Have you ever had trouble styling a shelf and wondered if there was something that could make it a bit simpler?
Well maybe there is.
I will show you a couple of my tricks.
Quite often on a shelf like this I like to use some sort of trailing greenery. If it was say my open coffee nook shelves, clearly I wouldn’t put greenery that trails down and covers the shelves below but in a single open shelf setting I think it makes a statement and softens the look. I always put trailing greenery on first.
Remember the rule of 3.
Basically in design odd numbers are much more pleasing to the eye. I’m not saying I don’t have pairs of anything, but most of the time you will see things in odd numbers in my home or anything I’ve designed. So in the case of a small shelf like this one, find 3 main things to use to style it. I started with the biggest item which was the picture and set it just a little off center.
That’s another trick. Most of the time it’s more pleasing to the eye to have things a little asymmetrical.
The next thing I added (#2) was the little duckling or gosling, whatever it is. It’s not meant to be realistic so it’s hard to tell.
Item #3 was this little wooden sign that’s perfect for spring/easter.
Hanging from the little rod under the shelf it adds some more visual interest without overloading the shelf.
This little guy (or girl) was meant to be an outside decoration and it lived happily on my outdoor table for a while until a strong gust of wind threw him across my yard and broke him. A little glue and he’s good to go so long as you don’t look too closely. I couldn’t let him go down without a fight! lol
That’s all this shelf in my front porch needed to add some visual interest and spring vibes when you first enter my home. Like everything else I change up the decor on this shelf a lot but whenever I’m styling any shelves I follow these tips nearly every time. Three main items of visual interest, asymmetrical, something to “soften the edges” like greenery or ribbon or vintage lace or something that drapes.
I hope this helps a little the next time you’re styling a shelf.
Until next time,
Emily’s Inspiration
To see what Emily is sharing this week just click on the image below.
