If I have noticed one thing on my Insta’ stream lately, it’s the sheer preponderance of shelfies.
That’s not a typo.
Even though I am old enough to recall a time when every photograph was an awkwardly posed study in black and white, I know that a selfie is a close-up of one’s own face – a practice I tend to leave to phenomenally pretty women with hotel pillow sized lips.
I’m talking about the obsession many of us have to create a perfectly proportioned and exquisitely styled shelves. For me, this phenomenon has developed into a daily urge to faff about with my earthenware jugs and tea light holders until I have produced something worthy of loading onto Instagram with the hashtag #shelfie
I’m no psychologist but I think this is called displacement activity. The uglier the world gets, the prettier my shelves. There so much going on over which I have no control, one way of coping is to stick up a shelf or have a major re-shuffle.
But here’s a thing. I may find all this shelf action soothing but, at the grand old age of 60, I have yet to pull off the perfect shelf. There’s always something a little slapdash or off about my groupings, because I shop vintage and secondhand, my shelves are more bric-a-brac shop than boujee hotel. This ‘plonk things on and hope’ approach to styling has been fine up to now but I am finally, finally, in my forever home and want my shelves to look a little more polished.
Which is why reached out for help to a fellow shelfie addicts on Instagram.
“Decorating shelves can feel really daunting and leave you unsure of where to start,” admits Brittney Robertson, who runs one of my favourite Instagram accounts My Beauty Revival.
“I used to stand and stare at the blank shelves in our first home…and be close to tears over that overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to even begin.”
Phew – I cannot tell you how relieved this makes me feel about my shelf fails. Canadian Brittany has been writing about ‘all things home’ on her hugely informative blog since 2013 and reveals she has had to style a ‘ton of shelves’ before devising a simple solution to shelfie success.
“You need a game plan,” she surmises.
“When I first tried decorating our shelves. I was often frustrated trying to figure out how to decorate shelves without it taking forever to find the right balance and look I was going for. You save so much time decorating a bookcase or floating shelf if you have a game plan before you even begin.”
With Brittany’s permission, I am going to share the game plan* but first I have to tell you about the importance of the pre-game plan namely….
…what to put on the shelf.
• If you want to skip to the chase – find Brittany’s advice below under shelf styling tip 6.
How to immediately elevate a shelf – 15 essential accessories
I know what you’re thinking. It’s not up to Jolly Volley, a journalist with no interior design credentials, to start pontificating on what should be on your shelves.
Never fear, I’ve gleaned (stolen) my suggestions the best of the best.
In addition to cribbing advice from Brittany Robertson (see above), I’ve summarised shelf styling tips from interior design masters Shea McGee, founder of multi-disciplinary interior design firm Studio McGee and award-winning blogger and interior designer Emma Jane Palin.
But remember, even though the advice comes from professionals, the following are simply suggestions. One super-sized vase, six white books and a solitary wooden pear might well be an aesthetic but having good shelves does not involve sacrificing your own taste. If you want to pack your shelf with a thousand orange Pyrex dishes or the dirty pair of sneakers you had in college, I have your back.
As per, I will be presenting the sorts of things you can buy new and then urging you to try and find similar items from secondhand shops and sources like eBay. I did a test run for shelf items at my local charity shops (Belper and Ripley, both in Derbyshire) and found a huge collection of things I liked in just over an hour with most costing under £5. The priciest thing was a huge (and heavy) crackle-glazed stoneware vase (scroll down; it’s on the top right of the collage). It was priced at 14.99 but a staff member told me it was gifted by a well-known “fancy” retailer and had been on sale for £35.
- Books – ‘Books and magazines are a great indicator of personality and interest, they’re also ideal for creating layers and adding that all important height,’ advises Emma Jane Palin. The book featured (above) is ‘The Modern Apothecary by Brendan Murdock and Gabriel Weil; available from H&M Home for £25.50.
- Large bowls and rustic trays – Shea McGee advises people to start with large ‘foundation pieces’ first – like this big rattan wave tray (£18, Habitat) – before going in with smaller items.
