How to Style Shelves: 9 Need-to-Know Pro Tips and Tricks

HGTV stars and Instagrammers share the stories and strategies behind their displays. Get ready to shake yours up, room by room, with HGTV Magazine — it’s the easiest refresh around!

From: HGTV Magazine

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Photo By: ASHLEY WILSON

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Photo By: Lisa Romerein; Styled by Christopher White

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These Shelves Say: Life Is Happier in Color

Blogger Ashley Wilson has ROYGBIV in her blood — even her bathtub is rainbowed. So brightening the shelves in her bedroom in Logan, Utah, was a natural choice. She collected books and objects from thrift stores and scoured sites for quirk, like a pink poodle from Overstock. “Art pulls the color story together,” she says. Her pot of gold: “I see these shelves first thing every morning, and they always put me in a good mood!”

From: HGTV Magazine

These Shelves Say: Go for Creature Comforts

This isn’t just the room of a 5-year-old in Los Angeles — it’s a “café” to host tea parties for stuffies. So designer Ginny Macdonald gave her furry pals a place of honor. They sit near treasures including books passed down by family and a basket of tissue-paper honeycomb balls (she’s into crafts). Lemon wallpaper by Lulu and Georgia reflects the kindergartener’s love of yellow, says Macdonald, “and her vibrant personality.”

From: HGTV Magazine

HGTV Star Tip: Sabrina Soto

"I have one rule: Keep it clean! Lots of small pieces all over the place can look busy. I stick with bigger items — stacks of coffee-table books — mixed with medium-size vases and baskets. It’s the perfect #shelfie." —Sabrina Soto, Ty Breaker

See More: Sabrina Soto Bio

From: HGTV Magazine

These Shelves Say: Be Yourself

As designer Quintece Hill-Mattauszek zhushed up this Washington, D.C., apartment for someone who had just gone through a breakup, she made shelves a focal point. The client wanted the place to feel all hers, “and she’s an avid reader who loves books.” Hill-Mattauszek built a display wall out of vertical maple boards with 12-inch-wide shelves. “The look is about much more than flair,” she says. “Books tell the story of who you are.”

From: HGTV Magazine

HGTV Star Tip: Jasmine Roth

"Plants on shelves are a must for me. I keep mine in footed planters to make them more visible and show off the cute pots. I am all for fakes!" —Jasmine Roth, Help! I Wrecked My House

HGTV Star Tip: Breegan Jane

"I like to mount pieces of framed art right onto the front of bookshelves. It gives me an extra spot for art and an extra-cool look. Thinking outside the box really pays off!" — Breegan Jane, HGTV designer

See More Photos: HGTV Star Breegan Jane's Home Is as Bright + Chic as You'd Think

These Shelves Say: Family Is Everything

“These parents wanted a family room that celebrated theirs,” says designer Elizabeth Krueger. Brass and glass bookshelves in the Lincolnshire, Illinois, home deliver style and substance: There are family photos (which stand out on a stack of books), pieces from overseas trips to visit relatives and a sprinkling of sculptures. “I knew we nailed it the minute their 3-year-old saw his art on the shelf and his face lit up,” says Krueger.

From: HGTV Magazine

These Shelves Say: Home Is Where the Calm Is

Natural touches and neutrals bring serenity to the dining room of Jacksonville, Florida, blogger Carla Thompson. She painted an arch (Toasty Fireplace by Valspar), put up a birch shelf, and lined it with lush greenery — all in tranquil white planters, but in different shapes and sizes. The scene below is similarly chill, with a vintage-y radio and a line drawing. “I’m Puerto Rican and my husband is American,” she says, “and to me the peace sign signifies togetherness and a peaceful home.”

From: HGTV Magazine

These Shelves Say: Chic It Up!

When a fashion-forward client in Wayne, Pennsylvania, wanted a reading nook in her library, designer Stephanie Kraus went all-out glam. She painted the bookcase teal (Lakeshore by Sherwin-Williams) and put matching grass cloth wallpaper by Phillip Jeffries on shelf backs and walls. Varied textures and multicultural items create a worldly mix. “Contrasting light and dark items are stylish too,” says Kraus.

From: HGTV Magazine

How to Style Shelves: 9 Need-to-Know Pro Tips and Tricks

Related To:

Shop This Look

These Shelves Say: Life Is Happier in Color

These Shelves Say: Go for Creature Comforts

HGTV Star Tip: Sabrina Soto

These Shelves Say: Be Yourself

HGTV Star Tip: Jasmine Roth

HGTV Star Tip: Breegan Jane

These Shelves Say: Family Is Everything

These Shelves Say: Home Is Where the Calm Is

These Shelves Say: Chic It Up!

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