Getting your shelf decor just right when styling floating shelves or a bookshelf can feel like an overwhelming task. Where do you start? What items should you use? Is it too much? Is it not enough? How do you make it look balanced? Why does it look so easy on Pinterest? If you’ve ever asked these questions, then I have a solution you will love. I’ve styled these floating shelves in my Hearth Room using just three essential items. It’s really that simple. I’ll walk you through each essential item and how I’ve used it to style my shelf decor. Let’s start with the first essential.
Shelf Decor Essential No. 1
I love the opportunity to refresh a room by making simple changes. Styling the floating shelves in our hearth room is one design task that I look forward to each season. It’s a project I can do in just an hour or two, and it can make such a big impact. Of course there are many different types of items you can use to style your shelves. You could definitely style with items beyond these three essentials I’m sharing with you today. But think of this as an easy recipe with just three ingredients you can use to style your shelves like a pro.
The first essential is Vessels. This includes vases, planters, and jars. I’ve collected mine over the years from stores like Target, Crate & Barrel, West Elm, Homegoods, and Pottery Barn. It’s good to have a mix of sizes (in width and height), shapes, textures, materials, and colors. Since I keep my home decor neutral, mine are in a mix of earth tones and wood.
In this “recipe” of three essentials for shelf decor, Vessels take up the most space on your shelves and act as the main ingredient. Instead of selecting several small and medium sized pieces, look for large vessels. These will act as the main featured decor item on your shelves.
Shelf Decor Essential No. 2
The next essential for shelf decor is frames. Depending on the materials, sizes, and colors of your vessels, you can mix in different types of frames. I’ve included white and black frames on my shelves, but I could have included wood frames as well.
Frames are great for showcasing photos, quotes, or art. They can also be switched out seasonally to easily update and refresh your decor. I’ve found great frames at CB2, Target, Homegoods, and TJ Maxx. Tip: I always like to have frames with a white mat around the framed item. It’s visually appealing to me to have that white space.
Shelf Decor Essential No. 3
The third essential to style your shelf decor like a pro is books. As a designer who loves neutral home decor, you’ll never see a colorful rainbow of books liked up on my shelves. But I love when the Home Edit ladies do that. It just doesn’t bring me joy in my own space.
I’ve found that by taking off the book jacket from my hardcover books, there are several options with black, white, or tan covers. I’ve turned them with the page side out to keep it simple. I didn’t want to have the book title on the spine of the book grabbing any attention. I simply want the added height from a stack of books, the added texture, and the added (neutral) color.
You can find books at book resale stores, thrift stores, or look for faux books on Amazon (it’s really a thing). Or cover books with a solid color paper. That’s a trick lots of retail store designers use!
Additional Tips:
- Group items in odd numbers. Groupings of 3 or 5 are typically more visually appealing than groupings of 2, 4 or 6.
- Use color and size to create balance. Darker colors will feel heavier than lighter colors.
- Think about balance on each shelf, and also how each shelf relates to the others. By placing large vessels first, you can make sure each shelf is balanced by placing the large items evenly.
- Style. Step back and take a look. Adjust. Repeat. It’s rarely perfect on the first try.
