styling shelves

Oh, the sweet, sweet reward of nesting. 

It's been exciting through the whole process of re-doing the family room. From demolition to painting to hanging to styling... and there's still more to go! 

Here's a full shot of the new shelves and their decor all put into place: 

Before, the built-ins were cluttered with more frames, sports items, books, knick-knacks and more. This time around, though, I wanted to clear it up a bit. The living room should be a more calming space in the house.

Here's the left side close up:

It's complete with home design books, a few picture frames, a vase and a few empty bottles. Perfecto!

And, now for the left side:

My favorite part? The elephant, of course (thanks Home Goods!). This has a few knick-knack books (like Secrets of Longevity) and fashion books, as well as candles, frames and a sentimental plaque stating, "May you always be in an atmosphere of greatness." Again, perfecto!

I'm sure I'll make several changes throughout the next several weeks, months and even years. But this is a great start. My tips?

(1) Consider horizontal and vertical items when placing them on the shelf. To many of one make it look and feel imbalanced. 

(2) Mix and match items to avoid too much of one type of thing on one shelf. For example, mixing books, a statue and picture frame(s) instead of all picture frames.

(3) Stack! I love stacking books and adding something on top to give it more height. 

Next up for the living room re-do? The gallery wall of art!