I moved into my home about 6 months ago, and with it came two, big and beautiful built in shelves on either side the best plant window & window seat there ever was. But the shelves, as beautiful as they are, have been a beast to bring to life with the right mix of personality and appealing design.
So, I have been playing with the shelf decor ever since moving in... from girlfriends coming over to help me (this was seriously such a good start!), to looking at #shelfie pics on IG far too long for inspiration, to lots of moving items around, stepping back to review, repeat.
It's been a work in progress and I kept waiting until it was "done" before I shared, but really, I don't think it'll ever be done. Home decor is ever changing like our personal style. Seasonal for sure, but unlike how we use fashion to express how we're feeling, home decor allows us to set the stage for how we want to feel.
So, below if you're interested, I'm sharing my before (more like after my first attempt) and where I'm at today with a few tips I've picked up along the way that are easy to apply to your own style!
Before
The shelves just felt too cluttered. Too many mixed match pieces with not a strong foundation. So I cleared it off and started over...
Currently
{I've linked to my shelf decor at the bottom of this post}
More white space = less cluttered look and feel. I also streamlined most of my frames, opting for the same white frame in varying sizes. And then forming little vignettes on the shelves helped to create a cohesive design.
A closer look at each shelf:
Tips
1. Texture
Mix textures to add contrast and depth to your shelf! I added two woven baskets (one to each shelf) to breakup my many frames, streamlined my books and added trinkets I found around the house to see a difference. Plus, the baskets can hide a bunch of small stuff you don't really want displayed!
Other ideas: little mirrors in the back can add some fun dimensions, pops of metal (bookends, trinkets, basket), bowls (think about your pretty serving wear you have stored away), plants - faux or real, etc.
2. Color theme or colorful
You can go many ways with this, and ultimately do what pleases you. The two options I toyed around with was either keeping in the same color family (like different hues of blue with neutrals) or keeping neutral with pops of (multiple) colors that work with my room.
I like a lot of colors, and was having a hard time narrowing it down - so I went with a neutral background with pops of yellow, blue, green and pink. This also allowed me to work with different things I already had laying around my house, and showcase things I really love vs. be filtered by the hue fo the object.
3. Mix up proportions
Wide, narrow, short, tall - mix it all up. Think about drawing the eye up and over to your most cherished pieces. Layer items to provide more depth by tucking taller objects behind or in front of shorter and wider ones (like a tall vase behind/in front of a wide photo). This is where you can play with creating vignettes.
4. Leave open space
Probably the place I struggled with the MOST. I want to fill every nook and cranny, and you really, really need open/empty/white space to keep the shelf from looking too cluttered (like in my before photo).
The best way to avoid stuffing it too full is to start with a blank slate - empty the shelf completely. Then build slowly one vignette or shelf at a time, taking a step back or lots of breaks to let it digest! Then, be prepared to keep messing with it forever to come...
Shelf Decor Items
1. Books
2. Baskets & Vases
3. Frames, Trinkets & Trays
Please share your own shelf inspo or design ideas in the comments below!
