Looking for some cute shelving ideas to update your home and add some colour? Well good, you are in the right place. The #shelfie is something of a social media phenomenon, right up there (as far as we're concerned) with the #selfie. For the uninitiated, it's a snap of beautifully styled decorative shelves.
Sounds simple? Taking the photos is easy, but styling shelves actually requires a bit of an eye – it's all about the balance of the arrangement, both in terms of the objects' sizes and shapes but also their colours, too. Why bother? Well arranged shelves will add character, individuality and a neater look to your home.
So keep on scrolling or all our shelf decor ideas and head over to our living room ideas design guide for more inspiration.
- How to put up a shelf: don't miss it if you need some help with that too
1. Style shelves to create a living wall
If you're looking for inspiration when styling shelves, you really needn't look any further than the humble house plant. Not only do they look good when styled thoughtfully, but they can work wonders for your health and wellbeing, too.
Recreate this look by regularly interspersing long, trailing house plants – a hanging fern or spider plant are great options – amongst books, ornaments and other belongings. The contrast of somewhat unruly plants with a shelving unit that's well organised is what's most effective, so don't be afraid to let your greenery get a little out of hand.
If you're looking for more ways to incorporate plant life into your decorative shelves, browse our pick of the best indoor plants and start building your own living wall. And don't miss our feature on indoor gardening, too, for more green-fingered inspiration.
2. Pick a colour scheme for your open shelves
With your shelving ideas, a good place to start is by deciding on a colour scheme for your accessories to tie the look together. Warm shades, like yellow and orange, are an on-trend option guaranteed to add depth and interest to a scheme.
The accessories used to style this mantlepiece are quite eclectic, but the consistent use of warm, yellow tones ties the look together nicely. Take a look around your home and see if there are any items that you might be able to pair together to recreate a similar look. Then it'll be a free #shelfie, too.
3. Approach your shelving ideas like hanging a gallery wall
If you're a renter who loves to idea of a gallery wall – but doesn't love the idea of facing a landlord's wrath after you've drilled countless holes to hang said gallery wall – consider taking the principles of hanging one and applying them to your shelf styling, instead.
A great way to showcase collections – be that mirrors, antique tea cups, prints or, in this case, plates – opting for a mix of pieces from a similar time period or that are similar in size can be a great way to create a finish that's not overly-styled. This is particularly successful if you layer certain pieces and don't pay too much attention to the precision of your spacing.
For more tips and inspiration on how to hang a gallery wall with our gallery wall ideas piece.
4. Opt for neutral, Scandi-inspired shelving decor
You might think this decorative shelving is accidental, but the the minimalist feel of this #shelfie is quite purposeful. The limited, neutral colour palette and natural materials create a contemporary feel that nods at period living, while interest is added through the use of complementary materials, textures and different shapes placed haphazardly, but intentionally.
5. Group similar items together
The power of effective shelving ideas is often in its simplicity, particularly if you're working with a room that already has a lot going on, colour and texture wise.
Grouping minimal accessories of similar bulk– for example a small stack of books with similar spine colours, ceramics or vases – regularly across the entirety of a unit successfully strikes the balance between adding interest and preventing your shelving unit from looking too sparse or too crowded, without any one thing becoming a focal point.
6. Make a feature of shelving with bunting
Styling a solid bookshelf or shelving enclosed by a cabinet can be a little more tricky as these spaces tend to be a little darker, plus they're naturally less dramatic than an open shelving unit. That doesn't mean they should go without a little #shelfie love, though.
Use bunting – or fairy lights – to draw attention to your shelf styling and make it more of a feature. Ditsy florals or polka dots make the perfect addition to a home with a cute, country cottage feel, while more contemporary homes could benefit from neutral linens, or even pops of bright colour.
7. Use a decorated shelf to create privacy
In a room that's overlooked, an open shelving unit, styled with see-through or semi-transparent items is a good way to create privacy – without going for bulky window treatments.
House plants are an easy and effective option that will (quite literally) inject life into an otherwise plain room, but you could just as easily replace house plants with a display of colourful glassware.
