From Boring to Breathtaking: How to Style Open Shelves Like a Pro

Ever stared at your open shelves and wondered why they look nothing like the gorgeous ones you’ve pinned on Pinterest? You are not alone. Those “effortlessly stylish” displays you drool over in magazines take serious thought and a bit of know-how. The good news? You don’t need to be born with the design gene to crack the code.

When done right, open shelves become the perfect spot to show off your personality while keeping everyday items within reach. Bringing in a London Interior Designer could fast-track your shelf styling education. They are trained to spot what’s working and what’s not, and can teach you tricks that might take years to figure out on your own.

1. Start With a Clean Slate

You’d be amazed how much random stuff accumulates on shelves over time. That half-empty hand cream, the three dead batteries you meant to recycle, the dusty candle you never light. Give those shelves a proper clean while you are at it.

Consider giving the back wall of your shelving a lick of paint. It’s a game-changer! If painting feels like too much commitment, try removable wallpaper or even carefully cut wrapping paper for a temporary fix.

2. The Power of Negative Space

Here’s the secret sauce that separates amateur shelf styling from professional displays: empty space. The absence of stuff is just as important as the stuff itself. Most of us try to cram too much onto our shelves, and that’s exactly why they never look “done.”

Leave about a third of your shelf space completely empty. These breathing gaps give your eyes somewhere to rest between focal points. Sometimes, less really is more.

3. Create Visual Anchors

Every well-styled shelf needs a few stars of the show – larger items that create focal points and give structure to the overall display. Without these anchors, your shelves risk looking like a jumble of random bits and bobs.

Place your largest items first, but avoid plonking them dead centre as it looks static. Slightly off-centre placement creates more natural flow. Different heights and widths keep things interesting. Once these bigger pieces are in place, the smaller items have context and don’t look like floating clutter.

4. Layer Depth and Texture

Flat arrangements are the kiss of death for shelf styling. The most interesting displays have depth: some items sitting proudly at the front, others nestled behind. This layering creates little vignettes that tell more interesting visual stories.

Mix up your textures too! Smooth ceramics, rough woven baskets, glossy picture frames, matte book covers. These contrasts create visual interest even with everyday items.

Conclusion

If an item isn’t beautiful, useful, or meaningfully sentimental, it doesn’t deserve valuable shelf space. Regularly edit my displays, swapping seasonal items and removing anything that’s not earning its keep.

Open shelving done right transforms rooms and puts your personality on display. The beauty is that you can always change things up when you fancy a refresh. Play around, break some rules, trust your eye, but remember that sometimes the thing your shelf needs is less, not more.