Whether you like it or not, open shelves don’t seem to be going anywhere, anytime soon!
The trick to having a strong shelfie game is to style them properly.
Don’t over accessorize!
It’s nice when you can personalize your accessories to add some interest, but you don’t want to over do it with nick-nacks. Pick pieces that have substantial presence and focus on a few key elements.
Items to put on your shopping list: plants, hardcover books (take off the plastic dust cover!), interesting bookends, vases/urns, sculptures or art.
When shopping, you are pretty safe if you stick with organic elements (think wood, plants, metal, concrete and/or glass).
Repeat, I repeat, repeat!
Design 101: repeat an element 3 times so it looks intentional.
Create vignettes by placing objects in groupings of odd numbers and repeating similar groupings throughout the shelves.
Make it useful
Some people may think items on open shelves are just dust collectors. Truth is, if you use the items on the shelves often, they won’t have time to get dusty!
In kitchens, pick a neutral colour scheme and display items you’ll use during the week – coffee cups, wine glasses, dinner plates, cutting boards, cookbooks or even a teapot.
In bathrooms, display white hand towels, glass jars with epsom salts/cotton balls/Q tips, a candle, and an aloe plant (looks good & great for those pesky curling iron burns!).
Open shelves are a great way to break up the monotony in a row of kitchen cabinets, add style to a bathroom and a welcome addition to a living space – the possibilities are endless!
Ask A Designer!
If you have a troublesome room, send a photo and your design dilemma to info@courtneyungaro.com and once a month I’ll choose one lucky reader to feature and give design advice!
Courtney Ungaro is an interior designer living in Kelowna and has been working on both residential & commercial projects around the beautiful Okanagan for over 12 years. She has recently started her own company Courtney Ungaro Space + Design specializing in residential & commercial design as well as creative event styling. If she’s not on a job site or shopping for the perfect piece you can probably find her supporting a locally owned restaurant/brewery/winery with her husband and kids. Follow her projects on Instagram @courtneyungaro_
