Shelves are often the hardest area to style in a home. It’s so elusive there’s even a term for it: the “shelfie” — that is, an aesthetically pleasing shelf in your home that displays books, objets d’art or trinkets. The hashtag racks up more than three million posts on Instagram. A Google search returns meticulously colour-coordinated bookcases or bathroom cabinets overflowing with luxe face creams, an obsessive compulsive’s dream.
Now the movement centres on the meaningful. Gone is the one-size-fits-all look, to be replaced with a curation of collectibles: things that hold a particular meaning for the owner (and are good looking, of course). The vase you thrifted at a flea market in 2016, a souvenir picked up on your travels, a much-loved piece of art; consider the statement shelf to be the 2022 version of the knick-knack cabinet.
One of the things that Rachel Morgans, the home and living buying director at Brown Thomas Arnotts, loves about her apartment is the bookshelves. “Free-standing shelving is key so I can have house plants, books and decorative pieces that give me joy and help divide the space,” she says. Even better when you rent and can’t take a nail and hammer to the walls. “I use shelves to hang pictures from,” she says.
A good shelf is an opportunity to showcase your aesthetic prowess. “The design books I display are almost like a virtue signal of the taste I have,” says the interior stylist and consultant Gillian Lawlee (Instagram: @my.life.in.colour). “But they’re also functional. Oftentimes, I flick through them when I’m feeling stuck.”
Where do you start? You could do as the New York socialite Iris Apfel does and go all-out. The 100-year-old interiors and fashion guru lines a hallway in her Park Avenue home with paintings of dogs and 19th-century English bookcases that display a variety of tomes on decorative arts and Chinese textiles.
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If your approach is more low-key, here’s a starting point. Group things by colour. Items that are within the same palette are easy on the eye. Although you can group pretty much anything, Lawlee’s calling card is grouping ceramics: vases, fruit bowls, wall plates . . . “Think about the story you’re trying to tell,” she says.
When it comes to bookcases, it’s au courant to be subtle: arrange books by colour group, but avoid putting them into a rainbow order (leave that to the TikTok-ers). The golden rule when grouping anything is to choose items on a similar scale. When it comes to volume, odd numbers are best. For instance, there’s a better balance between three pieces than two.
Play around with height. As Diana Vreeland, the former editor-in-chief of American Vogue, said: “The eye has to travel.” The eye needs to be drawn to different places on the shelf, so mix low-lying things such as candles with taller pieces such as a candlestick lamp with an interesting shade or a large vase. Placing objects in front of each other will create depth.
Add texture with greenery. A house plant or a vase of fresh flowers brings a shelf to life. You don’t need to have grandiose amounts of light either. Spider plants and ferns thrive in shady corners of the home.
Finally, throw in something personal. A framed family photo or a gift that has meaning will hold its own among the design finery. The dash of the unexpected will enhance what’s already there.
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If you’re at a loss as to what to put on your shelves, start with things you love. Use one or two pieces you really like as a focal point, then build everything else around this scene. Practical considerations may dictate what you choose: for instance, if the shelving is in a dark corner, you may need space for a lamp. (Cordless lamps work wonders here.)
Remember, there is no blueprint for how to style a space in your home, explains Lawlee, who believes the key is to acquire pieces you love over time. Buying things purely to style a shelf will inevitably “look staged or fakey”. “A good shelf is the end result of collecting things that are meaningful to you,” she says.
The edit
Shelf help
When styling a shelf, books are your friend. A good coffee table tome is a sound investment. House of Joy: Playful Homes and Cheerful Living, published by Gestalten, €48, is available from the end of April
Cordless lamps have come a long way and are invaluable for a shelving unit. Ernest rechargeable lamp in antique brass, €137, and 20cm marbled empire shade, €45, both Pooky. pooky.com
Treat yourself to a beautiful bouquet of flowers then dry the foliage and display it for weeks to come. A statement vase will shine with or without a fresh bunch. Breast friend vase, €490, Anissa Kermiche. anissakermiche.com
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Complement the height of lamps and cut flowers with low-lying pieces such as candles and ornaments. There’s always space for a voguish set of matches too. Red matches, €18.50, Arkitaip X Laëtitia Rouget. centrepiece.ie
Traditionally ugly things such as speakers are now designed to be shown off. The Bronze Tone Beosound 1 Portable Speaker by Bang & Olufsen is as appealing for its looks as its 360-degree sound and bluetooth connectivity. €1,889 at Browns. brownsfashion.com
The simplicity of these shelves is offset by the minimalist styling that allows the sculptural pieces to take centre stage. arteriorshome.com
