How to Arranging a Shelf in the Living Room

How to Arranging a Shelf in the Living Room.

Having a shelf in your living room is a great way to add extra style to one of the busiest rooms in your house. You can use it to hold books, of course, but you can also show off some of your favorite family photos, interesting objects, and even seasonal decorations. The trick to making the design look deliberate is to include some of the same colors from the rest of your living room décor, then to arrange the objects in a way that shows them off!





Make use of the depth by arranging some objects further back on the shelf. If you pull everything to the end of a shelf, the final result will be very flat. If you have a deep enough shelf, try placing some items closer to the wall, and others toward the front of the shelf. That way, your eye will immediately be able to see the depth, and the shelf will look more visually interesting.

For instance, you can lean artwork, large books, or even painted, empty picture frames at the back of the shelf. Then, you can place smaller statues, framed pictures, or other decorative items near the edge of the shelf.

Make sure you’re not putting items too close to the front of the shelf since it will look unbalanced and could be a falling hazard.



Balance the scale of the objects you’re using. The size of your shelf should dictate the height and width of the decorations you include. For instance, a large mantle might be the perfect place for a huge framed portrait, but that same picture would look out of place above a short floating shelf.

Similarly, the pieces should balance with each other. If you’re using a few larger pieces, a very tiny, delicate figurine would be lost in the design, for example.

Tip: The best way to determine whether something works with the scale is to look at the shelf from the opposite side of the room. If something overwhelms the other objects on the shelf, or if a smaller item gets lost, it might need to be moved.





Leave some empty space so the shelf doesn’t look cluttered. Unless you’re going for a very modern look, your shelf shouldn’t be sparse, but there should be some empty space between some of the objects. As you’re arranging your decor, step back every so often and take a look at how everything is grouped together. If anything looks too crowded, try moving the items further apart, or remove something from the shelf.

There’s no definite rule for how much empty space there should be. Just trust your own taste on this. If you’re still not sure, ask a friend or a family member for their opinion.

Start with an assortment of objects and remove them as you go while you’re styling. Try different arrangements until you get the look you want.



Group objects in odd numbers. For some reason, odd-numbered groups of objects are typically more pleasing to the eye than even-numbered collections. While groups of 3 are probably the most common, you can gather 5 or 7 smaller objects together on your shelf as well.

These don’t have to be groups of the same object. For instance, you could lean a large art book against the wall, then place a heavy marble paperweight and a bowl full of pretty river rocks in front of the book to make a nice tableau.



Arrange items so they’re slightly asymmetrical for a natural look. Perfect symmetry tends to look a little formal, so you should avoid it if you want your living room to feel more relaxed and comfortable. Place objects so they're a little off-center, and vary the size and shape of the objects you choose for opposite ends of the shelf.

For instance, you could place a lamp on one side of the shelf and a sculpture on the other, with a houseplant slightly to the left of the middle of the shelf and a stack of books just to the right.



Tips.

If you feel stuck, ask someone for their opinion. They may notice something different that you wouldn’t have seen by yourself.