How to Style Shelves

Hello Friends!

I have listed my tips on how to style shelves below.

I also rounded up my favorite websites and inspiration pics on how to style shelves.

Here are my top tips for styling shelves:

Pick a color scheme. The items on your shelves should coordinate with the room as a whole.
Understand the function of the shelves. Do you want to store books? Will you need to store kids toys or other items that would be better unseen?
Do you own items that tell a story? If so, are they the right color and height?
Don’t be afraid of negative space (empty space). When items have room to breath, they can be appreciated more.
Group items in threes.
Choose items of varying heights. Think about creating triangles with the items.
If you style with books, consider the colors of the spines or turn your books around to create uniformity. Stack or place biggest to smallest and rotate between displaying them horizontally and vertically. Book ends are great additions and heavy items can be used as book ends too.
Add art to the shelves. Again, consider color, size and story.
Add storage through baskets, boxes, and or bowls.
Add plants to add color, interest and life to the space.
If you do not have items that work on hand, start thinking about what you could add to tell your story and still stick to your planned colors and principles of grouping. In my book I list items that work best in styling shelves.
Create symmetry or asymmetry on purpose.
Move things around until you have it just the way you like. You can always make changes and leave it empty instead of putting random things there just to fill space. Remember that if you leave the shelves empty you can picture in your mind what you want there and it will be easier to see pieces in your mind when you are shopping.