For those people who aren’t interior designers, decorating a room can be daunting. Even deciding how to use shelf space may be overwhelming. Have no fear. While there are no Ten Commandments for shelf arranging, these simple tips can give you the confidence to organize any shelf in your house.
Group Items
Most things look better when displayed as a collection. Whether you’re trying to unify dissimilar objects or exhibit a set of related ones, organize items in odd numbered clusters. A cluster of three or five things of the same color, shape or texture is most appealing visually. The objects don’t have to be the same height — in fact, the key to pleasingly grouping items is to create asymmetrical arrangements, while still achieving a sense of balance. What if the objects are the same height? Use pedestals, decorative wood boxes or stacks of books to elevate items and build varying tiers.
Create Layers
When organizing items on a shelf, many people line up objects straight down the center of the ledge. This approach is fine, but it’s expected. Make a display more interesting by using the entire shelf — wall included — to build layers. You can stagger items in a zigzag pattern to keep the eye moving and place objects at various angles to create different viewpoints. Prop framed pictures and art against the wall to construct a backdrop and also integrate the display with the entire room. You can even overlap flat framed pieces for added depth. Another way to create depth is to paint the inside of enclosed shelving units a couple shades darker than the rest of the room.
Consider Viewing Distance
Shelves are intended to be viewed from various distances — some ledges are better suited for displaying small items and other ledges lend themselves to displaying large items. Shelves meant to be looked at up-close are perfect platforms for objects with delicate details or interesting features. These accessories piqué people’s interest and encourage viewers to get a better look. Some knickknacks — shells, buttons, coins — can be too tiny to be placed directly on shelves. Fill clear glass jars with these items to help your favorite collections stand out.
Big, bold objects — oversized vases, baskets, sculptures and large pottery with embellished or accentuated features — look beautiful on shelves intended to be seen from further away. Since these shelves can be high and out of reach, choose items that are employed for decoration rather than everyday use.
Add Interest to Bookcases
While there’s nothing statelier than rows of organized novels, bookshelves can display more than just your library of paperbacks and hardbounds. To create an element of surprise, add an eye-catching antique, favorite family heirloom or striking vase. Such unexpected accessories grab attention and create focal points throughout the arrangement. Just remember, books should still be the dominant objects on the shelves.
When arranging books in a bookcase, the largest and tallest books should go on the bottom shelves. Encyclopedias, which are all the same color and style, work well as visual anchors. The middle shelves should contain books of varying heights, but avoid putting tiny tomes next to sizeable volumes. Descend books in variable increments and lay some books on their sides to break up the uniformity. For an authentic look, remove book covers, and try to keep soft-cover books separate from hard-cover books.
Think About Functionality
Use shelves to display more than decorations. Think about linen closets and kitchen cupboards &mdash their shelves are home to dishes, towels, cleaning products and other household goods used regularly. To create an organized look in the kitchen, reserve specific easy-to-reach shelves for plates, bowls, cups and glasses. Place seasonal platters and rarely used cookware on high or low shelves. To make a linen closet look orderly, put towels on one shelf, sheets on another shelf and cleaning products on yet another shelf. Go one step further and organize linens by color.
Some shelves, especially those in a garage or basement, are solely used for storage. For your own sanity, it’s a good idea to put items in labeled boxes and arrange these containers by categories. For example, put “Christmas Ornaments” with other boxes of holiday decorations and place “Winter Clothes” next to “Snow Boots and Coats.”
Shelf arranging is a form of self-expression. Use these tips to help you arrange and re-arrange your shelves until your displays work best for you.
Michelle Wuensch is a freelance writer in Chicagoland.
