It can be tricky to know how to style shelves beautifully. Get some tips and tricks on how to make your shelving look beautiful without feeling cluttered with these easy steps!
I recently scored a beautiful shelf from a yard sale for $40! I have been keeping my eyes open for a kitchen hutch to have extra storage for some of my bulky kitchen appliances like my instant pot, slow cooker, etc. There were several from Facebook marketplace that I missed by other quick buyers so I was bummed out. Then, my husband decided to stop at one of our neighbors moving sale. He sent me a picture of it and I knew she was the one but I told him I would like to see it for myself to make sure. The next morning we went together and it was still there! Plus, it was the perfect size, color, and style that I was looking for! Even though it is technically considered a children’s bookshelf, it makes the perfect hutch for me.
When we brought the shelf into our home, I fell in love with it and knew it was not a mistake. Sometimes, I find something pretty but then bring it into my home and don’t love it in my space. I went on ahead and started styling it right aways. I played around with it and wanted to share some easy tips and tricks for styling shelving! Make sure to check out this post on how Irene styled her coffee bar for more inspiration!
What Should I Use to Style Shelves?
- Baskets
- Jars
- Vases
- Trinkets
- Figurines
- Collectibles
- Plants
- Candles
- Utensils
- Seasonal decor
- Books
Since my shelf is in my dining room area, it is styled for kitchen use. But, these tips can be used for any shelf in any space.
Color Palette for Shelf Styling
For your shelf to look cohesive, try to choose your general color palette throughout the shelf. Look at what you have and see if anything has something in common. For example, in my shelf, I am using wood, white, glass, and metal tones. I recently added some blue and white tones from the Delft blue butter dish and piggy. Also, with fall I added my pink and purple pumpkins throughout the hutch.
How to Put Items Out On Display
- Find Balance: In order for the shelf to look great, it needs to be balanced. So try balancing the colors, textures, and sizes on each shelf.
- Amount of Items: Have variation on the amount of items on each shelf. Let it be balanced.
- Play Around With It: Try rearranging and playing around with the pieces until you are satisfied. I am honestly still tweaking it and looking out for pieces that will look good on this kitchen hutch when I go thrifting.
Tips to Style Shelves
- Less is more! Try not to make your shelving look cluttered. Sometimes just adding one large bowl or basket on a shelf will do it instead of 100 little items.
- Opposite Corners: Try arranging same textures on opposite corners of shelves. It makes it look cohesive and pulls it all together.
Beautiful Decor Ideas for Shelf Styling
Here are some ideas of beautiful artwork and items that would look beautiful staged on your shelves!
- Beautiful Vintage Artwork
- Black Candlestick Holders
- Ivory Taper Candles
- Ceramic Vases
- Rae Dunn “Knock” Birdhouse
- Wooden Baskets and circular basket
- Pumpkin Jar
- Metal Pitcher
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Conclusion
Thank you so much for stopping by Two Peas in Two Pods!!! We hope you enjoyed this tutorial on how to style shelves beautifully by Inna. Hope this is helpful! Feel free to comment below on any questions you have! <3 Inna & Irene
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