Styling shelves is probably the single most intimidating decorating skill to master. Hands down, I receive more questions about how to style shelves than any other decor topic.
I want to let you know that you can most definitely master this skill! I will admit that some people are born with an innate talent for merchandising, it’s a skill that runs in their veins. Don’t despair, even if you think you can’t do it, I promise you can learn. All you need is a desire to learn, a willingness to practice and not give up.
Merchandising at the retail level, refers to the display of products in such a way that it stimulates interest and entices customers to make a purchase.
In our homes, merchandising is styling. Displaying items in such a way that it stimulates interest and adds beauty to our homes. I confess, there is nothing I love better than styling my home. It’s the thing I enjoy most when it comes to decorating. Truth be told, I never get it right the first time. Even seasoned designers play around with arrangements until they get them looking just right.
I encourage you to check out a previous post on how to style shelves like a boss. It contains the top 5 basic tips that you need to keep in mind when you are styling shelves. It will help you get it just right, and it will also help you figure out why something isn’t working and how to fix it.
If you are just too intimidated with styling shelves and don’t have a clue on where to start, I encourage you to find images on Pinterest that you like and you can recreate. There’s no shame in copying a look that you love. After you get some practice styling shelves you will start to get a better feel for it. You will develop the confidence to put things together on your own and develop your own unique style. Trust me, you will get there if you don’t give up, I promise!
I get it. It’s hard to know what to put together in a way that is pleasing to look at, without everything just looking like clutter. That’s why picking a theme is so important. Bringing like items together will create a cohesive, polished, pulled together look.
For example, putting dishes together with bathroom essentials doesn’t make much sense. You wouldn’t expect to see a gravy boat grouped next to bottles of lotions and perfumes. It would feel contrived and unnatural. Displaying a gravy boat with other china, platters and dishes makes sense and will create a cohesive, intentional, pulled together look. Putting together a disjointed assortment of items willy-nilly will end up looking like a jumble of clutter rather than a pleasing display.
Think about your favorite boutique, when they merchandise their products they group like items together. They will group their dishes in one area, candles in another and linens in yet another area. Then they add greenery and other accents to make it more pleasing to the eye. Styling our homes uses the same concepts.
Today I want to provide some inspiration for you and share how I styled a spa inspired cabinet in my master suite. Feel free to copy some of these ideas if you don’t feel the confidence to create something like this on your own yet.
Instead of a dresser in our master bedroom I elected to use an armoire to store bathroom essentials. I chose a spa inspired theme with a tight color pallet to give it a cohesive look and feel.
Before we get to the fun part, the first thing you want to do when styling any shelves or cabinet spaces in your home is to remove everything and give those shelves a good cleaning.
Next gather together items that work with your theme. Shop your house first before making a run to the store to purchase anything. Challenge yourself to use items you already have. Be creative and look at everyday items in a new way. Here are just a few items to consider using.
Spa Related Items:
- Bath towels
- Hand towels
- Washcloths
- Robes
- Bottles of lotions
- Perfume bottles
- Bars of soap
- Q-tips
- Floss
- Cotton balls
- Rolls of toilet paper
- Candles
- Trays
- Apothecary jars
- Glass jars
- Loofah sponges
- Lavender sachets
- Assorted baskets
Once you have gathered together items that work with your chosen theme take a look at the color of the items you have gathered together. Do you have a dominant color to work with? Try to stick with two colors, three at the most. Cull out those items that won’t work with your overall color scheme. I chose to go with a predominantly silver and white color pallet with a couple of nubby baskets to add some texture.
This cabinet has 8 sections. Dividing the shelves into smaller manageable sections will make it easier to manage. Focus on one space at a time; creating a vignette in each space.
Use Apothecary jars, mason jars, or glass canisters to display everyday items like bars of soap, cotton balls and Q-tips.
Practical items can be beautiful if displayed in an attractive container.
Use them as decor by displaying them in an attractive way.
To keep shelves from looking top heavy, place items that have more visual weight towards the bottom of your shelves for a more balanced look.
Once you have created vignettes in each space, step back and take a look at how each space works together with everything else in the cabinet. There should be a sense of flow and balance.
Try to use fewer, larger items; it will create less visual clutter. This strategy will also pack a much stronger visual punch. Too many small items can easily start to look like clutter. If something doesn’t look quite right, the answer might be taking away some of the smaller items instead of adding in more items. This helps create flow and keeps the eye moving, which makes for a much more interesting display.
This is when taking a picture can be a very helpful tool. I’m not sure how it works but you can look at something forever and not be able to figure why it isn’t working. You can tell that something isn’t right but you can’t put your finger on exactly what it is. It can be very frustrating. For some reason, taking a picture and looking at the photo often allows you to see what isn’t working.
Too dark & heavy.
After taking a picture I could see that, while this vignette was lovely, it was just too dark and heavy with everything else in the cabinet. I switched out the dark clock and the plant in the basket with a white pitcher. It lightened up the vignette and now works much better with everything else in the cabinet.
Lighter & brighter.
Adding in seasonal items can work if they are in the same color pallet. These glass jars filled with seashells add the perfect subtle summer accent.
When the seasons change and the weather turns cold, I can easily swap out the seashells for acorns, or pinecones, or other seasonal accent. Such an easy way to keep the display looking fresh and updated.
I styled this spa inspired cabinet with items I already had in my home. I didn’t need to spend a penny on any new decor items, I shopped my house and used what I already had on hand.
Before 
After
Don’t let shelves in your home become a dumping ground. It’s easy to let random items gather dust on our shelves. Horizontal surfaces are magnets for items that have no home. Before you know it your shelves are filled with nothing but random things that make your home look cluttered and messy.
I’m throwing down the decorating gauntlet. I challenge you to style some shelves in your home using only items that you already have. Whether it’s a china hutch in your dining room, a spa inspired cabinet in your master suite or bookshelves in your living room, tap into your creativity and have some fun.
Pick a theme, shop your home to gather together items, stick with a tight color pallet, create vignettes, add seasonal touches and look for balance and flow in the overall composition. Just have some fun. Remember there is no set time limit. If you put something together that isn’t bringing a smile to your face, take a picture to see what isn’t working. You can easily change it up until you get it right.
I hope I was able to inspire you to give styling shelves a try in your home. It’s a wonderful creative outlet when you let go of perfection and give yourself permission to just have some fun with the process. Beautifully styled shelves will give your home the designer touches you want and you may be able to do it without any cost at all.
If you decide to try stying some shelves in your home, snap a pic and hashtag it #naturewayblog — I love to see your creations! Don’t forget to comment and leave a review, or tag me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
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Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this write-up plus the rest
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You do make it look so easy. I love this cabinet!! I don’t have such a large space for this big of a piece but could do something better with my current bathroom shelf. Thanks for the ideas.
This is a beautiful way to create a spa experience! I love they way you have arranged all of the items in the cabinet! Thank you for sharing!