Whether it be in a bedroom, living room or kitchen, open shelves are another simple way to make your home feel more cohesive. They add an element of surprise and functionality to the room because they offer an opportunity to beautifully display some fun decorative items like candles, artwork, and even pretty dishes!
Below are 4 ways you can approach styling a shelf in your home!
1. Practically
For some, open shelving is a sacrifice - they don’t feel like they have the space to show off a pretty picture or a candle - they need to USE it. Hear me when I say: this is possible!! You do not have to compromise style or trend, you just have to be more mindful that the plates/bowls are stacked well and cohesive with your mugs/cups. You also have the maintenance aspect of keeping it ORGANIZED and CLEAN. (Which means maybe throwing the plates in the dishwasher before you host company if they’ve been sitting there idle a long time! And dusting…OFTEN!)
2. Playfully
Express your unique creativity by adding a tray or sculpture on a shelf! If you want to add layers (as pictured to the right), then consider adding a small framed art piece, cutting board, or basket behind the smaller items in front! This adds interest and draws the eye to the back of the shelf which creates depth!
3. Minimally
This one seems easy, because “less is more” means that I can put LESS thought into the design…right Brooke? Wrong! With less items, the ones you choose actually make MORE of an impact because they stand alone! Keep your color scheme consistent - I say choose a base color and then add one metallic to it! For example: in this photo the white plateware against a creamy-colored built-in shelf can create a airy and rich feel. BUT once you mix in the metallic decor such as bowl on the bottom left, the kitchen somehow gets “complete” and effortlessly sophisticated.
4. Uniformly
Since I love a little chaos and fun in my design - this style tends to be my LEAST favorite, BUT - I will do it for my clients if they ask me! Take for example these large food canisters - they save the homeowner TONS of space in the cabinets by pouring all of their baking ingredients, grains, and even pretzels (i’ve seen people do it with candy too!) into a food container such as these! With the same number of containers/identical items on each shelf, this is one of the easiest ways to decorate open shelves (and save your cabinet space)!
The fun part about open shelves is that you can constantly rearrange them - based on season (or mood, lets be honest 🤣) and now the hashtag #open_shelfies makes me want to do it even more! Haha! Be sure to tag @brookesteuartswann in your shelves if you use my tip for an opportunity to be featured!