I hear homeowners say things like, “Why, oh why, do those magazine photos of bookshelves look so perfect and mine look so [fill in the blank]…”

*so blah

*so empty

*so full

*so haphazard

*so like-I-tried-too-hard

Sure, the magazines have stylists to prep their photos, but you can do what they do, because I’m going to show you how! Ready for Bookshelf Styling 101? Here we go!

Empty your shelves and start with a blank slate. A good way to start is to build on a theme.  Here I used rustic, farmhouse items: tin and wood, chippy finishes and mason jars. BUT a surprise element is always fun, like the mercury glass sparkle on top!

Keep scale in mind. Fewer, bigger items make more of a statement.  Resist the urge to fill a small shelf with a bunch of small items that get lost. This chalkboard-backed shelf features just a few colorful kitchen items.

Variety is key. If possible, vary shelf height. Also vary the height of items you display, and vary shapes and textures, as I did at this client’s home.

To achieve variety in this State Fair Airbnb property I turned some of the books horizontally and some vertically. But the unifying element of repeating color ties it all together. Your repeating element could be color, books, a metal finish, or maybe plants. And when you place these pieces, think zig zag. Notice how the plants are not all on the same side?

Balance out the visual weight of items. One heavier item could be balanced out with a grouping of smaller items, such as the books and framed graphic here.

 

Try layering some of your items, as I did with the frames and plants on my kitchen shelves.

Need help with your shelf arrangement ideas? Or another decorating dilemma? Let’s work on it together!  Let’s talk!