Help me decorate my shelves!

12 years ago

Looking for ideas on how to pull my shelves together. We recently built them and I just went around the house gathering "stuff" I already had to "decorate" them. Particularly interested on what to do with the top shelf... I've even considered shortening it by one shelf, not decorating the top and putting something like a mirror up on the wall.
There will eventually be a light shade of blue drapery hanging on the wall adjacent to the shelf.
Thanks :)

Featured Answer

samazi
Original Author

12 years ago

erinsean we built them with a rustic feel in mind. That is kind of the feel we are going for in the room, with some soft touches of course.

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Comments (9)

erinsean
12 years ago
I would put a live ivy like plant on the top shelf with maybe a couple of low fat candle sticks with it. The other shelves need about half the stuff you have on them. IMHO the heavier stuff should be on the bottom shelves, with pictures, pots, mugs, and books intermingled on the center shelves. Right now, they look a little cluttered.
Piff
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
I think a brightly colored plant will finish this cool as hell shelving off nicely.
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erinsean
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
Just wanted to add....you did a good job of building the shelves but could they be made more substantial looking? Such as a molding around the shelves, wooden uprights (to cover the metal tubing) or even paint the tubing to resemble wrought iron. Depends on what else you have in the room.
samazi
Original Author
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
We will eventually be replacing the fireplace mantle to resemble that feel as well.
samazi
Original Author
12 years ago
And I love the plant idea but I have the hardest time keeping them alive :/
abbyjean
12 years ago
last modified: 12 years ago
VERY nice job with the design of this unit!
The top shelf needs one more item, keeping in mind the 'rule' of odd numbers and I think it makes sense. I also think it needs a bit more height to fill in the area a bit...not a pic or a mirror, though. I would like to see that chest more in the center and kee the jug next to it. Would you have a trailing plant you could place on top of the chest at all?

The next one I like, but would have that fun little chest be straight instead of turned.

Next shelf.....slide the books over to the center and no picture frame there....just the books the way you have all of them. The next shelf is too full of too many small items. I would like to see books there, too, with just a few accessories. THREE groupings here. Maybe the next shelf....those books.....could go up higher and just slide those mugs over. Bottom? Center that item.
trying2finish
11 years ago
Im struggling with built ins to decorate too!! LOVE this unit. I Casually love what you've already done but I immediately thought plant. Im also seeing the 1/3 books 1/3 decoration 1/3 space as a guideline for decorating mine and with that in mind might suggest clearing just a few things out so that you never feel cluttered. Nice job.
leelee
11 years ago
Consider moving the shelf to another wall. You have too much going on next to the fireplace.

Then fill in that corner with a chair and ottoman angled in toward the middle of the room. Add a floor lamp for reading.