19th May 2016
Although shelves are there to serve a purpose, there’s no reason for them to be bland. Why not add some creative sparkle and modify their appearance to produce a more attractive home feature?
Image credit: Suzette via Flickr
There’s plenty of wall art styles you can incorporate into shelves, depending on the existing pattern and layout of the room. The purpose of the shelf will also be a deciding factor – holding picture frames, clocks, books or candles for example – as well as its position on the wall.
Shelf Styles
For entire wall shelves, a simple yet imaginative paint job will add graphic detail to the room. Consider bright, vibrant colours and stimulating patterns to fill the wall space between the ledges.
If you want the shelves to become the centrepiece of the room, be inventive with your decorations. Drape flowers over ledges and paint shelves a different shade to the room, perhaps using a contrasting colour scheme for optimum effect.
Image credit: Wicker Paradise via Flickr
For shelves without a specific purpose, be creative and add unusual ornamental knickknacks as decoration. For example, still-life miniature models placed inside glass jars will create a charming showpiece and intrigue guests at the same time.
Pull-out, retractable or triangle corner shelves add another dimension to the room, freeing up space in the process. Again, try and be inventive with their colour and design so they stand out and become a feature in themselves.
For an artsy effect, ditch the conventional parallel shelving and consider using ledges of varying lengths and stagger their layout. This collage impression may suit an assortment of ornaments and house plants on the different shelves.
Alternative Shelves
Why not forget the traditional wooden platform shelf altogether? Think what else could be used to store items along your wall and where best they’d be positioned.
For example, hanging wooden baskets could look great in the bathroom, perfect for holding toiletries or small towels at your convenience. Similarly, rustic living rooms could suit a natural timber shelf whilst clothes pegs can be used to hook tea towels in the kitchen.
Image credit: Meaghan O’Malley via Flickr
As another alternative, large boxes or crates create a practical ledge so items can be placed lower down. For the more free-spirited homemakers out there, why not use unconventional objects, such as books or plates, as makeshift shelves by attaching them to the wall.
Feeling inspired? You may also be interested in our posts 11 Incredible Storage Hacks to Use in the Kitchen and Decoration Ideas For New Home Owners.
19th May 2016