
Take a look at these beautifully-styled bookshelves from around the web as inspiration. You’ll get them to a place where you’re happy. Display what makes you smile, and evolve your displays over time. Does it seem like one side is “heavier” to the eye than the other? Move a few things around so it balances out on both sides. You’ll no doubt see that you need to edit things down once or even three of four times! Don’t overfill it. Get out your phone and take a photo and look at it through that lens. Now stop, and stand back with a critical eye. And, as always, make sure to use meaningful and/or natural objects that you love within your display. Maybe add a plant or something from nature on top. Or turn your books backward for a change to create a calming monochromatic effect. Or line up a few of the same objects for an interesting focal display.

Have a minimalist shelf in the mix with only one object on it. Varying the heights and depths creates interest and draws the eye.ĭo something a little different. Or stack some books and then add an object on top. Or lean a larger photo and smaller one over top of one another. For example, you could lean a photo near the back and put a small object in front of it. Put some decorative pieces closer to the back and some in front. Lay your books both flat and horizontally. The heaviest things (both physically and visually) should go on the bottom shelves. Put larger items like boxes or baskets or a stack of large coffee-table books at the bottom. Or you might want to go with a very neutral, non-colour scheme. You might even want to try grouping books by colour per shelf if that looks good to you. This will be more soothing to the eye than tons of colours randomly. I’m not saying you have to colour your books, but try to find one or two dominant colours to repeat over and over on the bookcase. You want the things on your bookcase to be seen and appreciated (by you and by others), not ignored. When you fill your shelves with lots of little things, it’s too much for your eyes and brain to take in, so it just reads it as clutter. You’ll want to mix books with other decorative items and also leave some white space. Remember that you don’t have to fill the entire shelf, and that leaving some negative space will give the impression that your home is airy and uncluttered without being too sparse.Even if you have lots of books and/or special trinkets to display, try to weed out only the ones you truly love or find another spot for some. You can also use small bunches of preserved flowers or small plants like succulents or cacti, on their own or interspersed with a small framed print or two, to decorate a small shelf. Everything is of the highest quality and most of our collections are handmade giving your minimalist home decor a feeling of distinction and sophistication. To decorate small shelves, opt for lightweight, transparent objects like glassware and those with metallic finishes that will reflect light and won’t visually weigh down a smaller surface. What can I use to decorate small shelves?

To style disparate objects, aim to create a balance between different shapes, materials, and heights, creating a conversation between your motley collection that adds personality to your home and will spark a conversation when guests drop by. Effortless cool shelves feature collections that look improvised and spontaneous, collected over time rather than calculated. The easiest way to make a shelf look cool is to style it within an inch of its life while giving the impression that you made zero effort.

To avoid stacking shelves with meaningless clutter, aim to display objects that you find both useful and beautiful. From the kitchen to the bathroom to the laundry room, home bar, or any other room in the house, shelves can be used to store items that are useful to have visible and accessible, or those that you simply enjoy seeing as you spend time at home. You can decorate your shelves with small objects from keepsakes to toys to everyday items. What should you put on shelves for decoration? The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board.
