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How do I style my shelves?

Have you ever felt stuck when it comes to styling a shelf in your home? I totally get it! I use to struggle with it too. It wasn’t until I learned a few tricks of the trade that it all started to make sense.

My goal is to simplify the process for you and since I loved having a checklist, I’ve made one for you! Of course you can use any items you’d like but this will give you a great place to start.

Shelf Styling Ideas

1. Art: Think canvas, framed art, even picture frames with beautiful photos or your favorite family memories!

2. Candles: I absolutely love adding candles to my shelves. There’s something special that a lit candle adds to the room. Don’t worry, I’ll add some decor items for you to shop, including battery lit candles!

3. Decorative Boxes: This is a beautiful way to add storage to your shelves! You can even layer boxes to hide cords, remotes and anything you don’t want to see but need to keep close.

4. Plants, flowers, greenery: In my personal opinion, one or more of these is a must. Faux or real is up to you.

5. Vases: Grab a few in different sizes.

6. Wooden, metal or dough bowls: You can’t go wrong by adding natural elements.

7. Books: I feel like you can’t have enough of these!

8. Styling Beads: Bone, Glass, wood or any you’d like.

9. Decorative items: Think sculptures, book ends, magnifying glasses etc.

10. Baskets: I feel like you can never go wrong with a basket of some sort.

5 Tips for Styling any Shelf!

1. OVER GATHER…or over buy! Whether your shopping your home or starting from scratch, grab more than you think you’ll need! I know that may sound silly, but trust me! You’ll need to play around with the placement of each item and its a lot easier to return items then to style a shelf and not love it because it’s missing that special something.

2. Layer items! Most of us think of the rule of three when it comes to decor and that often translates into us placing three items in a row. Instead, try layering. Add a candle slightly in front of a basket or bowl. Place a vase in front of your art. Doing this adds dimension and brings life to your shelf styling.

3. Alternate the number of pieces per shelf. I like to start with two items on the top shelf then switch to three items on the second shelf and maybe repeat that depending on the number of shelves. To be clear, that doesn’t mean just three items! Each item can represent a grouping of items into two groups or three.

4. Pay attention to the height of your items. You can maintain a balanced look by evenly distributing the height of your items . For instance, if I have a stack of books to the top left of my shelf with a plant on the top, I’ll repeat something of equal height on the next shelf, but on the right side. You may have seen this explained as creating a triangle.

5. Play with texture! This is especially important if you are a neutral lover like I am! Don’t be afraid to add glass, woven items, ceramics, wood and metal to name a few. The key is to keep the balance. You don’t want to place wood beside wood. Instead, try spreading them out for a more visually appealing look.

If you need a little more help, I’ve added a reel full of styled shelves for inspo! And if your starting from scratch or just want to add a few new items to your shelves, I’ve got you covered! Check out my LikeToKnowIt I’ve hand picked some styling items for you!

I’m here to help! If you have any questions or maybe its your first time landing on this blog, please say hello or ask your questions in the comment section below.

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