Wall Shelf Design Ideas To Help You Master The Art Of Shelving

Shelves can provide the perfect opportunity to showcase personality and style in a home, but if you’re not careful, they can easily look cluttered and busy. How do you make sure your shelves radiate style and sophistication? We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite wall shelf design ideas to help you achieve the perfectly styled shelves.

Scale
The more, the merrier does not apply to styling shelves. Instead of quantity, think in terms of scale. If you have a large amount of shelf space, you need a few large pieces to fill it. Adding too many small items to a large space will look cluttered. If the shelving is deep, consider incorporating layers or items that also have interesting shapes or depth. And if the space is small, large items may look out-of-place (so think small when looking for shelf design inspiration).

Layering
Layering objects on your shelves can create depth. Consider leaning a tray, some art, or a platter as a starting point and then layer smaller items in front and around it. Layering picture frames is another easy way to add dimension to the space.

Height
Another important element of optimal shelf design is to make sure that you have enough height. Stacking books, dishes, and bowls is one way to add height to your shelf space, or consider placing some of your smaller knickknacks like candles and picture frames on top of a stack of books to better fill space. For added interest, use a combination of books stacked horizontally and vertically.

Grouping
As a general shelf styling rule, items grouped in threes create balance. If you’re working with smaller items, grouping them together will better fill the space. Be picky and conservative with your groupings; too many can start to look cluttered. If you don’t absolutely love the item, then it shouldn’t be included in your shelf design.

Balance
Balance is one of the most critical components to creating beautifully styled shelves. Be sure to place items in a way that feels balanced but not too symmetric. Take a step back and check for balance both vertically and horizontally. Choosing a color scheme is another way to create a cohesive and balanced look.

By keeping these shelf design ideas in mind, you can create the perfectly styled shelf. And before long, you’ll be snapping your very own “shelfies” of your beautiful works-of-art.