8. Shape your shelving around a focal item
Much like when you're composing a gallery wall, you might find that you have one particular item – be that a piece of artwork, a stand-out ornament, or in this case, a monogram – that means something to you and can form the focal point for the rest of your decorative shelving.
The trick to ensuring attention is drawn to your desired point is spacing. The contrast of quite densely packed shelving surrounding a more spacious centre point draws the eye and gives the display room to breathe.
9. Go for irregular shelf styling for a laid back feel
So you want to create that styled, but not obviously styled #shelfie look? Well, believe it or not, irregularity is key. Rather than grouping similar items together, as we've suggested in previous points, try dispersing them, seemingly randomly, across a larger shelf space, as it's this mix of shapes, patterns and textures that will create the laid back feel you're looking for.
Try thinking a little outside the box when it comes to positioning, could stacks of books, or even individual items, be positioned horizontally, vertically? In clusters, on top of each other, or all on their own?
A great starting point may, actually, be just to put all your belongings on your shelves, randomly, to see how they fall. After that, you can tweak bits, here and there, until you achieve an outcome you're happy with.
10. Decorate a leaning shelving unit if you are renting
Design your own modular sofa with Cubit
If your style is a little more relaxed or you like an unfitted look, opt for a wire rack shelving unit that can be propped up against a wall, and styled randomly, just like this one – or pick a regular shelving unit and create a display that's non-uniform. This is a great way to get in some shelving if you are renting and therefor can't hang shelves on your walls.
11. Go for a neat shelf display for a streamlined space
If yours is a busy space, picking a colour scheme for your shelving is one trick to help the room feel tidier; another clever way, as here, is to create a shelf display that's regularly spaced, with items of the same size on show. We've already mentioned them more than once, but house plants really are one of the easiest additions to a well styled shelf.
This gorgeous kitchen extension was designed by George & James Architects .
12. Use styled open shelving to zone a space
Decorative shelves can also be used to effectively zone an open-plan space, without compromising the spacious feel that many of us crave. Opt for an open shelving unit which creates a subtle divide between zones, without restricting light or flow within the space. Decorate with houseplants, books or ornaments made from natural materials for the perfect shelf decor.
13. Balance out a #shelfie with shapes and textures
To style a shelf effectively, you'll need to think about how to create balance with the accessories you're working with. While pairing lots of the same thing together – as we've seen in previous examples – can create a standout look, striking the balance with lots of different objects can create a desirable outcome, too.
Most successfully styled shelves are comprised of a combination of books, glassware, ceramics, house plants and other ornaments, so take a look around your home for items that might work together, or keep this combination in mind when shopping.
14. Colour-match wall-to-wall shelves for a formal feel
Floor to ceiling bookshelves make something of an impact in a space with high ceilings; particularly when styled with books organised by colour. Start by splitting books into categories determined by cover colour; then experiment with stacking them vertically or horizontally to create an interesting look, overall.
15. Upcycle your shelves before you get decorating
The perfect weekend project for the DIYers amongst us, adding a pretty backdrop – which could be made from something as simple as wrapping paper – to your decorative shelving is one of the easiest ways to make your display stand out.
Light coloured papers can be particularly effective if you're working with a shelving unit that feels a little dark and dingy. Or, if you're a renter who loves the idea of using wallpaper to inject personality into your space, but know that your landlord would be less enthusiastic.
For more easy and inexpensive weekend projects, head over to our hub page.
16. Go modern with eclectic shelf styling
In a modern home, you can get away with styling shelves with an eclectic mix of prints, home accessories and other bits and bobs. In fact, the more random the selection, the better, in many instances.
Here, having shelves in the same dark tone as the walls ensures all attention is drawn to the shelves' accessories. Anyone else spot the troll doll..? Loving this look? Check out more of our dark and atmospheric decorating ideas.
Looking for more design inspiration?
- 42 kitchen ideas: small updates, big makeovers and everything in between
- Modern bathroom ideas: 20 looks for a gorgeous contemporary design
- Living room ideas on a budget: 16 cheap ways to update your space
