Secrets to your Styling Shelves

Tip: Start with a Blank Slate

Although to many this may seem like an easy, self-explanatory step, it is often the most forgotten or ignored rule of shelf decorating. Edit. Get rid of any clutter that should be thrown out, eliminate anything that you don’t use anymore, and donate anything that may still be good but you just no longer love. A frequent shelf mistake we see is styling with too many (frequently small) objects. 

Think of it this way: the more items you have on a shelf, the less of an impact each individual item is going to make. Some pieces are even large and dramatic enough to stand alone on a shelf

Tip: Have a Healthy Mix

This is the part that makes shelf styling so much fun! Explore our collection of decor and add all of your pretty items! Objects, sculptures, collections, vessels, flowers…you name it. The key is to provide a healthy mix and to think sculptural, especially when working with built in bookshelves. A tip we adore at Kathy Kuo Home is to use an organic material for a super refreshing look, like petrified wood slices or a beautiful shell.

It may sound obvious, but the most important thing really is to display the pieces that you love most.. Show off treasures brought back from recent travels, display your accomplishments, and finish it off with a bunch of things that you just plain like. Home is where we tell our stories through the things that we choose to surround ourselves with. If the items on your shelves speak to you, pique your interests and recall your experiences, then they create a space that is truly your own and that you’ll be that much happier living in.

Tip: Start with Larger Objects First

It’s easy to come undone when you begin styling your shelf with small decorative items. Instead, start to fill your shelf with larger items such as woven baskets or artwork — this will help you get the scale and balance right and give you a basic layout.

Tip: Display Items That Vary In Size

For shelves that feel full and finished, mix and match bigger and smaller pieces to create a layered look. Try starting with a few large staple items, and then accessorizing with smaller, more intricate objects. Combining larger and smaller pieces creates a balanced look. Boxes, baskets, large bowls, and big pictures are great pieces to incorporate either as a foundation or to fill in space.

Tip: Decorate in odd numbers

It may sound strange but arranging items in odd numbers creates a more balanced look. By that I mean, creating arrangements of 1, 3, 5 or even 7 items.

If an arrangement isn’t working for you, consider changing the height or scale of some pieces. Perhaps everything is too same-same or perhaps the items are too large or small?

Tip: Mix up Book Placement

Books instantly add a homely feel to shelf styling. Make the most of them by stacking books horizontally and vertically, and aligning some stacks to the left, right or centre of a shelf.

By mixing up the positioning of books and piles, you’ll keep things interesting and help balance the ‘weight’ of your shelf styling.

Tip: Stack and Layer

One of my favourite ways to give your shelf styling confidence is by layering, and an easy trick to do this is by placing items on top of stacks.

If you’ve created a few book stacks on your shelf, simply place a small decorative item on top. For example, I’ve placed the blue glass knot on one stack and a brass trinket box on another.

You can use this tip in any space of the home, for example in the bathroom you may place a soap and body brush on a stack of towels. It’s a neat trick you can apply to any styling you do.

Tip: Plants

Nothing adds a little life to a room like a bit of flora. Just a few plants can wake up an entire space, adding texture to your shelves and a pop of color to your room. Look for plants with a visual appeal like fresh cut blooms, or an edgy succulent. Fresh flowers also smell lovely, which is always a plus.

Tip: Propped Artwork

In a world where pictures are usually hung, leaning your artwork is an elegant way to break the rules. In addition to being incredibly stylish, open shelf art displays are very practical for small spaces. Gone are the hours spent worrying about uneven spacing or wondering if your painting is really straight or if it just looks straight. Simply let your favorite paintings and photos lean against the wall. Long shelves and small photos also give you the option to group your pieces together, letting you mix and match for your own in-home art shows. It's a great excuse to pull out all of your art and experiment until you get the perfect look. Consider placing artwork towards the back of the shelf and layer smaller decorative items in front — using the depth of the shelf will create interest.

Tip: Stand back and edit

As most interior stylists and designers will tell you, the most important step is to stand back and edit.

Look at your shelf and ask yourself — is it too busy or bland? Do you need to inject some colour or balance things out?

Sometimes less is more and embracing a little negative space (or blank space) can give the rest of your shelf styling room to breathe.