Styling Your Shelves with 3 Easy Tips

Are you looking to style your shelves, but don’t know where to start? You’ve come to the right place. I’m sharing some key ideas that I keep in mind when styling our black shelves.

Color Palette

First, start with an idea of a color palette. It can easily be colors you already have throughout your home, but you need a general idea. Do you have a lot of items with wood tones? Do you have some greenery you would like to include? On my shelves, I chose to use greens, blues, and reds as accent colors. The red was a bit unexpected, but I really wanted to experiment with color. I also added a pop of yellow, which blends well with the creams and faded colors of the book pages. If you’re overwhelmed with where to start, Coolors has a free color generator to help.

General Layout

Each shelf should appear balanced. You don’t need complete symmetry, but you want to aim for shelves that vary slightly. When styling my own shelves, I like each shelf to have groups of two or three pieces. Stay away from stacking each item on top of each other like a column, instead create interest by grouping your objects in various places.

Have FUN!

Do not be afraid to play around. I’m constantly editing, arranging, and styling our shelves. You may find that taking away an object leads to more space, which can place a greater emphasis on the displayed items. There’s really no right or wrong here, you want to fall in love with how your shelves look. It’s ok to take time looking for pieces you LOVE!

xx A

Other Tips

Artwork- I adore using artwork to style shelves. You can use photos and artwork you already have, just add fun frames. I sourced various frames on our Amazon Storefront. This is a great way to incorporate color.

Books- Play around with placement to achieve variety. Stack some books on top of each other, then stand others upright.

Decor- Use only items you love. Start with these favorite items, then build from there.

Vases/Glasses- We live in a small space, so I maximize any free space we have. Our wine glasses have made their home on our black shelves. I love the functionality, but also beauty that they display. I paired our wine glasses with our wooden wine rack so it appears cohesive.