Peyton Wolff
In this post I share my method for creating beautifully styled shelves and bookcases every time. The beauty of this simple technique is you don’t have to run out and buy a whole bunch of brand new decor. I had to learn the hard way how important it is to have a game plan when it comes to decorating shelves.
I used to stand and stare at the blank shelves in our first home I ever shared on my blog (back when it was called hmydearblog.com and I knew NOTHING about decorating) and be close to tears over that overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to even begin.
Its been 7 years since I started my blog and over the years I have picked up on a few tips and tricks and now I know you can save so much time decorating a bookcase or floating shelf if you have a game plan before you even begin! Decorating shelves can feel really daunting and leave you unsure of where to start!
I was often in tears trying to figure out how to decorate shelves without it taking forever to find the right balance, and look I was going for. Over the years though I have fine tuned a method I use whenever I am styling shelves and I promise if you give it a shot next time you are decorating the end result will be perfectly styled shelves, every time! I am going to style our shelves in three different ways with objects from around our house, but I will be using the same method of placement to show you how easy this is to apply in your own homes.
A key ingredient to designer quality shelves is layering home decor in varying heights. Some ideas for taller objects would be plants like a snake plant that can grow very tall, larger pictures placed vertically or horizontally, and large decorative objects or candle sticks. You want to make sure you are adding in enough larger scale items that your shelf doesn’t look like a bunch of clutter is on it.
Your end goal is for the bookcase or shelf to look curated and thought out, not piled high with every pretty thing you own stuffed onto it. As you can see in the photo above this doesn’t mean you can only use one object on either side of the shelf, though you could if you prefer a more minimalist look.
We want it to look intentional, and the two groups on the bottom also helps give our eye somewhere to rest and looks more visually appealing. When I am done I like to stand back and take a photo to help me see if anything more needs to be added or maybe something’s need to be removed. The great thing about this method is it works for any type of design style. Look for fun woven baskets, wooden prayers beads and little boxes to add texture to your shelves.
You can go for traditional candle holders or quirky fun ones like my little brass bunny. I like to keep my books cohesive with my color scheme for the rest of my room, but you don’t have to!
Risers are a great way to add depth to your shelf decor.
We have a mini display stool and a round wooden mid century riser.
Check out our blog post on our favourite floating shelf sources.