- Vases – a striking piece of pottery proves this humble accessory is more than just somewhere to stick your supermarket roses. This handmade urchin vase is from Home Barn (£20).
- Family photos – ‘Remind yourself of times gone by and the people you love by displaying treasures from your travels and photographs of friends and family in beautiful photo frames,’ says Emma Jane Palin The link leads to frames picked out from John Lewis). The framed personalised picture above is sold via Etsy, prices from £26.23
- Kitchenalia – think vintage scales, jugs, mugs, old mustard pots, earthenware bowls and jars of differing shapes, heights and textures. This stoneware jug is by H&M Home £12.75.
- Arty objects – Emma Jane Plain says every shelf needs a ‘wow item’ to create a talking point in your home. This can be something handmade, colourful, industrial and/or sculptural. Think items you’d find in a high end gallery – like this wooden knot ornament from Etsy, £16.50.
Shelfie masterclasses by (from top left) – Evelyn Hernandez, Black Barn Vintage, Arthty Ragupathy, Theresa Gromski, Kate Chipinski, Tia Howse, Haley Way Yarbrough, Holly Booth, Nathan Lindberg Design, Emily Retro, Emily Baker and Kimberly of A Simply Curated Home
- Candles and candleholders – nothing and I repeat nothing will draw the eye to your shelves like candles and tea lights. Nothing and I repeat nothing will draw the fire brigade quicker than unattended candles and tea lights. The smaller of these recycled tea light holders, £15 from nkuku, is just the ticket for style and safety.
- Flowers, plants and other greenery – according to Brittany Robertson plants (faux or real) are ‘Super on trend at the moment. They are also a great way to add life into your design. I always recommend having at least one plant for every three shelves you are styling.’ For high end faux plants, like the berry twig above (£9), try Neptune.
- Personal touches – by far the most important items on any shelf says Emma Jane Palin; ‘Your home should reflect you and your own story. Bringing your personality to your shelving will create a more emotive response both for you and for any guests.’ Whether it’s an old childhood toy, nana’s novelty teapot or a treasured gift like the bronze hare available from Etsy for £25.99.
- Tiny lamps – Shea McGee says a little accent lamp is another display must-have and that’s okay as therre has been been a veritable explosion in the amount of dinky plug-in and rechargeable lights on the market which are ideal for shelves. These small spindle lamps, from La Redoute, cost £29.99.
- A HUGE headline act – a massive chopping board or serving dish, a gigantic coloured glass bottle, a primitive wooden trencher or this stylish OKA Omaha artichoke bowl costing £75. NB; to make sure your shelf can handle your headliner; you might need bigger raw plugs…
- Vintage pictures – ‘Artwork adds colour, it changes up the shape, and it also adds dimension,’ explains Shea McGee. The college above features a vintage print on Etsy (£19.43) but it’s for inspiration only. Auctions, vintage shops/markets, flea markets and charity shops should be your hunting grounds. Buy a nice old frame and pop in a print you’ve harvested from an otherwise knackered vintage book.
Jolly Volley loves a charity shop and here’ s a selection of secondhand stuff I would buy in a heartbeat for my shelves. Okay, confession time. I DID buy the three earthenware pots pictures top right (the Denby Homestead pot cost £9.99*, the jug £3.75 and the larger pot £8). Once you’ve bought your charity shop goodies…head to the nearest flower shop for plants to fill those bargain jugs, bowls and vases. Fleur Florist on King Street, Belper, lies in the heart of all the charity shops. Bliss…..
- Vintage paraphernalia – you can get everything you need for a perfect shelfie at charity and vintage shops and flea markets. Think outside the box (unless you are looking for old boxes) picture 15 (above) features a pile of vintage children’s shoe lasts which are on sale at Home Barn, £25. Follow this link to Black Barn Vintage for a masterclass in how to style old stuff.
