Shelf Styling Tips

Great vintage finds have enough beauty of form and character to make a statement alone. This rustic scaffolding shelf in my living room looks good even if there’s nothing on it. But after a couple of months of looking at a bare shelf, a girl’s gotta get up a ladder and do some seasonal styling. Here are some Shelf Styling Tips to give you the confidence to decorate yours!

This awesome scaffolding shelf has been bare naked since it’s Christmas debut as a fun Shiny Brite display {“Christmas Map Display”}. To transition to a new season, I’ve been making a little pile of items I call “Classic Junk” that want to live up high on this shelf for awhile. Moving a sofa and climbing a ladder does not make for a display that one wants to switch out often.

Gather the Items You Want to Use

I wanted this shelf to contain some Classic Junk items I’m happy to look at all the time, with a little foliage that will look seasonally o.k. until fall.

Here’s what was in my pile to use:

1. A Scale
2. A toolbox, with my favorite clamshell hinges and dovetailed corners:)
3. A globe
4. Old wheels
5. A Galvanized Tray

I know a lot of you are crazy about these classic junk items too; globes, clocks, scales and toolboxes have many fans! I used a lot of these same elements in my “How To Build a Centerpiece: World Traveler”. 

Using your same accessories in different places, gives your home a fresh new look! 

Here are the gymnastics my brain went through as I quickly transformed the pile on the floor into this vignette while Mr. Fix-it was asking when he could put the couch back. Decorating takes patience;)

Balance Repeating Colors

First, I knew I’d have to balance out all the black accessories. I like black because it un-sweets all the pastels and ties in with all the black outlining on the map. The white scale was the brightest piece, and therefore seemed appropriate for the center.

After moving the items around a couple times (up and down the ladder, move the ladder…), I realized I also needed to space out the circular items, which I had quite a few of. Sometimes I put together themed items like this without really realizing it…

Repeat Similar Shapes Throughout Display

Now that I’ve shared that little tip with you, you can do it consciously! When you’re gathering your shelf items to display, think about your accesories’ shapes.

Create a Triangle Shape With Your Vignette

I placed the accessories in a triangular shape, bookending the whole scene with the wheels and candlesticks at either end. Think back to your grade school days when you learned the three types of triangles and choose one of them to replicate. This is obviously an equilateral triangle; see, I did learn something in school;)

The accessories I chose directly related to the colors in the map. This is a great trick for creating a cohesive home. Your wall art or accessories can be the beginning of a whole design scheme.

Choose Accessories to Coordinate With Your Wall Art

Along with the black, I used mossy greens throughout to carry this vignette from spring through summer.

Vary Your Textures

For added dimension and texture, make sure you include a wide variety of textures. My shelf is wood and so is the toolbox, so I added a mesh galvanized tray and the metal scale, tray and wheels. The gold owl family added an extra punch.

Coordinate the Rest of the Room With Your Styled Shelf

Then, when your lovely display is complete, bring all those pretty colors down to earth to coordinate your furniture below the vignette. I found an afghan in my store leftover pile that had the same unusual combo of colors I used above. Cool, spring nights last quite a while in my area!

Can you see how classic junk items can be gathered from around your home and styled into a beautiful display? Maybe you’ve already got some of these same accessories in your home and you could put them together to create a new shelf vignette to enjoy. Did you learn something new with these ideas? I hope these Shelf Styling Tips will give you more confidence to decorate your own home, no matter the season!

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