Are you wanting to make the temporary shelf or future shelves look pretty? I would suggest lowering your picture to group the smaller shelf and picture together. I like the symmetry you already have on the shelf.

Curtis is right. The artwork is too high. What about putting a LARGE rectangular chalkboard there instead of artwork?

Okay! Where do I find such pretty chalkboards? Maybe Marshall's?

I have to tell you that since I have never decorated a house I look from room to room and become simply overwhelmed!!!!!! Especially when I see all of the beautiful houses on this app! Is this normal? How can I make decorating my home less stressful and overwhelming? Any advice?

Yes, I just wanted to make this temporary shelf look pretty.

I would seriously consider painting that piece white. And yes, something larger above it would be ideal. Add color....look for a piece of canvas artwork if you don't like the chalkboard idea.

White even tho the rest of the kitchen wood is medium brown. Still make it white?

Keitha chalkboard is a great idea! Chalk paint is easy to use, fairly inexpensive and can be purchased at most home depots or hardware stores. I've seen old white boards covered in chalk paint. White shelves with white cabinets would look nice, and then throw in some color on the shelves.

Istroika, I like your shelves as is...unpainted, and your arrangements on them is good. Do you have a small table or chest about the same width as the shelves? Perhaps you could temporarily put the shelves on that.

Do you have cookbooks in a basket on the second shelf? If so, maybe take them out of the shelf and display them as books there. Have most of them standing up, but lay a few on their side, too. Maybe take a cup and place on the top of that pile.

What is on the bottom shelf?

The top shelf does look nice. Lower the art you have and repost so we can keep working together.

The bottom two shelves are filled with brown baskets that have cookbooks in them. I do really love the chalkboard idea!

How is this? I am looking for a large fun bistro or kitchen chalkboard to hang over it....

I love the color green and I really want to use it as an accent color...so relaxing and reminds me of outside!!!!! Should I add a little"green" to the baskets?

I want to warm up my kitchen with "nature" but I have no idea how. Each time I try to put vines or plastic plants it ends up looking silly. I don't know how to arrange things or where to put them.....

Looking at this shelf it looks to me that it should be hung on the wall and not rested on the floor ,you could paint it if you wish to, I would purchase a cart for beneath it, sort of this one here

I love what you did with the baskets!!! Wish the green vase on the top shelf could be a little taller to really make it stand out. Maybe the basket in the middle on the second shelf could have a green ribbon tied around the outside of it....just that one.....not all of them.
I liked the pic there as it went with the flowers in the vase. But the three decor items still there are way too high....even with the pic there, they were too high to be seen and appreciated.

It looks like you have a beautiful space and this shelving unit is just right for your cookbooks in the kitchen.

Ta da!!!!!! I am proud! I found this chalkboard at Marshall's for 20 bucks! It was an ugly gray so I painted it! It reminds me of nature and it's a good size. I also raised the flowers a bit on the vase since I don't have a bigger vase. Now I would like to paint on the chalkboard but I am not sure what to use.

U are fat

???

It does look great. The scale of your Marshall's find is perfect. I would remove the vines over it.

I love it! Great find. :-)

What a find! Just what you wanted and a great price, too! The nasty poster has been reported!!!

Just in idea, but how would it look to move the decor floral pieces on top of the bird cage area of the chalk board? You could even paint them. The same color.

One in the top right corner and one on bottom left.

I actually thought of something like that!

I know it's hard to see but there is a tiny little bird on the upper left hand side so I wasn't sure if I should move anything......I will try different things! Thank you all so much! You are really helping me so much! My house is slowly warming up! :)

Lower pic to be 7" from top of bookcase. Other items not needed.