How to Style Open Shelving

by Two Paws Farmhouse | Homesteading

$80

30 Minutes

Easy

I have been obsessed with open shelving lately. It is so versatile and did I mention budget friendly?! I struggled with my first open shelving when it came to decorating. Nothing looked right and it wasn't balancing on either side correctly with what I had chosen. After building MANY open shelves throughout my house, I thought it would be great to show you all just how I decorate my shelving.

STEP 1: Choose a focal point. As you can see, my focal point was this old stepback hutch top I found in my basement (we live in a very old farmhouse). Most of the time I would build shelves all the way across and use a large sign or antique window as my focal point. You can use whatever you want. Just make sure it draws the eye in and is larger than anything else you will be placing on your shelves.

STEP 2: Choose a variety of textures. This can include wood, metal, glass, fabric/linens, colors, baskets, etc. The more texture you have, the less planned your shelves will look. You can see that I used many of the same materials but in different textures. For example, I have a corrugated metal cow and also metal pulleys. Same material, totally different textures.

STEP 3: Placement. Get most of your items that will be going up on your shelves actually up on your shelves. It doesn't matter where you put them at this point. Then, move a few items around and step back. Do this until you have everything placed where you want it. This is tedious but probably the most important step.

STEP 4: Don't forget to have fun while doing this! Your decor and shelves are a representation of what you love so make them unique!

My favorite part about my open shelving is my focal point. This was an antique stepback top I found in our basement. It was nailed to an old workbench. I cleaned it up and dragged it upstairs. I have not painted or done anything to it because I am so in love with the chippy patina and the fact that this may have been an original piece to the house. It deserves a home on the wall!

Let me know what you all think about my tips for decorating your open shelving and feel free to ask any questions! You can also view more detailed pictures of my open shelving and other easy DIY tutorials on my blog here!