Take time for some 'Shelf Care'

Now we're back in a national lockdown there is no better time than now to take a bit of you time, and faff those shelves.

I don't know about you but time at home means time to procrastinate, and working from home certainly gives me many hours to stare at my four walls and think - what next?

We have completed quite a few projects in our home over the last few years, some creating days if not weeks of disruption. So when I have these wondering thoughts, I like to start small, and shelves are a great place to start.

There is a reason 'shelfie' became a popular hashtag in 2020 - we all like to have a faff.

Shelves are a simple way to introduce new decor without creating disruption but more importantly, without having to break the bank. (They're also a great way of adding in new accessories without your partner ever really noticing - thank me later).

Now these shelf images may look picture perfect, but they've been months in the making. Decor is a world of trial and error and if someone gets it right first time, that's only because they sketched it out on paper first - or they got lucky!

It also doesn't help that trends are constantly changing, and just when you thought you got it right *BANG* pampas grass makes a comeback.

So I know you're dying to know my top tips when it comes to shelf styling, the easy wins. Well here it goes:

Positioning your shelves - This seems like a good place to start and needs much more consideration if you're going for inbuilt shelving. You need to ensure that the shelves are big enough to have the impact in the room you're hoping to create, and also tall enough to fit the accessories that are must have for you. Now this might sound like common sense, but it's very easy to misjudge. A simple way to calculate this is to find some of the items you love, check their height and depth and ensure they would fit within your measurements (integrated shelves are definitely something you want to sketch out on paper first).

And when it comes to wall shelves this second simple approach will help you decide how to display them. If you have a wide space to fill, consider offsetting the shelves so they take up more space on the wall. If you have a smaller space, position them directly one on top of the other, leaving a big enough gap to fit your must have items.

Items in three's are thought to be more aesthetically pleasing - The phrase 'Three's a crowd' is totally irrelevant when it comes to home styling. Items in threes allow you to introduce heights, textures and depth even if all three items were the same colour.

Now that doesn't mean you can't have two items on their own, but if this is your preference consider placing them on top of a book or tray to give the finished look that certain je ne sais quoi.

Avoid things looking a little too uniform - Now this might sound a little strange as when we 'organise' things we are trying to put them in to some kind of order or sequence, but it helps to keep things staggered when it comes to shelves.

Staggering, overlapping and offsetting will add another element and create something that is a key feature of the room. See how this is done in the photo below by offsetting similar shaped arrangements on each shelf.

DO add in your personal touches - If you have a fairly neutral home, shelves are a safe and contained space for you to add in your personal touches, whether this be through family photos or hints of your favourite colour. People often seem surprised that I choose to have 'personal' photos on display, but your home is a place to display the things you love so why wouldn't you have your nearest and dearest around you?

And in terms of colour, this is your chance to use it. Coloured prints, coloured candles, coloured vases you name it, get it on the shelf! It's easily removed should you tire of it a few months later...