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SubscribeThe blank canvas of empty shelves can seem overwhelming! We asked some of our designers for their top tips to share with you.
Clear the canvas and take stock
The first step is to create a blank canvas for yourself. Give your shelves a good dust then the work can begin!
Milena: "Take all your items that you want to use, split them into groups, by size, colour and type."
Start with the larger items
Start with larger items you want to add to your shelves. Position them equally balanced across the shelves to provide the frame work.
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Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Layer in a variety of shapes and sizes
Now you can begin to layer in the smaller items across the shelves into the gaps left by the larger items.
Rosie: "My top tip is using a lot of different shapes and heights. By layering up a smaller shapes with a larger shape, it creates that variety and stops it looking flat."
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Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
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Create contrast
Ricky: “Mixing up your objects introduces the opportunity for different materials, textures and colours."
Contrast is the secret ingredient to any beautiful room design and your shelves are not exception. Contrast can be through using different colours and patterns but it can also be the types of materials you use. For example, sitting a brass ornament next to a white ceramic vase can make each item sing in their own way.
If you're still building a collection of trinkets, plants are a wonderful way to add contrast in colour and texture to a shelf.
Books are also wonderful at adding colour to an otherwise plain looking display.
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Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Use odd numbers
Rosie: "Another great tip is using odd numbers, so using either 3, 5 or 7. It’s just more pleasing on the eye as it has to move around.”
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Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Personalise your shelves
Think of your shelves as an exhibition of you! They should bring back lovely memories and make you smile whenever you look at them.
Lucy: "When styling your shelves, don’t forget to personalise them. So add that family photo, or that little trinket that you’ve collected from your travels.”
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Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Disguise clutter
As well as being beautiful, your shelves will also need to be practical. Try to give those useful bits and bobs that you need regular access to a home each so that they don't end up floating on the shelves gathering dust.
Ricky: "Baskets, boxes, trays, anything like that, really helps to organise clutter and keeps things organised."
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Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Leave space
So you've hit your groove and you're enjoying adding all your lovely mementos and trinkets to your shelves? Stop! You can have too much of a good thing and there is a very fine line between 'curated' and 'cluttered'!
Milena: "When styling your shelves, it’s really important not to over crowd them. Use the negative space, so the empty space in between the objects to put more importance to something you really like.”
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Image Credit: My Bespoke Room
Stand back and edit!
Lucy: "Finally, remember to stand back, admire your work and don’t be afraid to go in and edit it if it doesn’t quite look right.
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