Styling wall shelves in your living room can make the space look great and give you more storage. A well-organized and nicely decorated shelf can be a charming addition to a room’s decor and functionality. These versatile shelves come in a variety of finishes to match any interior design style. Whether you are going to display books, art, or treasured keepsakes, thoughtful styling of your wall shelves could tie in beautifully with your living room’s decor.
Here, we will share with you some very simple yet creative tips on how to decorate wall shelves easily and make your living room even more personal and inviting.
Install Floating Shelves
Floating shelves can bring simplicity and elegance to any room. The setup of these types of shelves is relatively easy, and they have ample space to hold everyday items within quick access and display decorative pieces. It is one of the low-effort and cheap ways through which you can showcase books and decorations. Similarly, you can use the shelves further to display family photos and other personal or special decorative items to make your space more personal and inviting.
Style a Glass Display Cabinet
Glass display cabinets combine both style and functionality, protecting delicate or sentimental items while providing lots of space. Besides, if you are a renter who is not allowed to drill on the walls, then a glass display cabinet is a perfect option for your living room. You could use it to display books or magazines, store linens, craft supplies, and office materials. When you style a glass display cabinet, consider the color palette that you have prevalent in your home. This will help ensure a seamless visual transition especially if you have many displays and collections or live in an open-concept home.
Dani Taylor, product and creative director at Cox & Cox, says,
“A glass-fronted cabinet is far more versatile than built-in storage – it can be easily moved between rooms and taken with you if you move home, A combination of glass fronts and solid doors is often most desirable, so you can get the most of it.”
Install Room-Dividing Shelves
If you have a space in your living room then room-dividing shelves are one of the great options that give functionality and aesthetics to your space. These large shelving units help create a division between the entryway and the living room. The use of both open and closed shelving creates the opportunity for decorative elements to be displayed, while clutter is easily hidden away. Additionally, if you decorate the shelves with light it can easily flow through the space which helps it feel nice and open. You may create a library-like transition between the living space and the dining room. Similarly, a partial wall of cut-outs creates a private alcove with space to read or be creative.
Add Alcove Shelving
The alcove shelving will help utilize space that otherwise would have gone to waste. Creating fitted cabinets and shelves within alcoves on either side of a central feature gives ample room for storing many items. Such shelves are perfect to hold books, decorations, or any other item that will help keep your living room organized and tidy. Alcove shelving also gives a better look to the living room apart from offering storage. The fitted cabinets and shelves frame the central feature, drawing attention to the middle as a focal point. This setup is not only functional but also an addition of beauty and coziness to the room.
Jennifer Ebert, the digital editor of Home & Garden, recommended creating a theme for your alcove shelf, like a bold monochromatic display. She says,
“Make it interesting by choosing a mixture of white, off-white, and black ornaments and vases, some with patterns and prints for a decorative touch. Vary the sizes, too, for extra interest,”
Wall Mounted Shelves
Wall-mounted shelves can bring lots of decorating options into your living room, even if it is small. These shelves are available in a variety of styles to complement your every home style. Mounted shelves display small decorative pieces or even books neatly. Do not let any single square inch of open space go to waste, particularly on your living room walls. Another good thing about wall-mounted shelves is that they are simple and not much of a hassle to install. They are attached directly to a wall with the use of brackets or screws, so they can bear larger and heavier items like storage baskets or bigger decorative pieces. They come in many designs and are fabricated from a lot of materials, including wood and metal.
Create a Wall-to-Wall Display Shelves
Update your living room with custom wall-to-wall shelving that provides functional storage and stylish design. Choose shelves whose front faces are horizontal to match your crown molding for a classic, sophisticated look. Similarly, you can make your living room a touch of class by making it a home library with full-wall bookshelves. Place horizontally and vertically to create an interesting display of books. Place shelves around doors and windows, framing them and creating a warm, cozy atmosphere with much-needed natural light. Use floor-to-ceiling shelves, with cubby holes and built-in cabinets for a touch of modernity.
Freestanding Shelves
Freestanding Shelves are portable and can easily be moved from one room to another. If you want to change the use of your space or renovate your room, these shelves will be perfect because you can move quickly and adjust them without any hassle. Besides, you can have freestanding shelving systems in every form, size, material color, or design. They are available as bookshelves that you can use to arrange the reading matter, storage units to hold everyday things in order, and display racks for which you can use them to set out decorative or collectible pieces. It is this versatility that will make freestanding shelves one of the most practical and flexible ways to bring functionality and decorative appeal to a living space.
Hanging Shelves
Hanging shelves are installed onto the walls via brackets or supports. You may want to opt for them since they are much more versatile and organized. These are fitted into the pantry area by hooks, making them much more adjustable than the shelving. They also come in different styles, such as floating shelves with no visible supports or designs that have brackets. It is made up of materials like wood, metal, or glass. Hence, hanging shelves would be more applicable to maximize the vertical space of small rooms, cleaning up clutters, and stylishly organizing and displaying things.
Conclusion
In conclusion, styling wall shelves in your living room can enhance both its appearance and functionality. You can save expensive floor space with different-style shelves, which give you flexible solutions for both storage and display requirements. Floating shelves display a neat, contemporary look and are perfect for books and decor. You can’t go wrong with glass display cabinets. Hence, they combine style with practicality, protecting delicate items and serving as an easy move. Similarly, shelving as room division creates functional zones that have opportunities for decoration and hidden storage aid in separating areas with different functions. An otherwise wasted space can be utilized for alcove shelving, framing a central feature and giving charm to it. Further moving up on the wall, wall-mounted shelves take advantage of the vertical and may come in several good designs.
Also read, Cheapest Kitchen Countertop Ideas for a Budget Makeover
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How can wall shelves enhance my living room?
The shelves not only enhance the look but also the functionality of your living room. They provide an uncluttered floor and versatile storage and display solutions for your books, art, keepsakes along with the decoration that enhances it.
2. What are floating shelves?
Floating shelves are mounted on the wall without visible supports and offer a clean, modern look. Perfect for displaying books, decorative items, and family photos.
3. How do wall-mounted shelves differ from other types of shelves?
Wall-mounted shelves are those that are directly attached to the wall by brackets or screws. These shelves come in different variants of style and material. They use the wall for the system to be attached to, which is good for holding heavier items, like storage baskets. They are also easy to install and versatile in saving areas.
4. What are hanging shelves, and how should they be used effectively?
Hanging shelves are attached to walls using brackets or supports, although installation may be by way of floating or bracketed designs. They can be advantageously used to make maximum use of the available vertical space in keeping small items organized and displaying decor items with many styles.
5. What are the benefits of using a glass display cabinet?
These glass display cabinets are stylish and practical in design, protecting delicate objects with plenty of space. They are perfect for renters who cannot drill into walls and can be used to store books, magazines, linens, and craft supplies. They are also versatile and can be moved easily.