Styling Shelves

Are your shelves ready to be a defining moment in your spaces?

Hutch in the Treehouse dining room.

Shelves can be anywhere, styling a shelf is not confined to your bookshelf or built-ins. In one of our upcoming projects, we are figuring out to have floating shelves around a bathtub with soothing plants, candles, etc. I am a big believer in going beyond the assumed and creating unexpected moments. Those odd items hiding in your closet, attic, or shed might have a future on your shelves.

When first approaching a shelf/bookcase, I focus on the statement pieces. These are things that have meaning to me and that I want to showcase. Everything else follows. Your shelves represent you and your life; what mementos have you collected that bring you joy? In my living room, I couldn’t find the right piece of art for my fireplace mantel. I finally decided to try making my own. I began painting one of my favorite nature scenes. At some point, my daughter, who was 2 years old at the time, got a hold of my paints and added her own little flare. I came to love that part of the painting. Now my mantel has a piece full of meaning and is something my daughter and I created. The rest of the mantel shelf plays off the painting with a draping green plant in a funky patterned vase. I didn’t busy the mantel so the painting can have its moment.

Above is the Treehouse living room mantel and a close-up of Annie’s flare. The minimalist mantel styling directs attention to the painting.

If finding or identifying statement pieces doesn’t work for your methods, then I have an alternative starting point for you. How do you use your shelves? Are they used/pulled from day in and day out? Or are they just for show? Once you have that answer (and maybe it’s both, perhaps you have steady design shelves and functional shelves), then I would suggest different paths. For a function shelf that you interact with on the daily, I’d explore decorative baskets that can house your things. Maybe you are into records, which are a great opportunity for styling given their often unique jackets. Your statement piece could be a stand to showcase the record you’re binging at the moment. 

It truly comes down to what do you want to display and look at? For me, it’s real live plants, pictures, art, and books with personal mementos sprinkled in. My strategy for pairing these things is starting with 3 objects. Though, I wouldn’t do 3 picture frames together. I would try a large frame, a small frame, and an object (small plant or sculpture). I will usually mix materials for bookcases to add more dimension like wood, metal and my latest obsession… prism frames!

This is the custom built-in shelf in the Treehouse living room. In the bottom right, I have styled a small picture frame with a decorative box and a larger potted plant. These items complement each other with their contrasting shapes, heights, and colors. The dark frame makes it seem like the image is floating on the wood. The draping plant, a fishbone cactus (aka ric rac cactus), provides a pop of green and expands into the space around it.

One of my personal mementos in the bookshelf image above is a tree frame of all the cats my dad had throughout his life. It is quirky and strange, just like my dad, that’s why it’s my favorite piece on the shelf. Think about the things you’ve held onto that bring back fond memories, those are the pieces you want to surround yourself with.

Another thing that brings me joy and brings life to a shelf is plants! Aside from being pretty themselves, they can be planted in funky decorative pots too! I like to source my pots from local plant shops like Solabee or Gurton’s. Thrift shops often have unique and sustainable options too.

Shelves usually create a lot of horizontal direction. Draping plants like the Monstera Adansonii Swiss Cheese Plant (white pot above) create a new direction as they explore the shelves around them. I like that they divide two spaces and break the lines. My shelf styling does not focus on symmetrical lines, but rather creating unique shapes with balance.

Let’s talk through another example. How about styling a dining room hutch perhaps (pictured below).

Treehouse dining room hutch.

In the hutch (above), I began with the framed pieces in the top shelf. One of the art pieces I found in a shop in Sisters, OR. I sourced the other from another small shop but I can’t remember where, ha! When looking for art, go for what you feel drawn to, you don’t have to know why or be able to explain it. Focus on feelings and your instincts. I chose this hutch as the spot to design, then sourced what I felt drawn to. I reframed the pieces only when I knew their final destination, this hutch. I like to have pops of black, so I chose frames that created contrast with the hutch, the art, and in the overall view.

The glasses in the middle shelf (above) are from Glassybaby. I just love this brand because it is local (Seattle), experiments with color, and is so versatile. I started getting them as gifts from my friends who grew up with me in Yakima, WA for things like baby showers and birthdays. I love how they come in so many colors; I’m able to rearrange and bring different colors to the front as the seasons change. Around Christmas time, I bring out the moodier colors like reds and dark blues. In the spring and summer, I gravitate towards pastels. I kept the packaging so I can take them to friends’ baby showers/parties and style their tables.

The wine glasses in the bottom shelf (above) are from Estelle Colored Glass. Maybe you’ve gotten the hint that I love color, especially in glassware. I discovered this brand while browsing online. I have brighter, more cheerful glasses in my Portland home because that’s the decided vibe of this space. I am hoping to grab some darker, moodier glasses for the Sweet Flag Cabin because I envision a cozier vibe there.

Books are another opportunity for styling color and texture. I like to source my books from vintage shops where I often find unique pieces. Old books often have really cool, sometimes distressed covers. Peek under the jacket when sourcing, the cover might be leather, or a colored, faded cloth texture. The spine of books, especially old books can feature pops like gold text, or stamped designs, I’m looking at the whole book. Sometimes having the pages facing forward creates contrast (especially if they’re a fun color). In addition to aesthetic, I look for books in an area of interest that relates to the space. In the shelves on my floating fireplace wall, I have cooking related books on the dining side and travel/art/design books on the living room side. Define your interests, then source books that align with that. Or don’t and try a new topic!

Book Placement. Creating height variation in the pieces you place on the shelf is a great way to create interest. Try placing books you’ve sourced horizontally under a frame or small object. Then, in a different spot, place some books vertically. You can see this in the Treehouse custom built-in bookshelf. I have books alternating between horizontal and vertical with decorative objects on top or as bookends.

Slender House Kitchen

In our Slender House Project, we are prepping the shelves for the 2023 Portland Modern Home Tour. The kitchen has beautiful floating shelves that need to function as storage for dishware and as a decorative moment given their exposure. Having a fun tile backsplash created the perfect anchor for this styling. We sourced plates that were not totally symmetrical, they have an artisan look to them, as well as (again!) colored glassware that contrasts the tile. While this shelf doesn’t feature books, it does follow the same concept of varying shapes and heights. And of course, a draping plant in a funky pot!

If after all this, you still don’t know where to start or feel overwhelmed, I am here to help! Schedule a styling session with me and we’ll curate beautiful shelves that represent you and your life!