height with artwork. When you have a shorter shelf above a longer shelf, place a taller object, such as a great piece of art, at the end of the longer shelf to achieve balance. Since it extends the height of the shelf above it, the shelves as a whole feel cohesive.
3. Place similar objects in opposing spaces. If you have a small shelving area that you’re filling with largely similar items, you can still make it visually interesting by placing the same items in opposing spaces. Vary the heights by adding more bowls to one stack or adding a taller liquor bottle to the glass section.
by Kerrie L. Kelly
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4. Vary the direction of the books. This is an easy trick that will instantly help you reach balance in a shelf: Place your books both vertically and horizontally, changing the presentation in each individual shelf. Intersperse them with objects, propped by the books, so your eye continues to linger on all the interesting items.
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5. Create balance through color. These shelves are quite simplified but have achieved balance by concentrating on the placement of this pop of orange. The key was placing the orange origami piece on the left-hand corner, which pulls in the orange from the towels on the right side.
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by Fiorella Design
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| 6. Create balance through a chosen theme of colors. Like the previous photo, this designer captured balance by focusing on jars in four similar colors: blue, yellow, white and clear. Instead of grouping similar colors together, spread them out to create an equilibrium between the objects. |
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| 7. Intersperse short items with tall items. Even if your objects don’t necessarily carry a theme amongst themselves, you can still create a thoughtful, balanced presentation by concentrating on the size and height of items. Complement shorter, lighter items with taller, heavier items and vice-versa, varying their placement throughout the shelves. |
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| 8. Mirror the shelves but don’t mirror the contents. If you have mirrored shelves across a room, as in this example, vary each shelf’s display while utilizing the same overall theme. The same items have been used to fill these shelves, some of the books turned face-forward, but because each shelf display is slightly different, they feel connected, interesting and definitely balanced. |
| 9. Leave spaces empty. Just as in art class, pay attention to the negative space; sometimes it’s exactly where balance is found. This shelving unit is striking in itself; the designer enhanced the balance by placing a similar object intermittently throughout, leaving the rest empty so the unit’s architectural presence can be the focal point. |
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| 10. Add color to select areas of your bookshelf. Add an extra element of balance by painting the background of opposing areas of your bookshelf. Fill the painted areas with objects different than the rest of the shelving unit. It becomes more visually interesting while creating equilibrium. |
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11. Include glass. Glass fills up space without taking up much visual volume. It’s a great complement in shelving units where just a touch of something is needed to maintain balance, allowing this artwork to steal the show.
More:
Collections: Create Art With the Things You Love
Punch Up Your Shelving
More:
Collections: Create Art With the Things You Love
Punch Up Your Shelving
Comments
Angela Todd Designs Garrison Hullinger - your accessorizing and color eye is divine! I also love the colors in the Turn Collaborative project.
24 months ago · Like
Kimball Starr Interior Design Thanks Shawn! I'm a big fan of open shelving for my clients, so I'm always looking for new inspirations on how to arrange them.
24 months ago · Like
baksojoni Great & useful tips. many thanks, find it useful for me who's moving to a new house.
23 months ago · Like
soos I like open shelving but in here where dust accumulates every couple of days it isn't a very practical idea i guess :O
23 months ago · Like
ellie48 This is a great post. This is a good reference post. Thanks for all of the ideas.
23 months ago · Like
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Kerrie L. Kelly Thanks for featuring our work Shawn! We love the ideabook and Lonny, too!
23 months ago · Like
Pangaea Interior Design, Portland, OR So much more interesting than shelves crammed to capacity with books! Great tips for how to do it!
23 months ago · Like
Shawn Gauthier So glad everyone enjoyed it!! I've always been a fan of open shelves, but maybe that's because I have too many knick-knacks ;)
23 months ago · Like
dreemer I am late to the party Shawn, but this is exactly the info I needed. Thanks so much!!!
23 months ago · Like
Shawn Gauthier Yay! Happy to hear it, dreemer! :)
23 months ago · Like
Ideabook updated on June 20, 2011.
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