- Boxes, baskets and other rustic receptacles – caddies, trunks, fruit boxes and wicker/rattan baskets are very on trend right how. However, convincing the manager of a charity shop to part with any of these items will be nigh on impossible (they hog them for displays – see picture above, bottom left). These white rattan storage boxes are from Layered Lounge (£62).
- Good objects (aka tasteful ornaments) – according to Shea McGee, like good hearts, good objects are hard to find. When you’re trying to find something unusual a lot of homeware accessories (aka ornaments) are ‘weird and kind of cheesy’. This footed aluminium bowl (£24.95) from CharlesTed Home is both practical – where else can you display your faux artichokes? – and beautiful.
- NB – The Denby Homestead coffee pot (pictured above, top left) was bought by me for £9.99 from a charity shop but, on checking the sold prices on eBay, a similar pot exchanged hands for just £1.95 last month (Feb’ 2025). Note to self; even if you are buying from a charity shop, you can still get caught out by zealous staff over-pricing items with a ‘name’ (I have shops I avoid for this reason). Paying over the odds doesn’t matter if you’re just buying because you love it and/or want to help a worthy cause. However, if you are buying to re-sell (naughty!) always check sold prices on a resale site like eBay.
The nitty gritty – interior designers and bloggers share their shelf styling tips for creating impeccable shelves.
Shelf styling tip one; ‘Take everything off and start with a blank slate’ – Shea McGee
This may sound counter-intuitive but the first step to filling a shelf is to empty it.
With all your items on the floor, take a visual inventory. A successful shelf has a blend of objects (see list above) offering a variety of heights, shapes, sizes, styles and textures. Ask yourself if your look is balanced ie: do you have too many vases and not enough books?
According to Shea, all your the items must ‘Work together in harmony.’
Shelf styling tip two; ‘Use books as your base’ – Arthty Ragupathy
Arthty Ragupathy is the talent behind the fabulous interior design account @av.home
One of Arthty’s shelf styling tips (for the rest, please follow this link) is to arrange books into groups – bringing a little personality to each display. Study the pictures above; you will see how Arthty will lean some, stack some and coral others with smart-looking bookends.
The ‘diagonal rule’ mentioned above is simply that. If you arrange books (or any group of objects for that matter) from one shelf to another on a diagonal trajectory….it keeps the eye moving from one delectable display to another.
But Arthty is quick to point out her tips are just for guidance; ‘The most important thing to remember is that your shelves exist in your home, so as long as you love it, nothing else matters.’
Shelf styling tip three; ‘When it comes to shelf styling, try the rule of three’ – Louisa Grace.
Whether it’s bears, advertising slogans or little words; three is good for all things except crowds. The ‘three rule’ is also huge in interior design and most successful shelves they will invariably feature a threesome.
Sadly, sticking a candle, a vase and a rubber plant on a shelf does not a Kelly Hoppen make. The rule of three means decorating in triangular grouping and a ‘grouping’ can be a few items clustered together which still count as one. The ‘rule of three’ means making sure groupings – pictures and accessories etc – are arranged in an odd number, any odd number. Still with me? It gets easier with practice, I promise.
“It’s an easy styling rule we live by,’ reassures Louisa Grace who runs Talent Houzz, a bespoke property styling service in Northamptonshire, with her mum Louise and sibling Emma.
‘It’s all about layering levels and adding visual interest. Groupings of three always work wonders.’
If you are still struggling, here’s a suggestion from the Talent Houzz team for a simple, but oh-so-stunning, group of three;-
Combine;-
- a large coffee table book as the lowest layer.
- A candle or diffuser for the mid layer.
- And a taller vintage piece like a vase or pot for the tallest layer.
Shelf styling tip four: ‘Texture and contrast – is EVERYTHING’ – Theresa Gromski
An Instagram follower called Birmingham-based artist Theresa Gromski, the ‘queen of shelf styling’ I can only bow my head in agreement.
