How many times have you looked at your bookcase or entertainment center shelves and felt defeated? Asking yourself, “how do I decorate these?” and not knowing where to start.
Styling shelves is one of our favorite things to do, so we’ve put together a list of tips to help you conquer those shelves with confidence!
How to Decorate Shelves 101
Decide on a Color Palette
First things first, pick a color scheme. Love blue for your beach house? Play with different shades of blue with furniture choices, pillows, or paint. Offset aqua or teal tones with white or wood pieces for a color balance.
Get Creative
Ever thought of using wallpaper on something other than your walls? Try adding wallpaper to the back of your shelf for some color and pattern if you want to add a little pizazz.
Personalize It
Shelves are the perfect space to showcase some of your favorite treasures from traveling or special family moments. Give your shelves a personal feel with picture frames and mementos that you love most.
Keep it Natural
Incorporate natural elements, like flowers and greenery, and different textures to make shelves feel cozy and homey.
Remember Size & Height Balance
One of the most important parts about decorating shelves is remembering to have a size and height balance for your decor items. Large items help shelves feel less cluttered, but those large pieces will need a variety of tall and short pieces too. If you need some inspiration, stacking books horizontally and vertically is a great way to add some height variation.
Don’t Overcrowd
Overstyling shelves is one of the biggest mistakes we see. It’s easy to want to fill shelves up to the brim. However, aesthetically speaking, it’s much better to let some of your pieces have their own space so your shelves don’t look too overcrowded.
Step Back & Look
While you’re busy decorating your shelves, take a step back and let your eyes show you what is out of place. Maybe you need to add books to one corner or add some texture to another. Remember, you don’t have to get it totally right the first time! You can always change the decor out and experiment.
Our Top Picks for Shelf Decor Items
Marble & Brass Picture Frames
These marble frames give an elegant, modern touch for all of life's most precious moments. Choose between black or white frames to add a nice neutral balance.
Candle Holder
The perfect candle stick holder for shelves that add subtle elegance and a modern aesthetic.
Valley Jar with Lid
These small stone jars will bring a global aesthetic to your home decor, perfect for holding your smallest treasures.
Shelf Decorating Ideas
Feeling inspired to redecorate? We hope this blog gets you excited to revamp the shelves in your home and helps you get started! To bring a piece of Abode home with you, shop our shelf decor and more.
