Recently I went and stayed in an AirBNB where there were built-in shelves everywhere. I hate to be judgy, but they had a very sad display of Ikea frames, shells, books and knick-knacks. (Mind you, we were in the mountains, in the dead of winter and the whole place was in a serious beach theme). Aside from it’s geographic theme confusion and it’s shelving mishaps, it was honestly amazing! We had a wonderful view of the snow capped mountains, comfortable amenities and everything felt clean and spacious. These shelves however just kept calling to me. “Sarah, come save us!” Sad right?

Well I listened to their call and I came to their rescue. I rearranged, took things from other areas. I even surprised myself, like I won a design challenge using only these few crazy decor items. I was so proud in fact, I convinced myself I should leave it and the owners would be so appreciative. Convinced, I was, but not my ridiculously sensible family insisting I return things to their (un)rightful place as it “was not my job to redesign someone’s rental without being asked”. It still irks me. Those home owners will never see the potential those white beautiful shelves deserve. (Shh. I did leave just a couple of things the way I wanted; just as a little taste of perfection.

So obviously, this is what prompted this post. Shelves are tough and I have gotten the “Come Help!” phone call too many times to count from clients, friends and family. Let’s face it, if you only have books, then we are talking pretty easy. If you want your shelves to showcase treasures or just be filled in so it looks curated, then we are dealing with a whole other beast. I would love to tell you there is an exact science to this, but just like most things in life, you have to work with what you have sometimes and adjust the rules to meet your needs.

Don’t feel discouraged though! Once you get the hang of it, and come to understand the formula, you will be good to go! Shelves are not going to be perfect unless you purchase each item just right. But if we simply went out to buy everything, these would not be worth displaying. Your home should feel personal and each item should reflect the ones who live in it. That is my Interior Design Mantra- my Rule #1!

So let’s hit it!

Step 1: Know Your Function

Know your intention; are you trying to display a collection of things, photos, books, or containers to hide things in like bills and toys? Perhaps it’s all of these things! Regardless, it’s important to know what the function of these soon-to-be beautiful shelves.

Step 2: Find Your Mix

Make sure you have a mix of elements, colors, shapes and textures. Just like anything in design, we have to have contrast; hence “differences.” So think about having metals, plants, books, ceramic and glass. In the end we want hard, soft, smooth, shiny and matte and we are going to achieve this by showcasing a whole mix of texture colors, shapes and sizes.

Step 3: Create Balance

Okay, this is by far the biggest, most important, and maybe the only thing you REALLY need to know. Did this really sink in? Balance! It is every stylist, interior designer, graphic designer, artist, basically any type of creative’s “must” to achieve great composition. BALANCE. But this comes twofold. You have to understand how to take your treasures and distribute things based on not only looks and feel, but on mass (aka visual weight).

(a) Let’s start with the art of distribution. Look at your shelves and imagine them floating away and your job was to get the entire bookcase or shelf or china cabinet to stand perfectly steady, straight and secure. Now look at your shelving items you have collected and pick out the ones that “look” the heaviest. NOTE: This is visual weight so most times it will be your larger items. You need to distribute the weight equally but the challenge is you have to use all of the shelves including the higher ones. Heavier weighted items usually would be darker in color and/or larger in scale and lighter weighted would be lighter in color and/or smaller in scale.

(b) Now that you have those larger items placed, step back and evaluate your textures, colors, shapes and sizes. Are they also evenly distributed and does the whole unit feel balanced? Start to add elements, but now, in groups such as plants, books, and small trinkets. Each time you introduce a new category, step back and assess; always being mindful of our original design challenge. Each time you add an item, is it tipping visually? We need to keep this shelf as balanced as we can like a game of Jenga. If you have metallic on one side, you better have a bit on the other… books up here and again down there. All of your items items want to be balanced and distributed as equally as they can be.

Step 4: Be Patient- this is a process.

If your head is spinning, don’t worry. This part might take a few tries but even a professional would tell you shelves are tricky and styling shelves gives true meaning to a “balancing act.” Another example of this process, it’s like going to the optometrist to get your eyes checked. “Which slide looks better… this one/ or this one?” You have to keep at it- move something, step back, assess, move it a little to the left or right, step back, decide to remove it or keep it. Just keep adding another element, and once again to emphasize, step back, assess, move or keep.

Step 5: Don’t be afraid to change it

Once you have finalized your look, you will most likely be creatively tired but also proud of your new curated shelves. These shelves however, most likely hold your treasures and functional items and those items will change in time. If you have children, eventually you will not be hiding legos or for you college students, you will not be housing text books. As time goes by, your shelves will need to be refreshed. Change out the art, add to your treasures, update your photos, throw out those dead plants. My point is, often time, people become so intimidated by styling shelves that once they have them looking right, they are so afraid to touch them again. I can’t tell you how many times, I have gone to a client’s home and though their shelves look perfectly curated, they also look dated; forgotten and no longer functional? Do you really need that box of VHS tapes and the barbies. I thought your daughter was in college? Life moves and shelving full of treasures should too. Don’t let those shelves collect dust- keep them up to date and happy; housing them with items that are in fact your life “treasures.”

In Closing, I leave you with this last thought as well as a few solid run-on sentences.

For the sake of those poor shelves, you know the ones you have thrown together to look “full.” It may not be loud, but those shelves are calling your name…”Fix me! I need help!” By all means, PLEASE help them. Don’t let them end up like those I had to leave behind in a mountain retreat AirBNB far far away, still cluttered in 50 white plastic 4x6 (never to even stand tall at 6x4) Ikea frames housing ocean images.” Poor poor things…