We love styling shelves – it may be one of our favourite things to style, but can be tricky! Styling and restyling shelves is a great way to mix up your space and freshen things up every now and then so it shouldn’t have to be intimidating. We have created a few go to tips for you to help step up your shelfie game!

 

Step 1: Start fresh

We always start with an empty space no matter what shelves we are styling. This allows us to start fresh and get an idea of what we want our shelves to look like without any clutter. This is a good tip across the board but come especially in handy when styling shelves.

 

Step 2: Visualize + Take Inventory

Visualize what you want the shelf to look like, whether you get some pinterest (or RD) inspiration. Take a mental inventory of what you need. Once you get a good idea, think of all the items you already have that will help bring your shelves to life. We want your shelves to be filled with your favourite items and be a reflection of what you love. After taking inventory of what you already have, then you can fill whatever is missing in with some new pieces.

 

Step 3: Organize

Take your inventory of items and break them up by colour, size, contrast, texture, purpose etc… this will be useful when filling in spaces and following the process detailed below. 

Step 4: Evaluate the space

Before you start placing your pieces, evaluate the surroundings, what colours are in your space? Is it busy or minimal? The goal is to create balance between your space and the shelves, so choose items that compliment your space. If your space is very colourful, keep your shelf décor simple and neutral. Same with if your space is very busy, style your shelves a bit more minimal.

Step 5: Start Big!

One easy way to start styling is to work around a focal point. That way you won’t feel lost with a bunch of small objects. Use big items like vases and art and fill them in with the smaller objects afterwards. We want to create some visual dimension so different height objects will create more excitement, and balance!

Step 6: Grouping small items

This is where it gets exciting! Now it’s time to fill in the shelves with groups of smaller items. Keep in mind to stager textures, contrast, and colours. You don’t want too much of one thing next to each other, spread them out to achieve that balanced look. Finally, fill in some special sentimental pieces that give meaning to your shelves.

Step 7: Step back and evaluate

As you go you will be running back and forth getting in all of your daily cardio!  Step back and evaluate the results. Check in with the balance of everything, and where you can add, subtract, or move around objects. Luckily this process is never absolute, so you can always go back and freshen up your space with new art, or swap things out around your home!