The Shelfie – Kerrie-Ann Jones, Interior Stylist
Do you have an under-used mantlepiece or bookshelves, but you’re not sure how to style them? There are some easy tips you can put into action straight away to create a chic, personalised arrangement of objects. You absolutely don’t need to go out and purchase a bunch of new designer pieces to achieve a great ‘shelfie’ – the beauty comes from using a mix of collected things that mean something to you, and getting the placement right.
Blank Canvas
Start by removing everything off your bookshelves and start with a blank canvas. It’s a good opportunity to give the shelves a dust off too!
Dig for Treasure
Go through your cupboards, take a walk around the house and see what hidden treasures you have that might look great to display on your shelves. You might uncover goodies you forgot about or sentimental items that you’d like to have a special spot for.
Curate
Go through all your favourite books, treasures, objects and art that could work well styled on the shelf and do an edit of the ‘must-haves’. Also, be mindful of the colours and textures of your edit – do they work well together?
Hero
Choose your hero piece or vignette. This is the first place you want the eye to go when looking at your shelves. It could be a piece of art, plant or object. Place your hero item first on the shelves, ideally at just below eye level, then work your styling outwards from there.
Vignettes
Create vignettes from your edited collection of objects, ceramics, plants, books, etc. Do this by grouping items into collections of 3-5, and placing either side of your hero piece.
Books
If you’ve got a selection of books to work with, arrange them in vertical and horizontal stacks, with about 3-7 books within each stack. If you are stacking the books horizontally, you can style with a small object on top, too. For vertical stacks, you may need bookends (or something heavy) to keep upright. Vary the stacks along different shelves.
Balance
Ensure you have created a visual balance amongst the shelves, so one side doesn’t look heavier or fuller than the other. Check there is visual balance above and below the ‘hero’ pieces too. Think about varying heights and shapes. You don’t want anything to stick out like a sore thumb!
Review
Take a step back and review your styling. There should be a feeling of balance and harmony within the overall visual picture of your shelves. Also, check the placement of everything, does anything need to be rotated, or rearranged slightly? Sometimes I find its good to go back a few hours later or the next day with fresh eyes to check over.
Done! You’ve officially learned how to nail a chic shelfie!
Kerrie-Ann Jones has recently launched her interior styling school The Stylist Lab where she reveals all her styling tips, tricks and techniques to create a home that reflects you, how you live and what you love. Enrolment is open now here!
Photo – Maree Homer.
Photo – courtesy of Kerrie-Ann Jones.
Photo – courtesy of Kerrie-Ann Jones.
Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.
Photo – Rachel Castle.
Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.
Jono Fleming’s impressive art wall in his Sydney apartment. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.
Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.
Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.
Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.
Shelley Banders at home in South Gippsland. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.
Shelley Banders’ stunning home overlooks rolling green hills in South Gippsland. Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.
Shelley’s drop-sheet curtains are a revelation! Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.
Shelley’s drop sheet curtains! Photo – Eve Wilson for The Design Files.
