Design Tips for Your Floating Shelves

• What colors do I like?
• How do I want the space to feel?
• How will this space flow with the rest of the house?

Before styling your shelves, take a moment to think about the things you like. Search other websites for inspiration and make a list of things that consistently stand out to you.

Pro tip: Keeping the majority of your pieces neutral will allow for flexibility to swap different accent colors as the seasons change and for various holidays.

Shop your house. Once you have an idea of the items you’re looking for, search your house for things you already have. Bring your pieces all in one place and begin deciding which items will work best together. Physically place items on your shelves to help visualize which pieces you want to use and keep. If you’ve used everything you have and there are still gaps in your shelf decor, make a list of the remaining filler pieces.

Here are various items you can use to style your shelves:

• Books
• Candlestick holders
• Art prints
• Greens or floral
• Vases
• Bowls
• Decorative boxes

Create balance. Place tall items on the ends of your shelves and stagger pieces so that you have varying heights to give a more balanced look. Flowers, sticks, and other natural elements are a great way to add height to your space. Another way to create varying levels of height across your shelves is by simply stacking items on top of each other.

Stack & layer. There are many ways you can layer pieces when styling your shelves.

• As a general rule of thumb, group things in 3s (or 5s). In groupings of odd numbers, layer with items of varying sizes. 

• When placing items on your shelves, don’t line everything up side-by-side. It’s best to stagger pieces by placing them slightly in front of one another.
• Play with texture! Adding pieces with texture will give your shelves more depth while still maintaining a polished look.

Don’t stress. There are so many ways to style any shelf in your home. Floating shelves are a great way to show your personality, display keepsakes and knick knacks, while also providing space for a special piece of art or photo too. Don’t let shelf styling intimidate you. Take it as an opportunity to practice and find what you like! There are no rules, simply just tips to help you get started!