A designer’s guide to styling shelving

At Cat Dal Interiors we see a project through from start to finish, assisting our client through all fundamental stages and helping advise on all those difficult design decisions! We’re there every step of the way on the design journey in achieving a dream home.

We embrace all the design stages from initial hand sketching, to technical drawings- we love seeing the design come to life on site. As a project draws to an end, we always look forward to the final styling and dressing of a project- this is where we get to add that extra level of detail and décor.

When styling large joinery walls or open shelving we know it can be an intimidating prospect. So, how do you successfully decorate shelving? We feel it’s about capturing the essence of the overall design; we convey our client’s personality through fun accents and decorative touches. We would like to let you in on a few insider tips for creating perfect shelving display in your home.

Firstly, we look to add larger items such as favourite artefacts acquired from travelling or an ornament with sentimental value. Next we work with artwork, placing in dedicated alcoves or layering to add depth- remember it’s all about the balance! Decorative photo frames displaying joyful memories or special occasions will add touches of personality within the arrangement.

Greenery can automatically transform shelving aesthetically, experiment with high level trailing plants to create something eye-catching! Lastly, a great tip is to try stacking books horizontally to achieve different heights, adding antiques such as trinket boxes or bookends will help bring it all together. When we feel happy with what we’ve created, we step back for one final observation until we know our display is perfect for our client- remember don’t over clutter.