Last night, right before I went to bed, I decided that I NEEDED to rearrange the items on our bookcases. Do you ever look at a space in your house and decide it needs to be changed RIGHT NOW? I figured I’d probably just lose sleep thinking about it, and a change was in order since I haven’t switched things up on them in while. I cleared the shelves off completely, dusted them, and set to work shelf styling.
Trust the trial and error process
I recently read this post by Liz Marie Blog that gave me some inspiration for how to style my shelves. It really is a trial and error process, and I wish I could say I just whipped this up in 10 minutes like she did. I place things, stand back and look, and sometimes even have to walk away and come back to it. This helps me decide if I really like it or not. And of course, this morning I made few more adjustments!
It’s all about balance
I tried to use Liz’s guidelines for styling my shelves. I placed the more visually heavy items on the bottom, such as the pillows and crocks. I placed the largest items first, and then added in some smaller items and greenery. I also tried to balance the size of the items from one side of the shelf to the other. For example, on the top shelf, I have a large old window in the back that is more on the left side, and I used my largest crock on the right side to help balance things out. If I needed to some add some height, I stacked items on top of books.
Shop your home for pieces to style with
I still feel like shelf styling is not my biggest strength, but overall I’m happy with how my shelves turned out. I styled the space with things from around the house that I already had, like crocks, a wood bowl (similar one here) and a wire basket filled with vintage books.
I got the vintage-style bluetooth speaker for my husband for Christmas, and I love how it looks added to my shelf decor. Doesn’t it just fit right in with the vintage vibe?! I love it, and the sound quality is spectacular. My husband was a bit skeptical that the sound quality would be to his liking, but he was pleasantly surprised and ended up buying another Marshall speaker for our home!
Use neutral colors and textures
Another suggestion from Liz was to use a variety of neutral colors and textures to give your space a cohesive look. I had some white pottery, beige crocks, and time-worn books to add texture. I also added some baskets and throws around the room. See that textured striped throw blanket on the chair? This is my absolute favourite throw blanket I own right now! It’s our favourite TV watching blanket, because it so cozy and warm and soft.
Another neutral feature in our room I should mention is this perfect neutral rug. We’ve had our rug for a couple years now, and it has worn really well. It vacuums up great and spot cleans nicely. This rug is definitely a favorite purchase I’ve ever made.
I also added a tray to my coffee table. I found mine at HomeSense, but this carved wooden tray has a similar look. I placed this farmhouse project book and a candle in the tray to dress it up a bit.
I’d love to hear what you guys think about how I’ve styled my shelves! Do you have any shelf styling tips you can share?
Other Related Posts That You Might Enjoy:
Botanical Prints, Blanket Ladder & Shelf Styling
15 Farmhouse Rugs – That Won’t Break the Bank
Shop This Look!
Where are your furniture pieces from??! I love them!!
The bookshelves were handmade from my husband’s grandfather. So unfortunately I can’t link them for you!
Hi! First off I LOVE how you styled you’re book shelves. I have the same shelf , my mom says it’s a antique lawyer shelf. Anyway, I see the bottom glass looks tempered (if that’s the word). Is that contact paper or is that the real texture of the glass? I love it and I’m hoping maybe I can do the same look
My husband’s grandfather made our bookshelves, actually! I don’t know what to call the type of glass but it is textured. Thanks for your kind comment!