I urge you to digest all of Theresa’s tips for kitchen shelf styling (follow this link) but she says the most important is getting the right mix…
‘Mix up your materials and textures. A rough rustic vase, contrasted next to ribbed wine glasses and a wooden platter next to some vintage etched white milk glass,’ she urges.
‘Mix up the heights of your items and group objects together. Add height with pictures and trays propped up. Stack plates on top of books or pile up bowls of various colours and textures.’
And don’t forget to add things which don’t belong in a kitchen. ‘An interesting vase, a memento from a holiday, a jug of dried grasses picked on a walk or a treasured photo in an unusual frame.’
Just add a few candles for night-time ambience and that’s it…stand back and admire the view.
Shelf styling tip five (part I): ‘Be intentional in the colours displayed’ – Karen Snyder
Californian interiors blogger Karen Snyder believes a sure-fire ways to create balance on her shelves is to employ a limited colour palette (Karen shares all her shelf styling tips on her website Sanctuary Home Decor.)
‘Regardless of the items you are featuring, using a palette of three to four colours helps to bring the look together,’ she advises.
‘Using similar colour elements makes everything look cohesive.”
If you study Karen’s shelf (above – with and without arrows), you’ll see how she cleverly employs the diagonal rule. Instead of huddling all her blue, silver and white items together, she weaves items of the same colour palette on opposite diagonal lines.
‘Put like items diagonal to one another on different shelves to create balance,’ she concludes.
‘This simple technique makes it easy to create beautifully styled shelves in minutes.’
Shelf styling tip five (part II) – ‘Little pop of a colour within your scheme is the key to creating harmony’ – Sarah Kirby
Award-winning interior designer Sarah Kirby, of Spruce Interiors Nottingham, advises people to energise shelves with a pop of a ‘power colour’ (the colour you turn to when you’re at your most confident) like the sunny yellow she used on the stunning blue shelves (above).
‘A colour pop can really help to navigate the eye around the space. I like to work tiny bits of yellow into my interior schemes, as it’s the perfect contrast to darker shades of green and blue,” she says.
‘It’s a colour that is full of optimism, positivity, and happiness.’
Shelf styling tip six; ‘Start at the top – work your way down’ – Brittany Robertson
If all of this talk of cohesion, colour palettes, the rule of three and diagonal placement has made you want to sob in a cupboard clutching a Meissen shepherdess – do not despair. There is a short-cut to shelf styling success and it comes courtesy of Brittany Roberston, interior stylist and blogger.
Let me introduce you to Brittany’s fail-safe and simple 3-step game plan.
Step one; ‘Starting on the top shelf you are going to place decor from one end of the shelf to the other, covering the majority of the shelf,’ Brittany instructs.
‘For the best look you can leave some space empty on either end of the shelf.’
Step two; Move to the shelf below. Here you group objects into two sections. ‘You can layer multiple decorative objects in a pleasing way but the most important part is to leave some blank space, or white space, in between the two groupings.’
Step 3 – ‘Repeat.’
And that’s it. A simple, stylish game plan which works with any group of objects.
Did I achieve the perfect shelfie?
After all that professional advice, I still can’t say my shelf is perfect – but I am getting better. To achieve the final look (bottom picture in the collage above) involved a lot of re-thinking, removing (and swapping) and re-jigging which is okay as stepping away is the key to good styling according to Brittany Robertson.
‘When I am done I like to stand back and take a photo to help me see if anything more needs to be added or maybe something’s need to be removed,’ Brittany explains.
Taking a photo really helps with noticing things you might not have otherwise. It’s also very helpful to walk away from the space you are decorating and come back later.’
It’s great advice. In my case, the big charity shop glazed brown vase (H&M Home £7.50, pictured above) was supposed to be the key piece from which to build the rest of the shelf arrangement. In the end, I had to accept the vase was far too big (part of it was hanging over the edge) and there’s no pleasure to be had if you’re worrying about about precariously placed objects toppling off your shelves.
And of course I will revisit that arrangement in the weeks to come. That’s okay. These are your shelfies, your rules.
