Of all of the elements of design, I have to say, shelfies and the whole process of putting them together brings me great joy. Styling the shelves in your home is the easiest way to express your personality, to reflect on your travels, showcase your most treasured items, and the vibe of your space. Here’s how to shelfie the right way:

Step 1: Blank Slate. Take everything off your shelves and start from nothing. Let go of the way it used to be, and envision the theme of what you’re hoping to achieve. Pinterest is a great place to start, and we have a whole bunch saved here on our page. If you’re like us and have sister shelves in the same space, keep in mind that they don’t need to be identically styled, but they do need to mirror each other in terms of color/ texture/ materials, to a degree. You want them to complement, not compete.

Step 2: Source your objects. Here’s a guideline of what you’re looking for:

1. Greenery. A fresh plant to breathe life into the vignette. It could be a tiny fern, a white orchid, succulents, or if it’s a shady spot; a potted snake plant.
2. Books. I inherited all of my Dad’s books when he passed and they are some of my most treasured possessions. I took off all the covers and organized by hue. Be sure to stack like size with like, then group together using the rule of odds; 1, 3, 5.
3. Height. You want to be sure to have a variety of heights styled together to give the shelfie some depth. Art, vases, sculptures, and the books you stacked above will mix well at different levels to achieve that look.
4. Texture. Be sure to choose several materials; glass, wood, metal, ceramic, then add in some softness to balance it all out. Hot Tip: Skip Target for this one. Home Goods end caps in the center of the store are a great place to find the knick knacks you need for styling, that won’t be on everyone else’s shelves. Vintage shops have fun finds too!
5. A Conversation Starter. Ours is the needlepoint of our family with the three humans and five fur-babies. It is the loveliest piece that becomes a focal point of all guests who pop by. Yours could be anything meaningful to you, or unexpected and quirky! We picked up a vintage doll head (borderline creepy) at an estate sale that we used to anchor some books and that certainly fit the bill as well.

Step 3: EDIT. Please, do not skip this step. I still edit the shelves mentally each time I walk by. And once a change finally clicks, I take a piece away, or move it to a dead spot. This is the most important part of the process. Under no circumstances do you want your shelves to be too full. Naturally, you don’t want them to sag. But you also don’t want all of your work to mush together, not being able to enjoy it piece by piece. There should be enough negative space that you can process each vignette and appreciate the value it holds. Err on the side of sparse. You can always add back in.

Ready to give it a go? Tag us in your #NixonPackshelfie so we can see your flair! Stay tuned next week for a video from the Pack on styling your kitchen shelves for the holidays!