We're still waiting for bookshelves to be installed in our living room, but when they're finally up, I'll be going all sorts of shelfie-crazy ... I'm all about that rainbow book organizing trend! In the meantime, I've been preoccupied with decorating the ladder shelves we bought from The Futon Company when we moved in. I love them! And if you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of changing what I display on them once in a while, depending on my mood.
Here are five tips for recreating some of my favorite "shelfie" looks:
Add depth.
Use a framed print, photograph, or book cover as a "backdrop" for your shelf before placing other items in front. It adds interest to the shelf and prevents it from looking too neat and tidy. I've amassed quite a lot of books during my 8-year career in book publishing, so I've got a rotation of beautiful books to use as decorative pieces (after I've read them!). I love this one featuring photographs shot by Joanna Neurath at Columbia Road Flower Market, published by Hoxton Mini Press - one of my favorite indie publishers.
Add greenery.
Mini cacti and succulents are perfect for displaying on shelves. I move our plants around a lot, so sometimes I'll take the terrarium that's downstairs in the dining room and display it on the ladder shelf in the guest bedroom when someone's staying over. Or, I'll trim the stems of a few lingering roses from an old bouquet and put them in a small glass or candle jar until their leaves start dropping. I love the look of fresh flowers in my house so much that I've considered investing in some of these high-end artificial blooms from Abigail Ahern. I visited her shop in Heal's and the flowers look so incredibly real!
Switch it up.
I like to think of my shelves as window displays: they reflect my mood and might have a theme, according to the season. Sometimes I'll style a shelf using particular objects before putting them away and featuring different items a few weeks later! Around Christmas-time, I used this wreath that I made at a Geo-Fleur workshop on the top shelf. It made the room feel festive and cozy.
I like to think of my shelves as window displays: they reflect my mood and might have a theme, according to the season. Sometimes I'll style a shelf using particular objects before putting them away and featuring different items a few weeks later! Around Christmas-time, I used this wreath that I made at a Geo-Fleur workshop on the top shelf. It made the room feel festive and cozy.
Make it personal.
One of my favorite items on our ladder shelf which never moves is my original wedding bouquet. I somehow kept it intact and it survived the move with us to Walthamstow. I'm looking for a new mini-vase at the moment as this vintage Portmeirion pitcher is just a tad too small, but I love the fact that I've kept it this whole time. It reminds me of the wonderful day we eloped!
Make it practical.
Shelves are for storage, after all. I like to fold our guest towels into thirds so that they fit perfectly on our ladder shelf. That way, they're always ready for guests, I don't have to hunt them down, and they're on the lower shelf, near the floor, so they add a soft touch that's appropriate for the bedroom.
How do you style your shelves or windowsills at home? I'd love to know!
One of my favorite items on our ladder shelf which never moves is my original wedding bouquet. I somehow kept it intact and it survived the move with us to Walthamstow. I'm looking for a new mini-vase at the moment as this vintage Portmeirion pitcher is just a tad too small, but I love the fact that I've kept it this whole time. It reminds me of the wonderful day we eloped!
Make it practical.
Shelves are for storage, after all. I like to fold our guest towels into thirds so that they fit perfectly on our ladder shelf. That way, they're always ready for guests, I don't have to hunt them down, and they're on the lower shelf, near the floor, so they add a soft touch that's appropriate for the bedroom.
How do you style your shelves or windowsills at home? I'd love to know!
